Climate change impacts and adaptation strategies in coconut plantations: integrating remote sensing and real-time monitoring

Climate change poses serious challenges to coconut plantations worldwide, affecting physiological processes, reproductive success, and overall productivity. Rising temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, increased pest and disease incidence, and coastal degradation are threatening the sustainability of coconut production, which supports the livelihoods of millions of farmers in tropical regions. The review is a synthesis of existing information on the effects of climate change on coconut plantations and an analysis of adaptation measures incorporating advanced remote sensing and real-time monitoring systems. Satellite platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks enable early and precise detection of water stress, nutrient deficiency, and disease outbreaks before the manifestation of symptoms. These technologies enable climate impact assessment, early warning, yield forecasting, and precise resource management at the palm level. To adapt successfully, it is necessary to integrate technological innovations with agronomic strategies such as the optimization of irrigation, the development of cultivar that is resistant to climatic change, and climate-wise agroforestry systems that would be more productive and create resilience. The supportive policy frameworks, institutional capacity building, affordable technology to growers and participatory research methods are the keys to the successful scaling of these solutions. Future directions involve the new biotechnologies, integration of artificial intelligence, and collaboration processes between science and practice that can offer a holistic approach to managing climate-smart coconut plantations in the face of increased environmental change.