Climate Action

Watershed Management and Landscape Restoration

The watershed management approach is a proven model for building resilience at landscape scale. It integrates soil and water conservation, land restoration, and climate-smart agricultural practices to rehabilitate degraded agroecosystems.

This approach combines physical interventions—such as contour bunding, check dams, and farm ponds—with geospatial tools including GIS-based watershed planning and remote sensing for land and water monitoring. In India, watershed interventions have led to improved groundwater recharge, increased cropping intensity, and higher farm incomes. The model has gained strong support from both public and private sector actors and is increasingly being adapted for sub-Saharan Africa, where it is being integrated with rangeland management and community-based natural resource governance.

Foresight and Scenario Modelling

The theme applies advanced multi-model approaches to anticipate future climate risks and guide long-term decision-making. These include climate projections, crop simulation models such as APSIM and DSSAT, and economic modeling frameworks.

In Zimbabwe, foresight analyses have generated climate scenarios up to 2050, highlighting the declining suitability of maize in some regions and the need to promote resilient crops such as sorghum, millet, and groundnut. These insights have directly influenced policy and investment decisions, including government-supported seed importation and scaling of legume value chains. Similar modeling efforts in West Africa have informed climate-resilient agricultural investment pathways, aligning production systems with both climate risks and market opportunities.

Digital Climate Services and Advisory Systems

Digital technologies are transforming the delivery of climate information and agricultural advisories. The Theme deploys a range of digital tools, including mobile-based platforms, interactive voice response systems, and satellite-enabled monitoring services.

For example, in Kenya and Ghana, platforms such as SourceTrace and mobile advisory systems provide farmers with real-time weather forecasts, crop management guidance, and pest alerts. In northern Ghana, farmers in remote communities have adopted mobile-based advisories to guide planting decisions and integrate agroforestry practices. Many farmers who had not previously used digital tools are now actively engaging with climate information services, with high reported usefulness of weather alerts and advisory helplines.

In addition, satellite data is increasingly used to monitor rainfall, vegetation health, and drought conditions, supporting early warning systems and enabling innovations such as index-based insurance.

Meteorological Advisory and Climate-Informed Farming Systems

This approach integrates climate information services with whole-farm planning to support adaptive decision-making. It combines seasonal forecasts, real-time weather data, and agro-advisory services with climate-smart agricultural practices.

In Mali and Senegal, participatory climate advisory systems co-developed with farmers and meteorological agencies have enabled over 170,000 value chain actors to incorporate climate information into their decisions. Farmers use this information to adjust planting dates, select appropriate crop varieties, and optimize input use. In India, similar advisory systems have demonstrated clear economic benefits, with farmers achieving up to 20% higher incomes when following climate-informed recommendations. The success of these approaches has supported their expansion across regions.

Climate and Crop Modelling

Climate and crop modeling tools are central to risk assessment, targeting of interventions, and evaluation of climate-smart technologies. The Theme utilizes models such as APSIM and DSSAT, alongside high-resolution climate datasets such as ENACTS.

In Tanzania, these tools have been used to analyze rainfall variability and identify climate risk hotspots across agro-ecological zones. In Malawi, modeling has supported the identification of high-risk areas for piloting climate-smart agriculture, enabling more precise targeting of interventions. These tools also support ex-ante impact assessments, helping to “climate-proof” technologies before large-scale implementation.

In addition, geospatial mapping and carbon measurement tools are increasingly used to quantify the mitigation co-benefits of CSA practices and support Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems linked to climate finance.

Seed Systems and Genetic Innovations

Improved seed systems are a critical component of climate resilience. ICRISAT has developed and disseminated drought-tolerant, early-maturing, and nutrient-dense varieties of crops such as sorghum, pearl millet, and groundnut.

In countries such as Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Niger, community-based seed systems and seed multiplication schemes have been established to ensure last-mile delivery of improved varieties. The introduction of improved groundnut seed, including regional seed exchange initiatives, has enhanced productivity, strengthened resilience, and opened market opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Soil Health and Integrated Fertility Management

Soil health is foundational to resilient agricultural systems. The theme promotes a range of tools and practices, including soil testing, digital soil mapping, and integrated soil fertility management (ISFM).

Farmers are supported with site-specific recommendations that combine organic inputs, mineral fertilizers, and biological solutions such as biofertilizers and microbial inoculants. Conservation agriculture practices—such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and crop rotations—are also promoted to improve soil structure, enhance water retention, and increase long-term productivity.

Together, these tools and technologies form a comprehensive and integrated innovation ecosystem. Their strength lies not only in their individual effectiveness, but in how they are combined within systems-based approaches that link science, practice, and policy.