The following passage is about climate change and its effects.
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Climate change is any significant long-term change in the expected patterns of average weather of a region (or the whole Earth) over a significant period of time. It is about abnormal variations to the climate and the effects of these variations on other parts of the earth. These changes may take tens, hundreds or perhaps millions of years. But increased anthropogenic activities such as industrialization, urbanization, deforestation, agriculture, change in land use pattern, etc. lead to emission of greenhouse gases due to which the rate of climate change is much faster.
Climate change scenarios include higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, and higher atmospheric CO concentrations. There are three ways in which the “Greenhouse Effect” may be important for agriculture. First, increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations can have a direct effect on the growth rate of crops. Secondly, CO2-induced changes of climate may alter levels of temperature, rainfall, and sunshine that can influence plant and animal productivity. Finally, rises in sea level may lead to loss of farmland by inundation and increasing salinity of groundwater in coastal areas.
From ancient times India’s agriculture has been dependent on monsoons. Any change in monsoon trends drastically affects agriculture. Even the increasing temperature is affecting Indian agriculture. In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, these pre-monsoon changes will primarily affect the wheat crop (>0.5oC increase in time slice 2010-2039; IPCC 2007). In the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh alone, rice production losses during severe droughts (about one year in five) average about 40 percent of total production, with an estimated value of $800 million.
An increase in CO2 to 550 ppm increases yields of rice, wheat, legumes, and oilseeds by 10 to 20 percent. A 1° Celcius increase in temperature may reduce yields of wheat, soybeans, mustards, groundnuts, and potatoes by 3 to 7 percent. There would be higher losses at higher temperatures. Productivity of most crops decreases only marginally by 2020 but by 10 to 40 percent by 2100 due to increases in temperature, rainfall variability, and decreases in irrigation water.
The major impacts of climate change will be on rain-fed or un-irrigated crops, which are cultivated on nearly 60 percent of cropland. A temperature rise by 0.5°C in winter temperature is projected to reduce rain-fed wheat yield by 0.45 tonnes per hectare. Possibly, there might be some improvement in yields of chickpeas, rabi maize, sorghum and millets and coconut on the west coast and less loss in potatoes, mustard, and vegetables in north-western India due to reduced frost damage. Increased droughts and floods are likely to increase production variability.
Recent studies done at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute indicate the possibility of a loss of between 4 and 5 million tons in wheat production in the future with every rise of 1 °C temperature throughout the growing period. Rice production is slated to decrease by almost a tonne/hectare if the temperature rises by 2-degree celsius. In Rajasthan, a 2-degree rise in temperature was estimated to reduce the production of pearl millet by 10 to 15 percent. If the maximum and minimum temperatures rise by 3 and 3.5 degrees respectively, then soya bean yields in M.P will decline by 5 percent compared to 1998. Agriculture will be affected in the coastal regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra, as fertile areas are vulnerable to inundation and salinization.
Food security is both directly and indirectly linked with climate change. Any alteration in the climatic parameters such as temperature and humidity which govern crop growth will have a direct impact on the quantity of food produced. Indirect linkage pertains to catastrophic events such as floods and droughts which are projected to multiply as a consequence of climate change leading to huge crop loss and leaving large patches of arable land unfit for cultivation which hence threatens food security. The net impact of food security will depend on the exposure to global environmental change and the capacity to cope with and recover from global environmental changes. On a global level, increasingly unpredictable weather patterns will lead to a fall in agricultural production and higher food prices, leading to food insecurity.
“Global Warming” has now started showing its impacts worldwide. Climate is the primary determinant of agricultural productivity which directly impacts food production across the globe. The agriculture sector is the most sensitive sector to climate change because the climate of a region/country determines the nature and characteristics of vegetation and crops. An increase in the mean seasonal temperature can reduce the duration of many crops and hence reduce the final yield. Food production systems are extremely sensitive to climate changes like changes in temperature and precipitation, which may lead to outbreaks of pests and diseases thereby reducing harvest ultimately affecting the food security of the country.
Coping with the impact of climate change on agriculture will require careful management of resources like soil, water, and biodiversity. To cope with the impact of climate change on agriculture and food production, India will need to act at the global, regional, national and local levels.
Q.1. The passage indicates which one of the following influence of anthropogenic activities?
(a) A fall in agricultural production and higher food prices, leading to food insecurity.
(b) The decline in nature and characteristics of vegetation and crops.
(c) The rate of climate change is much faster due to the emission of greenhouse gases.
(d) The exploitation of natural resources for economic growth.
Q.2. What can be inferred from the sentence “Climate is the primary determinant of agricultural productivity”?
(a) The agriculture sector is the most sensitive sector to climate change.
(b) Climate change is analogous to technological change in agriculture which can increase or decrease the total productivity of factors collectively and can increase or decrease the productivity of one factor relative to another.
(c) Crop yields are directly affected by changes in climatic factors such as temperature and precipitation and the frequency and severity of extreme events like droughts, floods, and wind storms.
(d) Climate directly influences food production across the globe and climate variability and change will exacerbate food insecurity in areas currently vulnerable to hunger and undernutrition.
Q.3. What are the factors, according to the passage that may result in higher losses in productivity of crops by the year 2100?
(a) Rainfall variability due to the increase in Carbon Dioxide concentration.
(b) Scarcity of resources like land, water, nutrients....etc.
(c) Increased greenhouse gas emissions, and surface water eutrophication.
(d) Extreme use of genetically modifies crop varieties.
Q.4. Which of the following factors, according to the passage, does not express Climate change scenarios?
(a) Higher temperatures
(b) Changes in precipitation
(c) Lower atmospheric Carbon Dioxide concentrations
(d) Increasing salinity of groundwater in coastal areas
Answers & Explanations:
1. (c); It can be inferred from the sentence of the first paragraph - "increased anthropogenic activities such as industrialization, urbanization, deforestation, agriculture, change in land use pattern, etc. has led to the emission of greenhouse gases due to which the rate of climate change is much faster." The other options are relevant but do not fit in the context of the passage as the author has not mentioned any of these in the passage. Such options, though sound strong, can’t be considered as these are nowhere mentioned in the passage.
2. (c); The correct inference can be best described by option (c). From the sentence "Climate is the primary determinant of agricultural productivity", it can inferred that Climatic factors serve as direct inputs to agriculture, any change in climatic factors is bound to have a significant impact on crop yields and production. The rest of the options are either vague or not mentioned in the passage.
3. (a); From the passage, it is clear that by 2100, rainfall variability may result in higher losses in productivity of crops. Other options are sensible enough to be the answer but are nowhere mentioned in the passage, hence cannot be considered.
4. (c); From the first few lines of the second paragraph, it is clear that all the given factors are responsible for the climate change except for option (c).
Important Vocabulary:
(i) Vulnerable (Adjective) - Exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally
Synonyms: Accessible, Exposed, Liable, Sensitive
Antonyms: Guarded, Safe, Secure, Strong
Sentence Examples:
(ii) Inundate (Verb) - Overwhelm (someone) with things or people to be dealt with
Synonyms: Deluge, Engulf, Overflow, Overrun
Antonyms: Dry, Underwhelm, Neglect, Uncover
Sentence Examples:
Verifying, please be patient.