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@article{190562,
        author = {Anushka Das and Khushi Padavkar and Dr Santosh Pharande and Dr Priti Aphale},
        title = {Assessing climate change impacts on agriculture and identifying adaptation strategies in Western Maharashtra with special reference to Kolhapur, Sangli, and Pune districts},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {6120-6133},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=190562},
        abstract = {Climate change is no longer a concern of the future; it is here and now, and it is slowly changing everyday life for the farmers in Western Maharashtra. Nothing-from how they grow their crops to manage the water to keep their livelihood afloat-is going to remain the same in these semi-arid regions. "This study gets down to what's really happening on the ground." Rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, repeated droughts, and soil that is not as productive-all are taking their heavy toll on farmers, especially those who continue to grow highly water-consuming crops such as sugarcane. Climatic records were collected, the soil was tested, field observations were made, and farmers themselves were consulted. And what was found was not very encouraging. More heat stress, wells that have dried up, rains that have ceased to be reliable, and a feeling of economic uncertainty on a day-to-day basis were all talks amongst farmers. This is disturbing farming practices that have stood the test of time. This study also discussed Traditional Ecological Knowledge, previously the bedrock of sustainable agriculture here; it is facing extinction. However, "the farmers were not waiting for the situation to improve." They are trying to adapt-crop changes, drip irrigation, mulching, planting weather-tolerant varieties of seeds. Yet, adaption is not uniform. Information, technology, and more so the money are creating rifts in society. The inference is clear: farming to be resilient in Western Maharashtra has to be climate-smart-that is more than just a catchphrase. It needs better policy, genuine farmer support services, and community-led actual water management. "This goes beyond data and trends; it is about people, their land, and their future." And time is running out-it is urgent to find adaptation solutions that work for both the land and the people who know it best.},
        keywords = {Climate Change, Agricultural Vulnerability, Western Maharashtra, Soil Degradation, Rainfall Variability, Adaptation Strategies, Traditional Ecological Knowledge-TEK, Farmer Perceptions, Climate Resilient Agriculture, and Drought Impacts.},
        month = {January},
        }