Himanshu Tiwari

Agroforestry, as an integrated land-use system that combines perennial woody species with crops and/or livestock on the same land area, plays a critical role in mitigating the impacts of drought and climatic variability on smallholder farms, especially in regions already exposed to climate stress and land degradation.

In light of escalating climate change impacts, agroforestry should be viewed not just as an alternative, but as an essential strategy for both adaptation and mitigation in smallholder agriculture. However, its successful implementation requires institutional support, local capacity building, and integration of traditional knowledge with scientific practices.

Agroforestry is an multifaceated cultivation system generating income from varying sources. It also imparts stability to the ecosystem thereby providing better services suggesting sustainability to support balanced habitat. It further helps to create several micro niches to support diverse communities thus regulating the ecosystem function.

Agroforestry plays a key role in mitigating drought and climatic variability by improving soil moisture retention, providing shade, reducing evapotranspiration, enhancing soil fertility through litter fall, and diversifying farm outputs, thereby supporting smallholder resilience under uncertain weather conditions.

Agro-forestry promotes the tree cover within the farming households. Subsequently, these trees moderate the temperatures since the earth's atmosphere heated by the terrestrial radiation, which is absorbed by the tree leaves. In addition, trees enhance the rate of evapotranspiration, particularly in the tropics—where temperatures are very high—leadingC to high humidity and high precipitation. Ultimately, this reduces incidences of droughts and regulates temperature variability.