**2.5 Integrated farming system (IFS) is one of the most potent nature-based adaptation strategies**

A "whole-farm" approach or integrated farming systems that supplement traditional crops with farming vegetables, fruits, poultry, or fish is re-emerging as a nature-based solution to boosting productivity in climate-stressed regions. A wholefarm approach or pond-based IFS, however, helped increase production, employment, and income by generating a mix of enterprises based on rice, vegetables, fruits, fish, pigs, and poultry. The integrated farming system adopted, tapped into on-farm resources and reduced dependence on external inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. The study found that the net returns under an integrated system that included ponds, rice, vegetables, and pigs were eight times higher than the normal farmer practice of growing a single crop. Scientific fish farming and multiple uses of water for growing vegetables, livestock, and irrigation can enhance productivity, income, and employment, as well as resilience against climate change. The integrated farming approach provides year-round production, employment, and income, reducing farming risks during climate uncertainty (**Table 7**) [19].



**Table 7.**

*Documented the following adaptation strategies at the farm level from the field study [5].*

The successful interventions under NICRA have also been upscaled across three districts of Assam in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendras and convergence with other state departments, input agencies as well as different financial institutes helped the farmers in terms of technical guidance, agricultural inputs, and financial assistance.
