The Roundtable on Climate Change and Rainfed Farming Systems identified adaptation strategies to manage risk and protect livelihoods of small and marginal farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture.
Participants identified integrated water management through harvesting rainwater as an important strategy in building the resilience of rainfed communities.
16 August 2011: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), with JSW-Time India Earth Care Initiatives 2011, organized a Roundtable on Climate Change and Rainfed Farming Systems that focused on providing sustainable and science-based solutions and pro-poor approaches to climate change adaptation.
The roundtable, which took place on 16 August 2011, in Hyderabad, India, drew 65 participants representing different stakeholders from India. It aimed to identify adaptation strategies to manage risk and protect livelihoods of small and marginal farmers who rely on rainfed agriculture. William Dar, ICRISAT Director General, called for adopting a holistic approach integrating the adoption of climate-resilient crops and various soil, water and nutrient management strategies. Integrated water management through harvesting rainwater also emerged from the meeting as an important strategy in building the resilience of rainfed communities and natural resources.
Other focal topics of the meeting included: assessing local impacts of climate change at regional/subregional levels; capacity building of all stakeholders including policymakers; development of climate-ready crops using new science tools; and building local institutions and enabling policies to ensure equitable and inclusive development of smallholder farmers. ICRISAT is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [ICRISAT Press Release]