ENHANCING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF INDIA

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ENHANCING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN
SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF INDIA

• An International Workshop on
• Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change
• From Practice to Policy

May 11-12, 2006 New Delhi, India
Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy
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VA PROGRAMME

• Project
• VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND ENHANSING ADAPTIVE
  CAPACITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN SEMI-ARID AREAS OF
  INDIA

Supported by Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation (SDC), Global Environment Facility
(GEF) Duration 4 years (2005 to 2009) Andhra
Pradesh and Rajasthan States
Institutional set-up
National consortium ?lead Lead partner is
MSSRF Co-partners are AFPRO and
MANAGE International consortium ?support
services INFRAS and INTERCOOPERATION Switzerland
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Semi-arid regions ?

• These climates are characterized by the fact that
  precipitation is less than potential
  evapotranspiration.
• Characterized by relatively low annual rainfall
  of 25 to 60 centimeters and having scrubby
  vegetation with short, coarse grasses not
  completely arid.

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Why semi-arid area was chosen ?

• Climate extremes are an expected characteristic
  of semi-arid lands.
• The people living in the semi-arid areas are
  particularly vulnerable to droughts, which
  trigger frequent subsistence crises --sharply
  increasing crop failures, dislocation, famine,
  poverty, increases stratification and the social
  inequities.

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Peoples Voices
Increase in migration in our village is due to
lack of rains, the agricultural labor are
migrating to urban areas. - Mr. Balaram
Reddy, Karimnagar People are shifting out of
agriculture and taking up other means of
livelihood activities due to lack of water. In
this context food security has become another
important issue - Mr. Sheshagiri Rao,
Bharat Krishak Samaj Mahabubnagar
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Enhancing Adaptive capacity

• 1. The general ability of institutions, systems,
  and individuals to adjust to potential damage, to
  take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with
  the consequences.
• 2. Most populations know from local history the
  frequency and likely consequences of extreme
  climatic events. And most populations in highly
  variable or extreme climatic zones shape their
  livelihood systems to buffer against potential
  catastrophes.

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Internal measures
Mitigation (Kyoto Protocol)
Joint Implementation
Flexible mechanisms
International Emissions Trading
UNFCCC
Clean Development Mechanism
Step I Assessment of impacts and vulnerability
Adaptation
Step II Capacity building
Step III Adaptation measures
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The process of adaptation
At the appropriated level
Preparation (incl. training/training needs
evaluation)
Vulnerability assessment
Implementation of adaptation measures
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Objectives of Policy and Advocacy

• To foster dialogue and improve communication
  between all kind of interfaces in order to better
  address climate changes.
• Agree with partners on a common conceptual
  framework regarding the way forward.
• To ensure bottom-up linkages through policy
  dialogue at national and international level .

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• Nationally support process that would influence
  the systems within the government, through
  dialogue on a meaningful platform
• Internationally support process which would lead
  to simplification of protocols and mechanisms in
  favor of the poor
• Support to partners for documenting best
  practices /cases to influence policies

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Policy and Advocacy - Process

• Other national and international partners for
  selected activities
• SDC - Steering and trust management
• National Level
• Steering Committee
• GOI (Agriculture and MoEF), NGOs, Research
  Institutions, SDC, other donors, etc.
• State Level
• Advisory Committees (for Andhra Pradesh and
  Rajasthan States)
• GoAP, NGOs, Research Institutions, District
  Collector, etc.
• National Forum on Advocacy
• Vulnerability Atlas by MSSRF
• A Website for sharing the learnings

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V A Programme - Goal

• To secure the livelihoods of rural poor
  vulnerable communities by promoting adoption
  measures that builds enhance their capacity to
  better cope with adverse impacts of climate
  change by promoting their disaster preparedness
  

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Project Objectives

• To build community level capacities with regards
  to best practices and technologies in the
  agriculture, water energy sector
• To optimize the service delivery system
  services at selected sites of AP Raj
• To promote policy dialogue, advocacy at
  different levels

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Salient features of the V A Programme

• Process oriented, allowing a multi-level,
  learning-action-reflection cycle
• Holistic approach (funds, functionaries and
  functions) systemic livelihoods
• Interlinking levels community level with state,
  national, regional, and international level
• Focus on optimising delivery systems' at local
  community level, i.e. the role of extension
  services in enhancing the coping capacity of
  local liveli-hood systems against the adverse
  impacts of climate change.

