Climate Change and Adaptation
Strategies in the Gir Kesar Mango
Region of Gujarat
N. Lalitha
Abstract This study focuses on climate change issues in mango cultivation among
the Gir Kesar mango producers in Gujarat. The Gir Kesar region that consists of
Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts, has been experiencing production losses in the
recent past due to changes in climatic factors like rise in temperatures, prolonged
winter and unseasonal rains. These changes have also resulted in increased pest
attack and poor quality mangoes. The net income realised by farmers in mango
farming is quiet low. Lack of awareness of proper pesticide use leads to farmers
using harmful pesticides. Some of the climate change adaptation strategies suggested
by the agricultural scientists include adopting (a) drip irrigation methods, (b) high
density plantation (HDP) and (c) shelter belts. Drip irrigation method would restrict
the excessive ground water extraction and in the years of reduced rainfall would also
check the salinity ingress.
Keywords Kesar mango · climate change · pests · high density plantation ·
adoption strategies
1 Introduction
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate
change affects crop production in several regions of the world, with more negative
effects than positive, and developing countries are more vulnerable to such negative
impacts (Lipper et al. 2014). India with its larger dependency on agriculture is not
an exception to this impending scenario. As climate change related issues are here
to stay, we need to look for climate smart agriculture (CSA). CSA addresses three
interconnected challenges: raising productivity and incomes, adapting to climate
N. Lalitha (B)
Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India
e-mail: lalithanarayanan@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
N. Roy et al. (eds.), Socio-economic and Eco-biological Dimensions
in Resource use and Conservation, Environmental Science and Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32463-6_19
379
Strategies in the Gir Kesar Mango
Region of Gujarat
N. Lalitha
Abstract This study focuses on climate change issues in mango cultivation among
the Gir Kesar mango producers in Gujarat. The Gir Kesar region that consists of
Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts, has been experiencing production losses in the
recent past due to changes in climatic factors like rise in temperatures, prolonged
winter and unseasonal rains. These changes have also resulted in increased pest
attack and poor quality mangoes. The net income realised by farmers in mango
farming is quiet low. Lack of awareness of proper pesticide use leads to farmers
using harmful pesticides. Some of the climate change adaptation strategies suggested
by the agricultural scientists include adopting (a) drip irrigation methods, (b) high
density plantation (HDP) and (c) shelter belts. Drip irrigation method would restrict
the excessive ground water extraction and in the years of reduced rainfall would also
check the salinity ingress.
Keywords Kesar mango · climate change · pests · high density plantation ·
adoption strategies
1 Introduction
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate
change affects crop production in several regions of the world, with more negative
effects than positive, and developing countries are more vulnerable to such negative
impacts (Lipper et al. 2014). India with its larger dependency on agriculture is not
an exception to this impending scenario. As climate change related issues are here
to stay, we need to look for climate smart agriculture (CSA). CSA addresses three
interconnected challenges: raising productivity and incomes, adapting to climate
N. Lalitha (B)
Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad, India
e-mail: lalithanarayanan@gmail.com
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
N. Roy et al. (eds.), Socio-economic and Eco-biological Dimensions
in Resource use and Conservation, Environmental Science and Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32463-6_19
379