FAO-PAU dialogue stresses climate-resilient agriculture
As part of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Project, led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, a high-level delegation from FAO India visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, to initiate stakeholder consultations for the development of the Climate Resilient Agriculture Investment Plan (CRAIP) for the state.
The interactive session took place in the committee room of the Vice-Chancellor and brought together experts from the PAU and the visiting team to deliberate on investment opportunities and strategies for climate-resilient agriculture in the region.
The FAO team was led by Vamsidhar Thimmareddygari and included Dr Nimisha Mittal, Nupur Prasad, and Ankita Borah. The discussions focused on PAU’s ongoing interventions in climate-smart agriculture, future priorities and ways to foster convergence with national and international climate finance frameworks.
Welcoming the delegation, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of the PAU, emphasised the need for long-term collaboration between global agencies and state-level institutions. “Punjab is at the frontline of India’s agricultural transformation. While we have made strides in productivity, our next frontier is resilience to climate variability, depleting water resources and sustainability challenges. We look forward to contributing robustly to the CRAIP with our science-backed, field-tested solutions,” he remarked.
Speaking on behalf of FAO India, Vamsidhar Thimmareddygari outlined the broader vision of the GCF Readiness Project. “Our mission is to co-develop a practical and inclusive investment roadmap for climate-resilient agriculture. Engagements such as these are critical in ensuring that these plans reflect local realities and scientific rigour,” he said.
He appreciated PAU’s leadership in agricultural innovation and highlighted the need to integrate such expertise into climate finance mechanisms. The FAO team underscored the need for a granular analysis of agro-climatic conditions of the state, determining the adaptive capacity.
Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research at the PAU, provided an overview of the university’s research portfolio, including ongoing efforts in crop diversification, conservation of agriculture, climate-resilient technologies, trait-specific varieties and sustainable resource management. “We are aligning our research focus with climate-smart priorities and would be keen to explore investment models that support scalable solutions for state farmers,” he said.
Dr Pavneet Kaur Kingra, head, Department of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, presented the university’s recent work in agromet advisory systems, modelling climate impact on crops and deployment of early warning tools. “There is a significant scope for technology-led adaptation strategies. Collaborating under CRAIP can bring in both financial and institutional support to mainstream these innovations,” she observed. Dr Hari Ram, head of Agronomy, detailed the crop residue management technologies for climate resilience such as the use of mulch and specific crop rotations.
The GCF Readiness Project, titled ‘Agriculture Sector Readiness for Enhanced Climate Finance in India’, will conclude by January 2026 and is being implemented in close collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Punjab is one of the four focus states, alongside Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Ludhiana