The Climate Action theme at ICRISAT represents a cornerstone of our commitment to advancing sustainable development and building resilience across the semi-arid tropics. In an era defined by rising temperatures, increasing climate variability, and more frequent extreme weather events, agriculture—and the millions of livelihoods it supports—faces unprecedented challenges. Our mission is to drive transformative, science-based solutions that enhance the resilience of both ecosystems and the people who depend on them, including farmers, extension systems, researchers, policymakers, and institutions operating from local to global scales.
At the heart of the Climate Action theme is a vision to secure food systems and improve livelihoods through innovation, inclusivity, and evidence-driven action. We focus on understanding and addressing climate risks across agricultural systems by generating actionable insights, identifying scalable technologies, and promoting context-specific practices that strengthen resilience among diverse groups—men, women, and youth alike.
The theme serves as a dynamic platform for research, innovation, and knowledge exchange in climate adaptation and mitigation. We actively evaluate and refine partnership models, capacity-building approaches, and science-to-policy engagement strategies to accelerate the scaling of proven solutions. By advancing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and strengthening risk management systems, we contribute to more informed decision-making through improved climate predictions, tailored advisories, and accessible climate information services.
Our multidisciplinary team of scientists from diverse disciplines including agronomy, climatology, soil science, environmental science, economics, and social sciences —work in close collaboration with farmers, national systems, and development partners. Together, we co-develop practical, locally adapted strategies that respond to real-world challenges and opportunities within semi-arid farming systems.
The Climate Action Theme is structured around four interconnected pillars:
Climate Information Services (CIS)
We enhance the generation, translation, and delivery of climate information to support informed agricultural decision-making. This includes the collection and analysis of data on rainfall, temperature, soil moisture, and extreme weather events, which are translated into actionable advisories tailored to local farming systems.
For example, the SourceTrace digital platform in Kenya, has enabled the delivery of real-time weather forecasts and agronomic advisories to over 20,000 farmers. These advisories guide decisions such as optimal planting windows, fertilizer application timing, and pest management strategies.
Similarly, under the AICCRA initiative in Senegal and Zambia, seasonal forecasts are translated into locally relevant advisories and disseminated through radio and extension networks, allowing farmers to adjust cropping calendars and reduce climate-related risks.
In several Southern African contexts, participatory climate information dissemination—through farmer field schools and extension training—has improved farmers’ ability to interpret probabilistic forecasts and integrate them into livelihood decisions.
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA)
We promote integrated agricultural approaches that increase productivity, strengthen adaptive capacity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Our work focuses on identifying, validating, and scaling technologies that are both climate-resilient and resource-efficient.
A notable example is the “doubled-up legume” system in Malawi, where pigeonpea is intercropped with groundnut. This system enhances soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation, improves household nutrition, and provides diversified income streams while increasing resilience to drought. Across Zimbabwe and Mozambique, conservation agriculture practices—such as minimum tillage, crop residue retention, and crop rotations—have improved soil moisture retention and stabilized yields under erratic rainfall conditions.
In addition, the promotion of drought-tolerant crop varieties, including improved sorghum, millet, and groundnut lines, has enabled farmers to maintain productivity in increasingly water-constrained environments.
Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
We generate robust evidence on the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of agricultural systems to climate change. Using a combination of crop modeling, socio-economic analysis, and participatory approaches, we identify priority risks and inform targeted interventions.
Through collaboration with the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), we have applied integrated modeling frameworks in countries such as Ghana, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. These include the development of Representative Agricultural Pathways and ex-ante impact assessments that simulate how different climate and policy scenarios affect crop yields, incomes, and food security. For instance, in Zimbabwe, scenario analyses have been used to evaluate the long-term impacts of delayed rainfall onset on maize-based systems, informing recommendations on crop diversification and planting strategies. These insights are increasingly being used by governments and development partners to prioritize investments in climate adaptation.
Policy Support and Capacity Strengthening
We actively contribute to shaping climate-responsive policies and investment frameworks while strengthening the capacity of institutions and stakeholders to implement climate solutions at scale. The theme has supported national governments in developing and operationalizing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), ensuring that agriculture is well represented in climate policy frameworks. In Ghana, a climate-smart village approach—implemented through public-private partnerships—has not only provided climate information services to over 300,000 farmers but also generated evidence to inform national CSA investment strategies.
Capacity-building efforts have reached over one million households across Malawi, Mozambique, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. These initiatives include training farmers and extension agents on CSA practices, climate risk management, and the use of climate information services. In many cases, local innovation platforms and multi-stakeholder dialogues have strengthened the link between community-level experiences and national policy processes.
Through these integrated pillars, the Climate Action theme bridges the gap between science, policy, and practice. By combining cutting-edge research with scalable delivery mechanisms and strong partnerships, we are enabling agricultural systems in the semi-arid tropics to become more resilient, productive, and sustainable in the face of climate change.