Monsoon Resilience: Reasons,Needs & Challenges

• India’s delayed and deficient 2026 monsoon underscores rising climate uncertainty, making monsoon resilience essential for water, food, energy, and economic security.

Current Monsoon Scenario

• Deficient Rainfall: June rainfall stayed 40% below normal despite 92% IMD forecast.
• Delayed Advance: By late June, the southwest monsoon covered only about half of India’s landmass.
• Widespread Deficit: 75% geographical area recorded over 20% rainfall deficiency nationwide.
• Season Forecast: IMD projected 90% of the Long Period Average rainfall for 2026.
• Regional Delay: Maharashtra received its first widespread monsoon rainfall only during late June.

Reasons for Weak Monsoon

• Weak Currents: Weak monsoon currents & low-pressure systems caused a 40%+ June rainfall deficit.
• Unfavourable MJO: Rainfall-suppressing MJO phase persisted over India through most of June 2026.
• Delayed El Niño: Early June El Niño impacts the monsoon only after about a one-month lag.
• Climate Change: Rising temperatures increase extreme rainfall and prolonged dry spells across India.

Need for Monsoon Resilience

• Agricultural Security: Nearly 52% of net sown area remains rain-fed, making agriculture highly monsoon-dependent.
• Water Security: The southwest monsoon contributes about 75% of India’s annual rainfall, sustaining groundwater and reservoirs.
• Economic Stability: Agriculture contributes ~18% of GDP and supports over 45% of India’s workforce, making monsoon stability economically critical.
• Food Security: Weak monsoons reduce Kharif output, threatening food supplies and increasing inflation across essential commodities.
• Climate Adaptation: Extreme rainfall events have increased by ~75% in Central India (1950–2015), demanding climate-resilient infrastructure and planning.

Challenges to Monsoon Resilience

• Rain Dependence: Nearly 52% of the net sown area remains rain-fed, increasing drought vulnerability.
• Groundwater Stress: India extracts about 25% of global groundwater, worsening water insecurity.
• Irrigation Gaps: Only around 52% of gross cropped area has assured irrigation coverage.
• Climate Variability: 75% of India’s area recorded 20%+ rainfall deficiency during June 2026.
• Urban Extremes: Rapid urbanisation causes simultaneous urban flooding and rural droughts, exposing weak watershed planning.

Way Forward for Monsoon Resilience

• Forecast Upgrade: Expand IMD’s Doppler radar network (≈40 to 70 planned) with AI-based district-level rainfall forecasting.
• Water Security: Expand rainwater harvesting and aquifer recharge, as 52% of India’s net sown area remains rain-fed.
• Climate Farming: Scale up PMKSY micro-irrigation; drip irrigation can reduce water use by 30–50% while improving productivity.
• Urban Resilience: Restore wetlands and upgrade drainage across over 7,900 flood-prone urban areas to reduce flood risks.
• Disaster Preparedness: Strengthen NDMA early warning systems, as floods account for nearly 55% of India’s disaster-related expenditure.

“Resilience is the ability to prepare, adapt, and recover.” Transforming monsoon uncertainty through science, sustainable water governance, and community resilience secures India’s future.

Reference: The Indian Express

PMF IAS Pathfinder for Mains – Question 730

Q. Despite improvements in forecasting and water management, increasing climate variability has made monsoon resilience a critical challenge for India. Examine the drivers and suggest measures to strengthen resilience to the monsoon. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

Approach

• Introduction: Write a contextual introduction about the monsoon resilience in India.
• Body: Write the drivers of increasing climate variability affecting the monsoon, also highlighting the need for strengthening monsoon resilience, and suggest measures to strengthen resilience to the monsoon.
• Conclusion: Emphasis on science-based forecasting, sustainable water governance, and climate-resilient agriculture to strengthen India’s long-term monsoon resilience.