310 of 651 agricultural districts climate-vulnerable, says PM’s Principal Secretary P.K. Mishra

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P.K. Mishra on Wednesday called for greater integration of scientific research, granular data and evidence-based policymaking to address the challenges posed by climate change to agriculture, food security and nutrition.

Addressing the inaugural session of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Environment for Development (EfD) Network at IIM Kozhikode virtually, Mishra said climate change could no longer be viewed merely as an environmental concern, given its growing implications for agricultural productivity, water availability, food prices, public health and livelihoods.

Highlighting the vulnerability of India’s agricultural sector, Mishra said assessments under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture programme had identified 310 out of 651 agricultural districts as highly or very highly vulnerable to climate change. This, he said, underlined the need for region-specific adaptation strategies rather than uniform policy interventions.

He also stressed that food security should not be measured only in terms of adequate food production, but also through access to affordable, diverse and nutritious diets. Climate-related disruptions could affect the availability and affordability of pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk and other nutrient-rich foods, making nutrition security an important part of climate policy.

On the role of data, Mishra said the priority should be to ensure that information was timely, reliable, comparable and actionable rather than simply generating more data. “Data must help us anticipate challenges, not merely measure outcomes,” he said, calling for greater use of district-level information on rainfall, water availability, soil conditions, crop performance and nutritional outcomes.

He advocated integrating administrative records, household surveys, satellite imagery and geospatial information, supported by common standards and appropriate safeguards. He also called for strengthening the analytical capabilities of state and district-level institutions to ensure that research informs programme implementation, monitoring and resource allocation.

Referring to India’s climate commitments, Mishra said the country was pursuing the twin objectives of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, while ensuring economic growth, poverty reduction and improved living standards. He noted that India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution for 2031-2035 further strengthened its climate ambitions.

Mishra also called for stronger research-policy partnerships across the Global South, noting that developing countries faced common challenges related to climate variability, natural resource pressures, changing agricultural patterns and nutritional security. He said platforms such as the EfD Network could help connect academic research with practical policy challenges and facilitate knowledge-sharing and institutional capacity-building.