Climate-Smart Agriculture Needs Better Planning For Weather Aberrations

In many respects, weather and climate look like the stock market – ups and downs on various time scales; no one can predict them with 100% accuracy. But predictions are useful for a country like India, where more than 50% of agricultural land is rain-fed and consequently, about 60% of rural livelihoods depend on monsoons.

Traditional weather forecasts tell us what is likely to happen within the next 24 hours and up to two weeks ahead, whereas climate prediction tells us what will likely happen in the coming seasons, years and decades. Both weather and climate forecasts are very important to develop adaption and mitigation strategies to maximise returns from agriculture and improve livelihoods.