Presentation by PK Joshi, International Food Policy Research Institute, at the CCAFS Workshop on Institutions and Policies to Scale out Climate Smart Agriculture held between 2-5 December 2013, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1. Implications of Government Policies in South
Asian Countries on Climate Change Adaptation,
Mitigation and Resilience in Agriculture
N K Tyagi, Pramod K Aggarwal, P K Joshi and Divya Pandey
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
and
Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS)
NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012 India
E-mail: p.joshi@cgiar.org

2. Outline
Background
 National level policies and programs
 Impact indicators and approach



Mitigation, adaptation, resilience and sustainability
Impact of government policies and programs

Climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience
Way forward
 Conclusions

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3. I
Background
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4. Global Hunger Index: Country performance by severity
Alarming or extremely alarming levels of hunger in 29 countries
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5. Concept of climate smart agriculture (Source: Aggarwal 2010)

Nitrogen
smart
Policy
smart
Knowledge
Water
smart

Climate
Smart
Energy
smart
smart

Weather
smart
Carbon
smart
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Climate smart interventions (FAO)
 Adapting/mitigating climate
change
 Ensure reducing the risk arising
due to climate change
 Augmenting farm income.
Triple wins (World Bank)
 Higher yields, more carbon
sequestration, and greater
resilience to heat and drought
Feasible interventions
 Resource endowments
 Capacity indicators

6. II
National level policies and programs
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7. Broad national policy initiatives for climate change
and sustainable agriculture in South Asia
National Action Plan for Climate Change
 National Environment Policy
 National Agricultural Policy
 National Water Policy
 National Disaster Management Policy
 National Forest Policy
 National Livestock Policy

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8. National Action Plan on Climate Change:
India and Pakistan

8 Missions have been constituted









National Solar Mission
National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency
National Mission for Sustainable Habitat
National Water Mission
National Mission for Sustainability of Himalaya Eco-system
National Mission for the Green India
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture
National Mission for Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change
Pakistan’s Climate Change Policy- 2013

Focus towards adaptation efforts and makes agriculture more
resilient and sustainable.
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9. Common features of climate change related
policies in South Asia




Unlike global climate policy, which does not focus on agriculture,
South Asian countries have emphasized policies for adapting to climate
change on agriculture.
 In the absence of legislation, national action plans (NAPs) are currently the
most common instrument for adaptation policies
The NAPs of all the South Asian countries specially mention the need
to address the concerns of the farming community and rural poor as
one of the guiding principles of climate policy.
Subsidies have been a mechanism for promoting adaptation in
economic development programs.
While policy statements are often elaborate, mechanisms for putting
them into practice are often missing.
 This is particularly true for funding adaptation and mitigation programs.
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10. Priority “adaptation” focus in agriculture

Strengthening food security programs


Diversifying crops and introducing stress tolerant
commodities
Improving water management

Drinking and agriculture
Improving land and land use management
 Enhancing coastal zone management
 Building capacity and strengthening institutions
 Raising public awareness

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11. Core agriculture policies in South Asian
countries
Improved seeds, fertilizer, irrigation expansion,
watershed development, provision of insurance
and weather forecast
 Subsidies more pronounced (except Sri Lanka)
 Groundwater development is largely private



Electricity for pumping is highly subsidized
Micro financing to reduce vulnerability to climate
change in Bangladesh

Proshika and Grameen
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12. III
Impact indicators and approaches
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13. Impact indicators of past agricultural policies

Mitigation


Adaptation


Change in number of people able to secure food grains
between 1990 and 2010
Resilience


Change in GHG emission between 1990 and 2010
Change in variance of food production between 1990/95
and 2005/2010
Sustainability

Ratio of water withdrawal and renewable water
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14. IV
Impact of government policies and
programs
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15. Changes in GHG emissions due to policies and
technologies
Food grain area, m ha
200
150
165
127
127
123
178
122
100

0
0
1990
Policies
2000
2010
Area change

200
262
240
180
180
176

69
64
100
0
Policies
2000
Base 1990
2010
Emission change
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1990-2000: -60.53 Mt CO2e
1990-2010: -100.64 MtCO2e
Change in emission


0
1990

193
1.42 t/ha in 1990 to 1.73 t/ha in
2010
Change in emissions

Emissions, MtCO2e
151 mt in 1990 to 212 mt in 2010
Food grain yields

Base 1990
300
Food grain production

56
42
50

1990-2000: -33%
1990-2010: -56%

16. An illustration: benefits of micro-irrigation
Item
20%
40%
Water saving, M ha m
- Current area (3.87 ha)
- Potential area (42 m ha)
0.49
6.51
1.47
13.2
Food production, m t
- Current area (3.87 ha)
- Potential area (42 m ha)
2.52
25.2
4.64
50.4
Food availability, kg/capita-year
- Current area (3.87 ha)
- Potential area (42 m ha)
2.08
22.57
4.16
45.15
Reduction in GHG emission, MtCO2e
- Current area (3.87 ha)
- Potential area (42 m ha)
3.70
40.20
7.61
80.40
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17. Impact of policies on climate change mitigation,
adaptation, resilience and sustainability in agriculture
Mitigation
Adaptation
Resilience
Sustai’lity
Excellent
(-47.82)
Fair
(9.1)
High
Low
Fair
(- 3.70)
Fair
(2.08)
High
Fair
(GWAR: 0.95)
- Potential
Excellent
(- 80.40)
Excellent
(45.15)
High
Good
(GWAR: 0.80)
GW-energy
Fair
(- 10.29)
High
Very low
(GWAR: > 1)
High
Low
(N:P:K)
(MtCO2e)
Irrigation
Micro-irri
- Current
Fertilizer
Very poor
(+ 36.2)
(% increase
Kg/capita-1)
Fair
(4.50)
(Variance in
production)
GWAR: Groundwater Abstraction Ratio (Ratio of groundwater withdrawal to groundwater availability)
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18. V
Way forward
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19. Way forward

Improve water management policies





Fertilizer policy




Change canal management system
Rationalize canal water pricing
Promote adoption of water smart technologies
Revise groundwater regulation
Rationalize fertilizer pricing and subsidies
Promote integrated nutrient management
Policies to promote balance nutrient use
Energy policy


Electricity pricing
Promote energy efficient devices (solar or micro-irrigation)
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20. Policy challenges
Policy paralysis
& uncertainty
Appeasing
policies
Weak governance
Weak capacity
Powerful
bureaucracy
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• Political uncertainty
• High cost that obstruct
reforms
• Policy gaps
• Policy analysis and execution
• Controls, regulations and
delays

21. V
Conclusions
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22. Conclusion
Policies made both positive and negative impacts
 Water is a major issue of concern



Water made significant contribution in South Asia


Adaptation, mitigation, resilience and sustainability
Water policies are being messed-up


Drought or flood or fall /rise in water table
Needs serious attention to correct for improving efficiency
Need to enhance capacity of different stakeholders

Policy analysis, formulation and implementation
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23. Policies, technologies and
institutions need attention
for a win-win solution
Thank you
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