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Thematic Focus
Agriculture (Food Security)
Water (Availability Quality)
Rural Energy (Biomass)
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Field level interventions
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Duration/Period

• 2005 Inception phase
• Finalise work plan, plan activities, start first
  activities
• 2006-2007 Implementation phase
• Research, action learning, pilot activities at
  community level,
• 2008 Outreach dissemination phase
• Translate action learning and pilot activity
  results into policy dialogue.

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Scope of Activities

• Research
• Capacity Building
• Partnership Building
• Infrastructure Building
• Demonstration of relevant ideas/technologies

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Research
Document- ation of Best Practices
Vulnerability Profile
Knowledge Gaps
Review of Institutional Functions, Policies
Research
Appropriate technologies
Situational Analysis
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Capacity Building

• Training
• Institutional Level
• Community Level
• Education
• Awareness

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V A ProgrammeAndhra Pradesh

• Mahabubnagar District

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DISTRICT PROFILE

• Geographical area 18.45 Lakhs Ha.
• Population Male 17.81 Lakhs
• Female 17.28 Lakhs
• Total 35.09 Lakhs
• 3. Literacy 38.67
• 4. Forest area 16
• 5. Rainfall (Normal) 604 m.m.
• 6. Cattle population 19.10 Lakh Cow Units
• 7. All the blocks are declared as Drought Prone
  Areas

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Rainfall Mahaboonagar District 1952-2003
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CAUSE OF DROUGHT SITUATION

• Skewed distribution of rainfall 40 deficit
  from June-August which is the sowing season
• Depletion of ground water situation
• Untimely heavy rains during Sept Oct affects
  the crops
• Lack of Rainfall during November-December
  adversely affects Rabi sowings

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• LIVELIHOODS 
• Low productivity of lands and small land holdings
  leading to disguised unemployment, increasing the
  vulnerability.
• The district is traditionally known for its
  migrant laborers one of the important causes are
• Non-sustainable traditional occupations
• Wage rates are low and also women are paid less
  than men.
• About 1.75 lakhs small farmers and 2.94 marginal
  farmers are dependent on wage employment.
• About 3.20 lakhs agricultural laborers who are
  below poverty line are also dependent on
  agricultural wage employment.

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Activities at Village level

• Situational Analysis Phase I report of Andhra
  Pradesh is prepared.
• Situational Analysis Phase II
• Secondary Data
• Best Practices / Story lines
• Participatory Situational Analysis
• Bio-physical Studies
• Participatory Action Plan
• Capacity Building

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Framework for situation analysis
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Village level Awareness Campaigns
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Participatory Action Planning
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Exposure / Awareness - Farmers

• Exposure and awareness field visits - Farmers,
  Women and youth
• Sustainable Agricultural Practices, agricultural
  implements, farm animals, kitchen gardens, food
  processing, non-farm livelihood options,
  Agro-meteorology information, agri-buisness,
  agri-clinics, non-farm based livelihoods, etc

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Water Management action plan with community
participation
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Soil testing by village youth
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Home Gardens
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Good Stoves Community participation in design
and adaptation
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Good Stove Design
www.bioenergylists.org
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Low-Cost Wood Gas Stoves designed with community
participation
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Village Knowledge Centers
Information Knowledge(Locale Specific and
Demand Driven)
VHF
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Establishment of Automatic Weather Stations in
the Project Villages
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• Thank you . .