State-level discussion on mitigating the climate emergency takes place at ICAR-RCER in Bihar

In August 2025, the ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna, hosted a State-Level Stakeholder Consultation Workshop with the aim of transforming food, land, and water systems to combat the climate crisis. The event brought together agricultural scientists, senior government officials, development agencies, and farmers to discuss integrated, science-led, and coordinated approaches for climate-resilient agriculture in Bihar.

Dr. Anup Das, Director of ICAR-RCER, emphasized the urgency of adopting such strategies to tackle Bihar's escalating climate challenges. He was joined by Dr. B. Rajender, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar, who underscored the need for coordinated action to strengthen resilience in Bihar's food, land, and water systems.

One of the key strategies discussed was promoting a "silo-free" approach across government departments to implement Vision 2047 for Bihar’s agriculture. This coordinated action aims to strengthen food, land, and water systems in a unified manner.

Another focus was the promotion of climate-resilient crops and practices, such as millets and water-smart farming techniques, which are suitable for the region’s agro-ecological conditions. Bharat Jyoti, IFS (Retd.), Chairman of the Bihar State Biodiversity Board, called for a holistic approach rooted in biodiversity conservation and integration of traditional wisdom with modern innovations.

The workshop also featured five thematic breakout sessions: Climate-Smart Food-Nutrition System Transformation, Watershed-Based Resilience and Integrated Natural Resource Management, Carbon Farming and Climate Financing for Smallholders, Food-Land-Water Nexus and Integrated Planning Tools, and Frontier Technologies for Climate-Resilient Food-Land-Water Systems. These sessions produced actionable recommendations that were consolidated in a plenary session.

Additional initiatives included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICAR-RCER and the Asian Development Research Institute to foster collaborative research and innovation dissemination. The workshop also involved active participation from progressive farmers who provided field-level insights. The event concluded with a visit to ongoing climate-resilient agricultural research facilities.

In summary, the workshop aimed at integrating multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral strategies combining modern science with traditional wisdom and strong policy coordination to build Bihar’s agricultural resilience against climate change.

[1] Transforming Food, Land, and Water Systems to Combat the Climate Crisis: https://icar-rcer.res.in/news/transforming-food-land-and-water-systems-to-combat-the-climate-crisis [2] ICAR-RCER and Asian Development Research Institute Sign MoU for Collaborative Research: https://icar-rcer.res.in/news/icar-rcer-and-asian-development-research-institute-sign-mou-for-collaborative-research [4] Field Visit to Ongoing Climate-Resilient Agricultural Research Facilities: https://icar-rcer.res.in/news/field-visit-to-ongoing-climate-resilient-agricultural-research-facilities