Authors : S. Balaselvakumar; S. B. Hemavarthinii

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 4 - April

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/mts6nnzp

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4kdkm7f9

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26apr908

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Abstract : Tamil Nadu, one of South Asia's most agriculturally productive and densely populated states, occupies a particularly high-risk position within India's climate vulnerability landscape. Its geographic exposure to Bay of Bengal cyclones, its strong agronomic dependence on the northeast monsoon, and its rapidly intensifying urban heat island effects collectively subject both its farming systems and farming communities to recurrent, overlapping, and often compounding climate extreme events. This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence published between 2017 and 2026 on the impacts of three primary climate hazards — cyclones, droughts, and heatwaves — on agricultural productivity and farmer resilience in Tamil Nadu, drawing on 33 studies identified through a structured search of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and JSTOR databases. The review addresses four dimensions: (i) the temporal and spatial characteristics of these hazards as documented in the recent literature; (ii) the nature and magnitude of agricultural productivity losses associated with each hazard type; (iii) the mechanisms through which farmer vulnerability and adaptive capacity mediate livelihood outcomes; and (iv) the efficacy of policy interventions and farm-level adaptation strategies. Key findings indicate that cyclone-induced yield losses for plantation crops (banana, coconut) regularly exceed 50–60% in the immediate aftermath of severe events, while drought under ENSO-driven northeast monsoon failure reduces rice yields by 35–50% in rain-fed systems. Heatwavedriven phenological disruption — particularly during reproductive stages — has reduced groundnut and maize yields by 30–40% in interior districts since 2018, a trend that is expected to intensify under all IPCC AR6 warming scenarios. Farmer resilience, while positively associated with landholding size, diversified income, and access to institutional credit, is systematically undermined by the high frequency of multi-hazard years that deplete adaptive capacity before households can recover. Evidence-based implications for crop insurance reform, agrometeorological advisory services, and climatesmart agricultural extension are discussed, alongside a research agenda oriented towards climate projections, genderdifferentiated impacts, and integrated multi-hazard risk frameworks.

Keywords : Cyclone Impacts; Drought; Heatwave; Agricultural Productivity; Farmer Resilience; Tamil Nadu; Climate Extremes; Food Security; Adaptive Capacity; ENSO; Climate-Smart Agriculture; Disaster Risk Reduction.

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