Hits and Misses: Water-based Climate Adaptation Interventions for Agriculture

Photo: A borewell connected to a local piped irrigation network in Kadiri, Andhra Pradesh. Credit: Nabina Chakraborty 

Climate change adaptations based on water in agriculture can work well, but too often put the burden of adaptation onto poor and marginal farmers. Lakshmikantha NR and Veena Srinivasan systematically review 70 studies across South Asia. 

Published in Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Volume 30, March 04, 2025.

South Asia’s small and marginal farmers are vulnerable to climate change. This is a pressing concern due to the region’s heavy dependence on agriculture. There is an urgent need to invest in adaptations that are effective. This study conducts an in-depth analysis of climate change adaptation interventions in the context of South Asia’s unique challenges.

In this meta-review of existing literature, we evaluated 70 selected papers focused on water-related climate adaptations in the agriculture sector in South Asia. Our analysis highlights both positive outcomes and unintended consequences. We found that interventions focusing on on-farm practices and water management showed positive impacts on productivity and livelihoods. However, many adaptation interventions did not consider environmental sustainability or equity enough. Notably, the study shows that much of the burden of adaptation fell on farmers. Interventions entailed behaviour change but were accompanied by relatively little policy or financing support.

To achieve farm-scale adaptation, enabling policies and support for social structures are essential. At the watershed scale, water accounting is crucial to avoid scale-related unintended consequences. Finally, mainstreaming adaptation through development projects can enhance effectiveness, in settings where farmers are still poor.

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