Building Farmers’ Capacity for Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Asia

Challenge

Smallholder farmers face droughts, floods, and salinity, but often lack access to tested practices and technical knowledge for resilience.

Solution

Trainers demonstrate climate-smart practices, develop manuals, and connect scientists with local partners to improve farmer skills and adaptation.

Overview

South Asia’s farmers are on the frontline of climate change. Erratic rainfall, drought, floods, and salinity already disrupt food production and rural livelihoods. In 2019, an Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)-supported project led by Nutan Kaushik (Amity University, India) was launched to help farmers and institutions respond.

With partners in Australia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, the project emphasized practical training and demonstration of climate-smart agriculture (CSA). CSA refers to approaches that increase productivity, strengthen resilience to climate hazards, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Study context and approach

The project centered on building capacity for smallholders and the institutions that support them. Activities included training for scientists and practitioners, development of training manuals, and demonstration of CSA options across varied farming systems:

• Zero tillage: Sowing seeds without ploughing the field to reduce soil disturbance, save fuel, and retain soil moisture.
• Raised-bed planting: Planting crops on slightly elevated beds to improve drainage in flood-prone areas.
• Direct-seeded rice: Planting rice seed directly in the field rather than transplanting seedlings, saving water and labor.
• Laser land leveling: Using lasers to level fields, improving water distribution and reducing irrigation time.
• Micro-irrigation: Using drip or sprinkler systems to deliver water efficiently, reducing waste and increasing yields.
• Rainwater harvesting: Capturing and storing rainwater in ponds or tanks for later use during dry spells.
• Stress-tolerant crop varieties: Using drought-, flood-, and salinity-tolerant varieties of rice, wheat, and maize to maintain yields in harsh conditions.
• Agroforestry: Planting trees alongside crops to improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, and provide additional income.
• Integrated pest management: Combining biological control, resistant varieties, and minimal pesticides to manage pests sustainably.
• ICT-based weather advisories: Providing farmers with timely weather forecasts and advice through mobile phones or radio.

These practices were matched to specific climate hotspots such as flood, drought, and salinity zones across South Asia.

Workshops and training

Scientists were to be trained at collaborating institutes in Australia and India in CSA approaches and, in turn, further train local institutes and farmers. Training materials were used in farmer workshops, field demonstrations, and extension courses. Examples included floating bed cultivation in flood zones, mulching and rainwater harvesting in drought areas, and salt-tolerant rice in coastal regions. The project integrated these resources into agro-advisory systems for continued use beyond the project.

Partnerships and engagement

Universities and partner organizations in India, Australia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan collaborated to adapt materials and share experience across farming systems.

Outcomes and results

• A farmer-focused training manual was produced in English, with a Hindi edition to expand accessibility.
• A brief on eco-agriculture and climate-resilient farming was published for wider outreach.
• Two peer-reviewed publications resulted from the project’s work (2021, 2023).
• Partnerships linked Amity University (India), The University of Western Australia (Australia), KERNEL group of companies (Bangladesh), and Kabul University (Afghanistan).
• A dedicated website was also developed for this project.

Project details

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) under its Scientific Capacity Development Programme (CAPaBLE). Acknowledgements also go to Amity University Uttar Pradesh (India), the University of Western Australia (Australia), Kernel Foundation (Bangladesh), and Kabul University (Afghanistan).

Related information

• Project Permalink
• Project Website
• Kaushik, N. (2021). Evolution of eco-agriculture systems: Towards climate resilient agriculture. Agriculture Today, 24(5), 46-47. https://www.apn-gcr.org/publication/evolution-of-eco-agriculture-systems-towards-climate-resilient-agriculture/
• Zahra, N., Farooq, M., & Siddique, K. H. (2021). Strategies for improving water use efficiency in dryland agroecosystems. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering, 8(4), 599-602. doi:10.15302/J-FASE-2021409
• Kaushik, N., Ahmed, M.S., Hakimi, S.S., & Siddique, K. (2022). Training manual: APN project on building capacity to enhance farmer’s capabilities to address the challenges of climate change using climate smart agriculture strategies (in Hindi). https://www.apn-gcr.org/publication/%e0%a4%aa%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%b6%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%95%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b7%e0%a4%a3-%e0%a4%a8%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%b0%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%a6%e0%a5%87%e0%a4%b6%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%95%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%8f-%e0%a4%aa/
• Kaushik, N., Ahmed, M.S., Hakimi, S.S., & Siddique, K. (2022). Training manual: APN project on building capacity to enhance farmer’s capabilities to address the challenges of climate change using climate smart agriculture strategies. https://www.apn-gcr.org/publication/training-manual-apn-project-on-building-capacity-to-enhance-farmers-capabilities-to-address-the-challenges-of-climate-change-using-climate-smart-agriculture-strategies/
• Kaushik, N., Siddique, K.H.M., Ahmed, M.S., & Hakimi, S.S. (2023). Climate-smart agriculture strategies for South Asia to address the challenges of climate change: Identification of climate-resilient agriculture practices for India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. APN Science Bulletin, 13(1). doi:10.30852/sb.2023.2349
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