Published on 15 Oct 2025
According to a study by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, surface ozone pollution is having a significant impact on India’s major food crops, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plain and central India.
The study is titled ‘Surface ozone pollution-driven risks for the yield of major food crops under future climate change scenarios in India’.
Surface ozone is a strong oxidant that damages plant tissues, leading to visible foliar injuries and reduced crop productivity.
The study utilises data from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-6 (CMIP6) to assess both historical trends and future projections of ozone-induced yield losses.
Findings indicate that under high-emission scenarios, wheat yields could suffer an additional 20% reduction, with rice and maize experiencing losses of about 7%.
The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP):
It is a collaborative framework designed to improve knowledge of climate change.
It was organized in 1995 by the Working Group on Coupled Modelling (WGCM) of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP).
Ozone Pollution & Food Security
Ozone
Food security
CFC
Chloro-fluro carbon
Productivity
Yield
Surface ozone
Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase-6
CMIP6
World Climate Research Programme
WCRP
Climate change