National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) was launched by the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) in February 2011. By conducting strategic research and demonstrating new technologies, the initiative seeks to increase the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability. Crops, cattle, fisheries, and natural resource management are all areas covered in the research on adaptation and mitigation. It is a network of projects that focuses on increasing the resilience of agriculture towards the change of climate and climate vulnerability through various research and technological development. This article will explain to you about National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

What is Climate Resilient Agriculture?

• In order to attain long-term greater productivity and farm revenues under climate variations, climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) involves exploiting existing natural resources sustainably through crop and livestock production systems.
• In the face of climate change, this strategy reduces hunger and poverty for future generations.
• Especially when done sustainably, CRA methods have the power to change the situation and maintain agricultural productivity on a local, national, and international scale.
• Climate-resilient practices lead to improved access to and use of technology, open trade policies, higher use of resource conservation methods, and increased crop and livestock tolerance to climatic stress.

NICRA - Objectives

The objectives of the National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agricultural (NICRA) are as follows:

• It increases the capacity of the scientists and the other stakeholders in researching agriculture and its different applications.
• It educates and trains the farmers on the application of different technological advancements in dealing with climatic risks.
• Helps in making the farmers self-reliant.
• Enhances the reliance on Indian Agriculture that not only covers crops but livestock and fisheries to various climatic changes utilizing improved technologies.

NICRA - Project Components

The project consists of four components.

• Strategic analysis of mitigation and adaptation
• Technology demonstrations on farms to help farmers deal with the current climate's variability. sponsored and competitive grants for research to close important research gaps
• Developing the capacities of various stakeholder groups.

NICRA - Features

The features of NICRA are as follows:-

• Intensive analysis of the crops and the livestock are vulnerable to climatic changes.
• Giving special attention to livestock and fishery sections that are being avoided over years of climatic changes.
• The researchers are trying to make the work more adaptive.
• The participating research institutes invite foreign experts for the installation of systems and knowledge.
• An integrated simulation process of research and development is installed for the climactic analysis and its impact on agriculture and others, etc.

NICRA - Implementation

National Innovation on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) has three components that are implemented.

Strategic Research on Adaptation and Mitigation

• It is the first component of NICRA that focuses on long-term strategies in different areas of National Resource Management, Pest Control, Crop and livestock management, etc.
• The strategic research resulted in the implementation of various changes in identifying the impacts on crop management.
• Further, institutions dealing with activities are also different.
• The institution named CRIDA and IARI deals with the evaluation of food crop production zones.
• Weather-based agro advisories making contingent plans and various management plans are dealt with in CRIDA through a network of AICRPDA and AICRPAM centers.

Technological Demonstration

• It is the second component of NICRA that helps in the identification of different production systems, analyzing the existing institutional research and the gaps therein.
• The interventions of technological development are further divided into four modules:-
• Mod-I (Natural Resources): It deals with recycling and water-harvesting, improving the drainage system in village areas, and initiates many water-saving irrigation methods.
• Mod-II (Crop Production): It deals with dealing with various tolerance levels of temperature, planting of rabi crops, the water-saving method that can help in further production, frost management in horticulture using fumigation, community nursing, etc.
• Mod-III ( Livestock and Fisheries): deals with the means of fodder production during flood or drought, preventive vaccination process, reducing heat stress in livestock, managing the fisheries, etc.
• Mod-IV (Institutional Intervention): It deals with strengthening the existing institutions or implementation of new institutions.
• These institutions manage to store crop seeds, fodder, etc.
• It deals with different community groups, collective marketing, and training the farmers about different climatic variances and weather insurances.

Building Capacity

• This is the third component that focuses on satisfying the stakeholders whether the government or the farmers or the researchers.
• For the scientists: Visits to foreign countries to advance themselves, introducing new experts that can help the Indian researchers in setting up the calibration and other technologies.
• Different technological tools are also introduced through which they can conduct their research smoothly.
• For Farmers, and NGOs: Training them to deal with the climatic changes and different introduction of different adaptation methods, they are made aware of different climatic changes and the nature of new technologies introduced.
• For Banks, Cooperative societies, etc: Insurance products are developed that can deal with the loss in crop production due to climatic variances.
• For Policymakers: Different policy frameworks are introduced regarding the use of energy and natural resources.

NICRA - Output

• The selection of livestock breeds and crop genotypes shows the promise of being more tolerant of climate stress.
• Climate resilience best practices were exhibited in 100 at-risk areas.
• Strengthened climatic change research infrastructure at important research institutions.
• A sufficient scientific workforce to carry out climate change research in the nation and equipped farmers to handle climate unpredictability.

