Abstract:
The issue of climate change impact on agriculture and developing resiliency is of prime importance to ensure food and livelihood
security. A study was conducted in Odisha, a climatically vulnerable state of India, to assess the resilience of agriculture on the
basis of district-wise agricultural scenario worked out through a composite agricultural scenario index (ASI) for the period 2001–
2002 to 2013–2014 and to study adaptation mechanisms developing resilience. As irrigation, socio-economic and climatic
variability scenario influence resilience of agriculture, these were also studied through relevant indexes and mapped with help
of Arc GIS software. The maximum and minimum ASI value among all 30 districts of Odisha during the study period have
ranged from 86.30 to 65.80 and 24.60 to 12.80, respectively, showing the fluctuations that may be attributed to the climatic
aberrations. The coastal districts Balasore and Bhadrak have showed a relatively better resilience of agriculture in the years of
climatic disasters maintaining the ASI value at a higher level as compared to other districts due to better groundwater irrigation
and socio-economic scenario in those districts. However, other coastal districts have shown less resilience with decrease of ASI
value to a greater extent in the years of climatic hazards. Therefore, the adaptation mechanisms in case of natural resource
management, crop farming, livestock farming and institutional innovations were delineated in a resilient coastal district of
Balasore and non-coastal district of Khurda. Adoption of climate resilient technologies by farm households has helped in
bringing resilience of agriculture to climate change
