Impacts of climatic hazards on agricultural growth in India

Using a panel of state-level data for the period 1970-2018 this paper assesses the impacts of climatic hazards, viz., droughts, floods, heat-waves and cold-waves, on agricultural growth in India, and also evaluates the potential of a few important adaptation measures in mitigating their negative growth effects. The findings reveal that climatic hazards negatively impact agricultural growth, but different hazards impact it differently. Droughts and heat-waves have larger negative effects, and these effects are stronger for the poor and pre-dominantly agrarian states. Nonetheless, the findings also demonstrate that the negative effects of climatic hazards can partially be offset using the adaptation measures, ex-ante and ex-post the hazards. Irrigation and crop diversification appear to provide larger adaptation benefits, especially against droughts and heat-waves, but their benefits fall significantly in case the hazards become more frequent. The adaptation benefits of manipulations in input-use and diversification into animal husbandry are comparatively small but more sustainable in the event of frequent climatic hazards.

Automated summary

Climatic hazards have negative impacts on agricultural growth in India, with droughts and heat-waves causing larger negative effects, especially in poor and agrarian states. However, adaptation measures such as irrigation and crop diversification can partially offset these negative effects, particularly against droughts and heat-waves, although their benefits may decrease with more frequent hazards.Inputs use and diversification into animal husbandry also provide small but sustainable adaptation benefits in the event of frequent climatic hazards.