India, Feb. 27 -- Extreme weather events are wreaking havoc on Indian farmers, who are not adequately prepared to handle climate change impacts. As on September 30, 2024, India experienced extreme weather events on 255 of the 274 days, which affected 3.2 million hectares (ha) of crop area. These events were spread across 35 states and Union Territories, as per the database on weather disasters managed by Down To Earth. In 2023, India experienced extreme weather events on 318 days of the 365 days and in 2022, on 314 days.

This is alarming as agriculture employs 47 per cent of the country's population and contributes 18.2 per cent to its GDP (gross domestic product), according to the "Economic Survey 2023-24". Almost 70 per cent of the rur...