Today’s developing economic use much less energy per capita than developed countries such as the United States did at similar incomes, showing the potential for lower-carbon growth. Adaptation and mitigation need to be integrated into a climate-smart development strategy that increases resilience, reduces the threat of further global warming, and improves development outcomes. Adaptation and mitigation measures can advance development, and prosperity can raise incomes and foster better institutions. A healthier population living in better-built houses and with access to bank loans and social security is better equipped to deal with a changing climate and its consequences. Advancing robust, resilient development policies that’ promote adaptation is needed today because changes, in the climate, already begun, will increase even in the short term.
Which of the following inferences can be made from the passage?

Correct Option (d)

The passage emphasizes the integration of adaptation and mitigation into a climate-smart development strategy to increase resilience and improve development outcomes. It advocates for robust, resilient development policies that promote adaptation, acknowledging that climate changes are already underway. The text focuses on building capacity to deal with a changing climate, such as through healthier populations, better housing, and access to financial and social security. It does not, however, propose specific prohibitions or blanket bans on particular farming practices like cultivating rainfed crops in irrigated areas or farming in water-deficient regions. Therefore, neither inference 1 nor 2 can be directly drawn from the provided text.

Incorrect Options:

• Inference 1 ("Rainfed crops should not be cultivated in irrigated areas.") is an overgeneralization not supported by the passage. The text does not discuss the specific suitability or unsuitability of cultivating rainfed crops in irrigated areas. Its focus is on broader strategies for climate resilience and adaptation, not on specific agricultural land use policies.
• Inference 2 ("Farming under water-deficient areas should not be a part of development strategy.") is also an overgeneralization and misinterpretation. The passage stresses the need for adaptation and resilience in the face of climate change, which implies developing strategies to manage challenges like water scarcity, rather than outright abandoning economic activities in such areas. The emphasis is on making development robust and resilient, not on prohibiting certain types of farming.
• Since both inferences 1 and 2 are not supported by the passage, option (c) "Both 1 and 2" is incorrect.