Key Points

Over the next 50 years, the semi-arid areas of India are expected to become warmer with continued variation in average rainfall and an increase in extreme weather. Increases in the frequency and intensity of droughts and floods are predicted to negatively impact food security, economic growth, infrastructure and human health. This brief highlights key climate patterns of the past, projected climate trends and expected impacts for the future, to inform effective, widespread and sustained adaptation policies and practices, in semi-arid areas of India.