EbA_Info_Brief_Series_4_Agriculture

International Climate Initiative (IKI)
EbA Info Brief Series #4

INFO BRIEF
February 2021
An Ecosystem-based
approach to Climate Resilient
Agriculture
UPSCALING ECOSYSTEM-BASED ADAPTATION
(EbA) TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE RAINFED
REGIONS OF MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
Automated weather station by WOTR in Sangamner block,

Ahmednagar District. Photo credit: WOTR
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for more than half of Maharashtra’s population, of which 80% are
small and marginal farmers1. However, climate change, ecological degradation, and market pressures threaten
sustainable agriculture production.
Challenges to agricultural production in the rainfed regions of

Maharashtra
The majority of the state’s cultivable area falls ranks third in the use of fertilisers in India,
under rainfed agriculture (82%), of which 7.5 accounting for 11% of the countrywide consumption.
million ha (43% of the total cultivable area) is In 2018–19, fertiliser usage in the state stood at 125
degraded2. Inappropriate management practices, kg per hectare4. Chemical-intensive agriculture
overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and aggravates degradation of agricultural land, water
monocropping, among others, drive the degradation sources and ecosystems5.
of agricultural land.
Monocultures of cash crops, such as cotton and
In addition, extreme weather events and climate sugarcane, aggravate the risk of crop failure, bring
anomalies pose a severe threat to agricultural new pests and diseases, alter food habits, and lead
production, farmers’ livelihoods and food security. to a loss of biodiverse varieties which are resilient
Such anomalies include shifts in the monsoons, to climate risks.
prolonged droughts, heavy and unseasonal rain
and hail, as well as shorter winter days with higher Better-off farmers exploit groundwater and other
minimum temperatures, longer summers and surface irrigation sources and thus deprive their
higher maximum temperatures3. poorer counterparts. Water intensive crops such
as sugarcane are cultivated on 2% of the total
In an era of market-driven agriculture, farmers rely geographical area of the state, while consuming a
on external inputs such as chemical fertilisers and disproportionate 40% of the irrigation water6.
pesticides for higher productivity. Maharashtra
Ecosystem-based Adaptation for productive and resilient agriculture

Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA)—a nature-based
and human-centered approach to tackle the impacts
What is Ecosystem based
of climate change—can help countries to effectively
scale climate change adaptation measures while Adaptation (EbA)
meeting goals of environmental conservation and
socio-economic development7. Ecosystems provide The United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) defines EbA as “the use
EbA Info Brief #4
communities with water, food, forage, fibre, bioenergy,

and medicinal plants. By protecting and restoring these of biodiversity and ecosystem services as
ecosystem services and biodiversity, EbA preserves part of an overall adaptation strategy to
the natural resource base for agricultural production, help people adapt to the adverse effects of
climate change” (CBD, 2009).
helps people adapt to climate change, and enhances food security8. An EbA approach to agriculture includes
integrated soil and water management, use of eco-friendly pesticides and organic manure, promotion of agro-
biodiversity, agroforestry and reforestation, as well as multi-layer farming with locally adapted crops to climatic
variations. Agriculture is more resilient when aligned with the specific agro-ecological zone by choosing crops
that suit the climate, soil type and rainfall conditions9.
Opportunities for upscaling EbA in agricultural production systems

Strengthening agriculture with EbA has become The business model of Farmer Producer
even more essential during the recent COVID-19 Organisations (FPOs) is gaining acceptance
crisis. Environmentally resilient agricultural among farmers and can be effectively leveraged
systems provide income not only to resident to implement EbA on a wide scale and develop
farming communities, but also to migrants who ecosystem-based livelihoods.
have returned home10.
The various research institutes of the Indian
Agriculture is an important sector for both the Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the
central and the state government. NITI Aayog, India Meteorological Department (IMD), as well
the Committee for Doubling Farmers’ Income and as numerous NGOs and innovative farmers are
the National Rainfed Area Authority, are actively demonstrating a range of tested methodologies
promoting the welfare of farmers through various for improving agricultural productivity while
projects. These stakeholders and their programmes adopting more environment-friendly practices.
provide opportunities for mainstreaming EbA into
agricultural policies.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
As part of the International Climate Initiative by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation,
and Nuclear Safety (BMU), the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), based in Pune, India, and Berlin-based Think
Tank TMG Research, aim to develop a roadmap for upscaling of EbA in Maharashtra. This project entails a series
of participatory multi-stakeholder dialogues at both the local and state levels, with the intention of identifying
promising EbA initiatives. An important aspect of these processes is to identify the enabling environment for EbA to be
implemented and sustained at a broader scale. These stakeholder dialogues are expected to contribute to building the
required political and societal support for EbA at the country level.
1
NITI Ayog, (nd). Task force on Agriculture development, accessed on 12th November, 2020-
https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Maharashtra_Report_0.pdf. (Marginal farmers cultivate up to 1 hectare, while small farmers cultivate more than 1
hectare and up to 2 hectares).
2
ISRO, (2015-16). Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India, (Based on IRS AWiFS data of 2011-13 and 2003-05), Space Applications Centre,
ISRO, Ahmedabad, India, accessed on 12th November, 2020-https://vedas.sac.gov.in/vedas/downloads/atlas/DSM/Desertification_Atlas_2016_SAC_ISRO.
pdf.
3
Maharashtra State Adaptation Action Plan on Climate Change (2014), accessed on 13th November, 2020-http://mahenvis.nic.in/Pdf/other/ToR%27s%20
for%20Maharashtra%20SAPCC.pdf.
4
Mott MacDonald. (2019). Draft ESA and ESMF State of Maharashtra Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project, accessed on 13th November, 2020-
https://www.smart-mh.org/cdn//2019/08/190818171526_405e4be8b9d3ce2374fe29ce1561a62b.pdf.
5
Bhattacharyya, R. et al. (2015). Soil Degradation in India: Challenges and Potential Solutions. Sustainability, 7, 3528-3570, accessed on 13th November,
2020- https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/4/3528.
6
NITI Ayog, (nd). Task force on Agriculture development, accessed on 12th November, 2020-
https://niti.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Maharashtra_Report_0.pdf
7
D’Souza , M. et al. (2020). Scaling Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change in Maharashtra, India, accessed on 13th November, 2020- https://
wotr-website-publications.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/Scaling_Ecosystem_based_Adaptation_in_Maharashtra_India_An_Analysis_of_Policies%20_
and_Programmes.pdf
EbA Info Brief #4
8
Stiem-Bhatia, L. (2020). Rebuilding our food systems — an ecosystem-based approach for resilience, Ideas on sustainability transformations and
responses to climate change, Enabling Sustainability, Edited by TMG, accessed on 11th November, 2020- https://medium.com/enabling-sustainability/
rebuilding-our-food-systems-an-ecosystem-based-approach-for-resilience-a88ff5fe01b.
9
The concept of agro-ecological zones was developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
10
Multi-Layer Farming Helps in Providing Food and Nutrition Security in the time Of Covid-19, accessed on 9th November, 2020-https://thewotrblog.
wordpress.com/2020/04/20/multi-layer-farming-helps-in-providing-food-and-nutrition-security-in-the-time-of-covid-19/ (Blog).

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International Climate Initiative (IKI)

EbA Info Brief Series #4

Automated weather station by WOTR in Sangamner block,

Challenges to agricultural production in the rainfed regions of

Ecosystem-based Adaptation for productive and resilient agriculture

communities with water, food, forage, fibre, bioenergy,

Opportunities for upscaling EbA in agricultural production systems

ABOUT THE PROJECT

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