Researchers at the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have found a worrying match between regions that are most likely to face climate change induced reduction in crop yield, and areas that already suffer from chronic food shortage. The fertile Indo-Gangetic plains are likely to face a drop in precipitation by over 5%, and this decrease is crucially likely to coincide with the growing season, the study has found, in conclusions that are alarming for India.
Large chunks of central India - Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, eastern Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and northern parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka - and the Western Ghats are likely to experience major upward temperature shifts. These shifts are expected to affect yield of most crops adversely.
The scientists found a match between the regions likely to suffer in terms of crop yield most from climate change effects, and the regions that already suffer from high malnutrition, stunting and other indicators of chronic food shortage. Read the full report here.
Source: Charu Sudan Kasturi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
