Global climate change is accelerating with 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record about 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels, surpassing 2023 (1.45°C). Greenhouse gas concentrations also reached unprecedented highs in 2024, with CO₂ at 423 ppm, CH₄ above 1,930 ppb, and N₂O around 338 ppb. These alarming levels are driving glacial retreat, sea level rise at 3.4 mm per year and more frequent extreme weather events worldwide. India, with its diverse agro-climatic zones, is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change, facing simultaneous risks of rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, floods, droughts, and land degradation, all of which directly threaten food, water and livelihood security. The Indian Himalayan Region, particularly Jammu & Kashmir, is increasingly exposed to climate-induced risks. The region has witnessed a temperature rise of approximately 0.2°C per decade over the past four decades, resulting in shrinking glaciers and altered river flows. The Kolahoi Glacier, for instance, has retreated by more than 23% since the 1960s, jeopardizing the flow of rivers like the Lidder and Jhelum, which are lifelines for irrigation and drinking water. In the Kashmir Valley, the impacts are evident in the declining area under paddy cultivation-from 162,309 hectares in 2012-13 to 135,067 hectares in 2023-24, alongside an increasing dependence on imported food grains and a cereal deficit exceeding 40%. The valley also struggles with a fodder deficit of more than 48%, posing serious challenges to the livestock sector. Meanwhile, the Jammu region, peculiarly its rainfed Kandi areas and mid-altitude zones, is witnessing frequent droughts, delayed monsoons, rising temperatures, and soil moisture stress, which are reducing the productivity of maize, wheat, pulses, and fodder crops. Flash floods, landslides, and soil erosion in hilly districts such as Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, and Doda further aggravate land degradation, while groundwater depletion and the decline of traditional water harvesting systems have deepened the irrigation crisis.
These challenges are not confined to Jammu & Kashmir alone but resonate across India. Rainfed regions, which constitute nearly 60% of India’s net sown area and support millions of smallholder farmers, are highly vulnerable to rainfall variability and water scarcity. Coastal belts are under increasing threat from cyclones and sea level rise, while arid and semiarid regions face depletion and groundwater depletion. Even the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains are grappling with heat stress, declining soil fertility and residue management challenges, putting India’s food basket at risk. This calls for region specific yet nationally coordinated innovations and policies that promote climate-smart agriculture, enhance resilience, and ensure sustainability of food and nutritional security.
Shere-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-J) and Shere-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), as leading agricultural research institution in the Himalayan region, have made notable contributions in developing stress tolerant crop varieties, issuing agro meteorological advisories, promoting integrated farming systems, and advancing resource conserving technologies. Complementing these efforts, the Indian Ecological Society (IES), Ludhiana, along with its SKUAST-Jammu and SKUAST-Kashmir Chapters, is organizing a National Conference on “Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agroecosystems: Innovations and Policy Framework”. The conference aims to bring together researchers, policymakers, farmers, youth, industry partners, and civil society stakeholders from across India to deliberate on innovative, evidence based solutions for strengthening climate resilience in agriculture across temperate, subtropical, rainfed, arid, coastal and high altitude farming systems.
Aligned with key national and global initiatives such as National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC the conference will serve as a dynamic platform for inter-institution collaboration, policy dialogue, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. By fostering synergies between science, policy and practice, this event seeks to chart a way forward for sustainable, climate smart and resilient agroecosystems across India.
We consider it our privileges to extend you a warm invitation for your active participation in the conference to accomplish its objectives.
Looking forward to meet you in the conference at Baba Jitto Auditorium, Shere-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu), Chatha, Jammu