GUWAHATI: The Economic Survey 2024-25, recently tabled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, flagged Assam as one of the states highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, raising concerns over the sustainability of its rice-dominant agricultural practices.
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The survey highlighted Assam’s deficiencies in irrigation coverage, making it susceptible to climatic variations and environmental disruptions.
Computed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and using 51 indicators related to environmental health, soil and water quality, and socioeconomic factors, a composite index of agricultural sustainability estimated an average sustainability score of 0.49 for Indian agriculture, indicating moderate sustainability.
While states like Mizoram, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand performed above the national average, Assam, along with Jharkhand, ranked among the states trailing in sustainability measures.
The survey pointed out that states with higher sustainability scores benefited from crop diversification, improved agricultural infrastructure, better access to farm credit, and efficient resource management.
In contrast, Assam and other states in the Indo-Gangetic Plains, such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, and Haryana, face increased vulnerability to climate change effects due to their dependence on traditional cropping patterns and limited irrigation facilities.
