The article reviews and summarizes the climate
change mitigation and adaptation work undertaken
by ICRISAT. The effects of climate change are
already being experienced in several parts of the
world. Even though the effects of climate change will
be felt over all kinds of agricultural production systems,
they will be more pronounced in dryland areas
where agriculture is totally dependent on rainfall.
Simulation output analyses reveal that crop yield will
decrease due to climate change and variability in drylands,
but this can be mitigated in large parts by the
application of existing knowledge on crop, soil and
water management, and by re-targeting and redeployment
of the existing germplasms of the crops in
the medium term (2010–2050). Integrated watershed
management is an important tool to mitigate the
climate change effects through soil conservation,
improved water availability and other secondary
benefits. Similarly, conservation agriculture practices
under the integrated genetic and natural resources
management strategy can help minimize the adverse
effects of climate change on dryland agricultural productivity