NICRA - Benefits

• The project assesses the different climatic effects on Indian Agriculture and develops technologies that would help in increasing productivity and also control over the resources.
• The project also focuses on making the farmers self-reliant.
• The project educates them on how to improve soil health, produce quality crops and livestock, and how manage resources efficiently.
• The strategic research is carried out at 21 Institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research where much infrastructure and equipment are there for researching the climatic change research based on crops, rain-fed crops, fisheries, livestock, etc.

Conclusion

It is likewise imperative that the logic behind climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) was valued and put into practice more strictly since climate change can reduce agricultural income by 15% to 25%. Thus, the planners and all other stakeholders must carefully look at the issue of agriculture's future. The government and other organizations are working to address the main issues facing Indian agriculture, such as small farm holdings, primary and secondary processing, supply chains, infrastructure enabling effective resource use, and marketing, which aims to cut down on middlemen in the market. Working on cost-effective solutions that safeguard the environment and preserve our natural resources is necessary.

FAQs

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following is a primary objective of the NICRA program?

A) Promote industrial growth

B) Increase agricultural productivity irrespective of climate change

C) Improve climate resilience in agriculture

D) Promote urban agriculture

2. What is one of the key strategies used by NICRA to address climate change impacts on agriculture?

A) Use of chemical fertilizers

B) Promotion of drought-tolerant crop varieties

C) Increasing pesticide use

D) Expansion of monoculture practices

3. Which of the following sectors is NICRA primarily concerned with?

A) Industrial development

B) Healthcare system

C) Agriculture and rural development

D) Urban infrastructure

4. NICRA is an initiative by which of the following organizations?

A) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

B) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

C) Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

D) Ministry of Rural Development

5. How does NICRA support farmers in the adoption of climate-resilient practices?

A) By providing subsidies on chemical fertilizers

B) By offering free seeds for traditional crops

C) Through training and access to climate information

D) By offering free machinery for farming

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Evaluate the role of NICRA in enhancing climate resilience in Indian agriculture. What challenges does it face?

Answer: NICRA plays a crucial role in enhancing climate resilience by promoting sustainable practices like the use of drought-resistant crops, efficient water management, and soil conservation. The program focuses on vulnerable areas, providing farmers with tools to mitigate climate change impacts. However, challenges include limited awareness in rural areas, inadequate infrastructure, and the high cost of implementing climate-resilient practices. There is also the issue of ensuring the long-term sustainability of these practices, especially in remote regions.

Q2: Discuss the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. How can initiatives like NICRA mitigate these impacts?

Answer: Climate change has significant impacts on Indian agriculture, including altered rainfall patterns, increased frequency of droughts, and reduced crop productivity. These changes threaten food security and farmer livelihoods. Initiatives like NICRA help mitigate these impacts by promoting adaptive measures such as climate-smart farming practices, water-use efficiency, and crop diversification. NICRA also empowers farmers with knowledge on climate trends, helping them make informed decisions for better crop management and resource use.

Q3: How can India’s agricultural policy be aligned with climate change mitigation and adaptation goals? Discuss with reference to NICRA.

Answer: India’s agricultural policy should integrate climate change mitigation and adaptation by incorporating strategies like promoting sustainable farming, improving water use efficiency, and enhancing soil health. NICRA serves as a model for aligning agricultural policy with climate resilience by fostering research on climate-friendly crop varieties and supporting farmers with necessary tools and information. Additionally, scaling up such initiatives and incorporating them into the national policy framework can ensure long-term sustainability in the face of climate change.

Previous Year Questions on NICRA and Climate Resilience

1. UPSC CSE 2020

Question: Assess the role of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in mitigating the effects of climate change in India. How does it relate to agriculture?

Answer: The NAPCC outlines eight national missions aimed at addressing climate change impacts. The mission on sustainable agriculture focuses on enhancing productivity while minimizing environmental degradation. It ties in with programs like NICRA, which provides farmers with tools to adapt to climate change and promotes sustainable farming practices, aligning with the NAPCC’s climate goals.

2. UPSC CSE 2019

Question: What are the challenges in implementing climate-resilient agricultural practices in India? Discuss with reference to government schemes like NICRA.

Answer: The challenges include lack of awareness among farmers, limited access to climate data, and insufficient infrastructure for implementing sustainable practices. While programs like NICRA aim to address these challenges by providing training and resources, overcoming the barriers of funding, knowledge dissemination, and local adaptation remain crucial for long-term success.