A Review Of Vulnerability to Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies for India

1. B A S I C B B A A S S C C I I A Review Of Vulnerability to Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies for India Presented by Aditi Dass Winrock International India

2. B A S I C B A S C I • Outline of presentation • Case Study on Drought and Flood in India • Risks & vulnerabilities • Adaptation strategies

3. B A S I C B A S C I Case Studies States selected on the basis of the level of vulnerability of the states to droughts, floods and cyclones which is a function of damages reported Villages within the most drought prone districts of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka selected. Similarly, a case study in Orissa has been taken up within a flood prone district, which is also susceptible to cyclones.

4. B A S I C B A S C I Damages due to extreme events during 1900 - 2004 Number of people affected due to various extreme events in India

5. B A S I C B A S C I Probability of Occurrence of Droughts • A perennial feature • 19% of area affecting 12% of population annually • Frequency of droughts: • Tamilnadu, J&K, Telangana, West Rajasthan - every 2.5 years • Gujarat, E. Rajasthan & W. Uttarpradesh – every 3 years • Other states - every 4-5 years • Based on the rainfall deficiency for the last 100 years

6. B A S I C B A S C I Severe droughts in India in last 100 years After 1987, India experienced severe drought in 2002, where 29% of the area was affected

7. B A S I C B A S C I Temporal-spatial spread of drought & impacts Drought is occurring in some or the other part of the country Primary impacts: water availability, agriculture production, hydropower generation Secondary Impact: Agricultural GDP dips, increase in commodity prices, livelihood of people dependent on rainfed farming (marginal farmers & farm laborers surviving) affected Rainfed areas (61%) – most affected 2000 1984 2001 1986 2002 1997

8. B A S I C B A S C I Damages due to droughts

9. B A S I C B A S C I Case study analysis: Risks associated with droughts • Depletion in water resources for agriculture and drinking: women walk 1-2 kms to fetch water • Reduction in crop yields and change in cropping pattern • Dwindling fodder stock and declining income of farmers lead to cattle selling; esp. marginal and small farmers who sell at depressed prices • Increased incidences of debt • Decline in nutrition and health status: malnutrition strikes Mahboobnagar in AP (esp. among children and women) whenever drought occurs

10. B A S I C B A S C I Government policies to combat droughts Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) Rural Works Programme Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) - labor intensive schemes such as medium and minor irrigation, road construction, soil conservation and afforest action Dissemination of technologies relating to soil management, water harvesting, improved agronomic practices and drought-resistant crops - CRIDA Desert Development Programme (DDP) Integrated Watershed Management Programme – rejuvenate depleted natural resources on watershed basis National Watershed Program for Rainfed Areas (NWSDPRA) –around 22 mha

11. B A S I C B A S C I Traditional coping strategies in response to drought Physical Household/Community • Migration (15-30%) • Sale of assets (land, livestock, durable assets) • Reduce intake of food and decline in other expenditure • Shift from superior to inferior food grain • Mixed cropping State/Government • Food distribution system • Water supply (tanker, new wells etc) • Employment programs

12. B A S I C B A S C I Traditional coping strategies in response to drought (contd.) Social • Sharing and cooperation • Sacrifice by senior hh members • New Community relationships • Inter and intra community exchange programs Economic • Borrowing • Imports/assistance • Diversification in source of income • Subsidy/grants • Relief works

13. B A S I C B A S C I Modern coping strategies Farming techniques to retain productivity during droughts • Soil & water conservation practices • Farm Pond : enables storing runoff water • Planting drought resistant varieties: provided by the state Agriculture Univ. • low adaptability of the above Livelihood: Education & skill based diversification of occupation Livestock: ownership pattern changed from few people owning bigger herd size to almost all hh owning few small animals Govt. efforts: area–specific development programs initiated for drought prone areas to mitigate poverty

14. B A S I C B A S C I Conclusion - drought • Marginal & small farmers and landless hh are most vulnerable to drought • Middle level farmers in AP also fallen prey to recurrent droughts due to: • Decline of crop acreage • Fall in water table & water harvesting structures • Fall in employment & purchasing power • Scarcity of food and fodder • Lack of change in cropping pattern & lack of drought resistant seeds • Inability of farmers to repay loans with continuous droughts • Drought in Rajasthan was effectively managed • Dominant strategies in drought prone areas: • Adopting mixed farming system (crop, livestock & agro-forestry) • Resources conservation approach • Collective sustenance

15. Floods in India and its impacts B A S I C B A S C I 1986 1988 2000 2001 2003

16. B A S I C B A S C I Government expenditure and Damages due to floods

17. B A S I C B A S C I Impact of floods Play major role in poverty & vulnerability, esp. of marginalized communities • Damage on Infrastructure: health, sanitation, water supply, roads, educational institutions and opportunities for environment • Loss of individual property: • destroy of ‘kachcha’ houses, stored food & hh goods • Poor looses assets each time flood occurs • Poor have to take loans at high rate of interest for survival • Health: • water borne diseases like cholera, dysentery, typhoid & other gastrointestinal diseases • Lack of effective health care system • Unavailable & inaccessible due to prohibitive costs • Lack of clean drinking water, well water mixes with flood water • Effect on women: • loose control over food, fodder, fuel & cattle rearing • In post-disaster recovery phases, women suffer the most • Can’t get loans against lands because it is never in their names

18. B A S I C B A S C I Coping with Floods • Structural measures • Construction of storage dams, reservoirs, embankments, drainage structures as required at suitable locations • Raising the levels of the roads and constructing houses at higher heights or raising the plinth level of the houses • Non-structural measures • Flood forecasting & warning. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has a flood forecasting system covering 62 major rivers in 13 States with 157 stations for transmission of flood warnings on real time basis. • Post-flood activities for rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations. • People’s Participation

19. B A S I C B A S C I Case study : Coping Measures taken by Jagatsinghpur in Orissa (worst flood affected in 2001) • Heights of embankments raised by 3-4 ft • Repairing jobs of weak points of embankment was taken up by govt. • Elevated spots “merdha’ were used for immediate shelter to flood affected people • Mud houses which were completely washed away, were rebuilt at an elevated area • Just before onset of monsoon people got ready with dry food reserve and other essential items • Different variety of paddy is sown in flood prone areas which are not destroyed even if the plant remains under water until 10 days

20. B A S I C B A S C I Conclusion - flood • 3 successive disasters have seriously affected sustainability of livelihoods in Jagatsinghpur • Super cyclone 1999 • Flood 2001 • Flood 2003 • Loss of thousands of lives • Areas most affected by flood of 2001 and 2003 were areas affected by cyclone in 1999 • Poor disaster preparedness • Restoration works have to extend beyond normal time frame • Devastating flood has given opportunity to reflect gaps in our disaster preparedness methods & mechanisms

21. B A S I C B A S C I Mainstreaming Climate Change, Vulnerability & Adaptation Concerns • Why • Climate change has long term effects & impacts may be irreversible • Long gestation period required for adaptation • Infrastructure lifetimes are long and are at risk • Long time scales required for institutional arrangements to be in place for combating impacts of CC

22. B A S I C B A S C I Question • What do we need to do differently because of the expected adverse impacts of climate change?

23. B A S I C B A S C I Thank You