Bhubaneswar, Feb 06: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with the Government of Odisha, ICAR–Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (ICAR-CRIDA), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), organised the State-level Inception Workshop of the Odisha Agriculture Drought Mitigation Programme (OADMP) in Bhubaneswar on January 30, 2026.
Supported under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India, and the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), the programme aims to enhance drought resilience, climate preparedness, and sustainable agricultural practices across Odisha’s rainfed regions.
The OADMP will be implemented by ICRISAT and its partner institutions in selected blocks of Nuapada, Nabarangpur, and Mayurbhanj districts, directly benefiting nearly 24,000 farming households. In addition to direct interventions, the programme is expected to generate wider spillover benefits through convergence with existing government schemes and ongoing development initiatives.
The initiative focuses on strengthening drought-mitigation strategies, promoting climate-smart agriculture, improving water-use efficiency, and enhancing farmers’ adaptive capacities to climate variability. Through science-based solutions, institutional partnerships, and community-level engagement, the programme seeks to build long-term resilience in vulnerable agricultural landscapes.
The inception workshop brought together policymakers, scientists, implementation partners, and key stakeholders to align objectives, implementation strategies, and coordination mechanisms for effective programme delivery.
With this collaborative effort, Odisha takes a significant step towards safeguarding livelihoods in drought-prone regions while reinforcing sustainable agricultural development in the face of climate change.