Maharashtra's Green Agenda: Building Farmer Resilience through Ecosystem-Based Adaptation

The Maharashtra government partners with the Watershed Organisation Trust for farmer capacity-building to combat water scarcity and agricultural vulnerability. This collaboration aims to integrate Ecosystem-based Adaptation into state policy, preparing communities for climate challenges and embedding resilience in development projects to ensure a sustainable future.

The Maharashtra government has taken a significant step towards safeguarding its agricultural sector by collaborating with the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) for capacity building of farmers. With the integration of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) into policy frameworks, Maharashtra aims to address issues of water scarcity and agricultural vulnerability effectively.

In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in July, the state's Department of Environment and Climate Change outlined plans to involve communities in creating solutions, build farmer capacities, and bolster institutional strength against climate risks. This move is critical for a state where agriculture employs nearly half the workforce and contributes 11 percent to its GDP.

Abhijit Ghorpade, Director of the State Climate Action Cell, emphasized the necessity of embedding resilience into all developmental paradigms. With Maharashtra prone to droughts and erratic rainfall, the collaboration aims to turn sustainability into a core public policy, ensuring that communities are prepared for future climate shocks.