SYLLABUS

GS-3: E-technology in the aid of farmers.

Disaster and Disaster Management.

Context: The Review Workshop of NICRA and the Launch-cum-Use Case Workshop of ACASA–India (Atlas of Climate Adaptation in South Asian Agriculture) was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

More on the news

• The workshop, jointly organised by ICAR and the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), marked a major milestone by synthesising 15 years of learning from NICRA.

About Atlas of Climate Adaptation in Indian Agriculture (ACASA–India) 

• It is a web-enabled digital platform developed by the ICAR-led National Agricultural Research and Education System (NARES) in collaboration with BISA–CIMMYT.

• The platform is designed to support location-specific, data-driven adaptation planning, enabling policymakers, researchers and practitioners to design targeted climate adaptation strategies across diverse agro-ecological regions.

• It is part of a regional Atlas initiative for South Asia designed to integrate climate science with adaptation actions for smallholder farmers, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders. 

• A Regional Atlas Initiative for South Asia refers to a collaborative, data-driven programme led by Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) that develops shared, high-resolution digital atlases to support climate change adaptation and resilience across South Asian countries. National partners include: India (ICAR), Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

• Key Features:

• Spatial Assessment: Climate risks are mapped at about 25 sq. km grid, roughly covering 4–5 villages, enabling detailed, local-level insight.
• High-Resolution Data: Uses granular climate datasets, scientific modeling, and expert validation to assess exposure, vulnerability, and risk patterns. 
• Localized adaptation: The platform provides contextual adaptation strategies tailored to specific locations, crops and livestock.
• Digital Public Infrastructure: The Atlas offers open-source data, codes, and scripts to enable research, policy analysis, and customized adaptation planning.
• User-Friendly Digital Platform: Designed as a dynamic and interactive digital tool, it supports real-time query, visualization, and decision-making.

Significance of the Report

• Mainstream climate-smart agriculture: It reinforce India’s commitment to science-driven, data-enabled and inclusive climate action in agriculture, positioning the country as a leader in climate-resilient agri-food systems globally.

• Facilitates Climate Finance: By quantifying risks and identifying adaptation pathways, ACASA supports targeted climate finance, including insurance products and credit mechanisms. 

• Capacity Building: With open datasets and analytical tools, Researchers and institutions can use to innovate in climate adaptation science.

• Regional Collaboration: As a South Asia-wide initiative (with partners from Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India), the Atlas promotes cross-border knowledge sharing on climate adaptation.