Food&Climate
A new study has found that about 47.7% of India’s geographical area saw soil moisture levels exceeding historical average indicating wetter soil conditions than usual in 2023.
The positive anomaly on about 1.57 million sq km increased the risks of flooding and water logging in rural and urban parts of the country.
And about 32.8% of the total land area in India experienced a negative Soil Moisture Anomaly (SMA). This means that about 1.08 million square kilometres (sq. km) is vulnerable to drought stress.
The study revealed that such conditions are possibly affecting agricultural productivity and the management of water resources.
The findings have been noted in a study published in the “Springer journal” that underlines the significance of understanding soil moisture content for predicting droughts in agriculture and how climates impact each other.
The study titled Unearthing India’s soil moisture anomalies: impact on agriculture and water resource strategies analyses the changes that have occurred in the soil moisture levels across India by comparing data from 2023 with historical averages between 2000 and 2005.
For this study, the scientists used soil moisture at the depth of 0 to 10 cm.
The double whammy of droughts and floods are hampering prospects for India’s agricultural productivity, according to “Down To Earth”.
The findings underscore the need for tailored water management policies to optimise agriculture productivity and improve climate resilience across different regions of India.
It also highlighted the disparities between regions across different seasons and suggested mitigation measures that could be adopted from other states and achieve sustainability.
“For example, the rice paddies in West Bengal need a different amount of water than the wheat fields in Punjab. Similarly, management styles that work well on farms that are watered in Gujarat might not work well on fields that get their water from rain in Odisha,” it noted.
Asserting that soil moisture is a critical natural factor that immensely influences water management practices and sustainability of cultivation, researchers said fluctuations in soil moisture levels directly impact crop yields, water availability and food security, thereby causing unique challenges across various climatic zones of India.
The study also noted that between June and September the anomalies in soil moisture was recorded to be in significant deficit at -2.1 mm stretching across 498,677 sq km suffering drier conditions. The conditions warranted water conservation measures.
Also, a state-wise analysis between December and February revealed that Punjab benefitted from positive soil moisture anomalies ranging from 1.19 mm to a maximum of 8.75 mm, boosting its agriculture productivity during winter months.
The researchers suggest the positive SMA could be used for winter crops, reducing the need for surplus irrigation.
Conversely, Odisha was found experiencing negative SMA with -0.59 mm displaying dried conditions compared to its historical average.
“However, aligning Odisha’s water management strategies with practices used in Punjab could help mitigate these deficits. For instance, adopting efficient irrigation techniques and water conservation practices from Punjab could benefit Odisha by optimising water usage during the dry winter months,” the study stated.
The researchers concluded that the analysis can help in the improvement effectiveness of water management and agricultural practices. It also recommended developing policies specifically designed to address distinct soil moisture conditions in each region such as preparing drought management plans in deficit areas and flood management strategy in surplus moisture areas.
“Investing in advanced soil moisture monitoring systems using remote sensing and ground-based sensors will provide real-time data, enhancing the ability to make informed decisions quickly,” it stated.