Climate change impacts on irrigation system and its adaptation need

PUBLISHED IN PROCEEDINGS OF 10TH NATIONAL IRRIGATION SEMINAR OF DEPARTMENT OF IRRIGATION/NEPAL, 2017 PAGE NO 29-37 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON IRRIGATION SYSTEM AND ITS ADAPTATION NEED S. B. THAKUR ABSTRACT Irrigation is an essential to increase agriculture production and productivity for sustainability of country's economy. Agriculture contributes one-third of national GDP and two-third of labor employment for livelihoods. Water greatly influences photosynthesis, respiration, absorption, translocation, utilization of mineral nutrients, and cell division in plant system. Rapid change in climate system has raised the concern of floods and droughts and their impacts on existing arrangements for irrigation design and management system. Glacial and snow melt is an important source of the lean flows of snow-fed rivers but it is predicted that possible decline in river and stream flows in future. All small farmers are vulnerable to the climate change impacts resulting adverse effects in agricultural productivity and food security. The current policies, plans, strategies emphasized on the climate change impacts and its adaptation in irrigation system. The absence of proper mechanisms for water augmentation, conservation, distribution, and efficient use are the major basis for climate change adaptation. This paper is intended to highlight the impacts of climate change and the climate change adaptation on irrigation system to build adaptive capacity and promote climate resilient irrigation system in Nepal.
 Key words: Adaptation, agriculture, irrigation, climate change, and resilient.