Chitradurga
Gadag, Haveri and Chitradurga districts have been officially placed in the ‘highest climate-risk’ category, highlighting the growing vulnerability of Karnataka’s rain-dependent agricultural regions. The classification reflects the mounting challenges posed by erratic monsoon patterns, extended dry spells and rising temperatures — all of which are increasingly disrupting farming activities across North and Central Karnataka.
The alarming status was revealed by Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the Lok Sabha while responding to a query raised by Davangere MP Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun. The findings come from a comprehensive national assessment conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) programme.
The study carried out a district-level climate risk and vulnerability analysis for 651 predominantly agricultural districts across India. Following protocols laid out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the assessment evaluated multiple parameters, including climatic variability, exposure to extreme weather events, adaptive capability of local communities and the sensitivity of the agricultural sector.
Officials note that the three Karnataka districts have long relied on rain-fed cultivation, making them particularly sensitive to any disruption in seasonal rainfall. In recent years, unpredictable monsoon behaviour and heat extremes have magnified these vulnerabilities, affecting crop yields, groundwater availability and livelihood stability for farming households.
The government is expected to use the findings to prioritise targeted interventions under climate-resilient agriculture initiatives. These may include drought-tolerant crop varieties, watershed development, improved irrigation practices and farmer-centric adaptation strategies, aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change on the region’s agrarian economy.
The identification of Gadag, Haveri and Chitradurga as high-risk districts underscores the pressing need for coordinated policy action to safeguard agricultural sustainability in the face of accelerating climatic shifts.
