Vulnerable India
Mainstreaming adaptation and building resilience
- CHANDRA BHUSHAN -
Centre for Science and Environment
Climate change impacting natural and human systems, exacerbating vulnerability • 0.7˚C temperature increase over 20th century;
Warmest decade (2000-2010) on record
• Significant increase in the frequency, persistency and spatial coverage of high temperature extreme eventsp g g p
• Heavy rainfall events (> 100 mm/day) and very heavy events (>150 mm/day) increasingevents ( 150 mm/day) increasing
• Evidence of decrease in rice and wheat yield due to increase in minimum temperature; decrease in appleincrease in minimum temperature; decrease in apple productivity and shifting of orchards to higher altitude; reduction in milk production due to heat stress
• Increase in malaria and movement of mosquitoes to higher altitudes
Centre for Science and Environment
g
Battered by extreme events; Rs 1,000 crore loss events becoming common g
Centre for Science and Environment
Losses are mounting; adaptation costs 10% of GDP by the end of the century• Climate induced losses in India: $80-90 billion/ year • GOI estimates: 2.6% of GDP on adaptation in 2012;GOI estimates: 2.6% of GDP on adaptation in 2012;
no estimates of loss & damage due to extreme events• CSE: Close to 10,000 people died in last 2 years due , p p y
to extreme events; at least Rs 1,00,000 crore lost• ADB estimates that 10% of GDP would be spent on p
adapting to climate by the end of the century• Adaptation Gap Report: Costs underestimated; could
be $250-500 billion by 2050 for developing countries• There is not going to be much international support
for adaptation for India; we will have to manage ourselves – very difficult
Centre for Science and Environment
Multi-dimensional vulnerability of India: More poor people than all the poor of all the Least Developed Countries dependent on climate sensitive sectors
Centre for Science and Environment
Additional temperature increase of 0.3˚C-0.7˚C till 2016-35 relative to 1986-2005
Centre for Science and Environment
Is India prepared for climate change?
• National Action Plan: Weak on adaptation• National Action Plan: Weak on adaptation• State Action Plans: Sustainable development plans,
can be further improved; but no clarity on the howcan be further improved; but no clarity on the how, what and who of implementation
• MNREGA: Enormous potential to reduce the pvulnerability by building climate-resilient assets
• Crop insurance and weather advisory• National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture
(NICRA): Similar initiatives for other sectors as well
• Wanted to understand what is happening on the ground – good practices, maladaptation – sentground good practices, maladaptation sent people across the country to study and report
Centre for Science and Environment
The Indo-Gangetic plain
Centre for Science and Environment
The Indo Gangetic plain
Punjab law addresses water scarcityPunjab and Haryana
The Punjab preservation of Sub soil act 2009 has succeeded in reducing the depletion rate of the sub soil water. No farmer shall sow or transplant in their nursery before the notified dates. Farmers violating the law will be liable to a penalty of Rs 10 000 per hectare per
Centre for Science and Environment
law will be liable to a penalty of Rs 10,000 per hectare per
The Indo Gangetic plain
NREGS helps resurrect river Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh
Revival of the 46-km-long rivulet Sasur Khaderi-2 between April 15, 2013 and June 15, 2013. The initiative undertaken was local administration
Centre for Science and Environment
The Indo Gangetic plain
Drinking water during floods North Bihar
Megh Pyne Abhiyan, campaign worked with local communities to alleviate drinking water stress and improve sanitation practices
Centre for Science and Environment
p p
The Indian Himalayan Region
Centre for Science and Environment
The Indian Himalayan Region
First of its kind – payment for eco system services Palampur, Himachal Pradesh
Payment for eco-services system, helps reduce water conflict by institutionalising through a legal partnership structure to incentivize rural communities to protect catchment areas
Centre for Science and Environment
p p p
The Indian Himalayan Region
Traditional multi cropping agriculture system H i Hi h l P d hHamirpur, Himachal Pradesh
Obsession for monoculture has taken a toll in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. Traditional agricultural system of growing several crops in one field ensured food security even in adverse weather
Centre for Science and Environment
y g g p y
The Indian Himalayan Region
School children learn flood preparednessDhemaji, Assam
Students trained in planning for and reducing risks of disaster pass on their learning to local communities
Centre for Science and Environment
The Desert Region
Centre for Science and Environment
The Desert Region
Housing for extremeHousing for extreme weather event Barmer, Rajasthan
SEEDS NGO build innovative housing structures which can help cope with future disasters in Rajasthan’s Barmer (after being struck by sudden flash flood)
Centre for Science and Environment
j ( g y )
The Desert Region
Traditional adaptive practice of pagaraaK li R j thKarauli, Rajasthan
Revival of the traditional adaptive practice of pagaraa has helped conserve soil and strengthen livelihood in Nivera village in Rajasthan
Centre for Science and Environment
g j
The Desert Region
Revival of pasture land Udaipur, Rajasthan
Practice of revival of the traditional common pasture land, which helped strengthen livelihoods in Chhaperiya village in Rajasthan’s Udaipur district, as major population is dependent on livestock.
Centre for Science and Environment
p y g j p , j p p p
The Coast and Islands
Centre for Science and Environment
The Coast and Islands
Sunderban people copeSunderban people cope with the fragile ecosystem Sunderban, West Bengal
Sundarbans’ fragile ecosystem, coupled with underdevelopment, makes it especially vulnerable to climate change. Documented how people are coping with changing climatic patterns affecting natural
Centre for Science and Environmentsystems , Social insecurity
The Coast and Islands
People protect mangrove Kendrapara, Odisha
Residents of coastal Kendrapada are protecting their mangroves, which shield them from cyclones. With climate change pushing them to the brink, they are also reviving traditional ponds and cultivating flood resistant paddy and fish
Centre for Science and Environment
flood resistant paddy and fish
The Coast and Islands
Rising sea level an everyday reality Satyabhaya , Odisha
A 20-km stretch at Satabhaya in Kendrapada district is said to be the fastest eroding beach on the Odisha coast. More than 1,200 homes and large tracts of agricultural land have been wiped out by rising sea levels. More than 60 per cent of the population of around 4,000 has migrated, and most of the remaining villagers are considering leaving.
Centre for Science and Environment
g , g g g g
The Coast and Islands
Kagga -traditional flood resistant rice variety Uttar Kannada, Karnataka
This rice variety from Uttara Kannada can withstand brackish water, and could be a boon in this region which is projected to see some climate change impacts. But kagga is on the brink of extinction.
Centre for Science and Environment
Central and Peninsular India
Centre for Science and Environment
Central and Peninsular India
Lac- cultivation –lucrative Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, scientists have found a way to bring back farmers to the production of lac, which has the potential to trigger an economic windfall for its farmers and the state
Centre for Science and Environment
Central and Peninsular India
Bewar and penda – traditional cultivation
Dindori and Mandla , Madhya Pradesh and Gadchiroli, Maharashtra
Faced with erratic rain and extreme weather, tribal farmers of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh turn to bewar and penda cultivation that keeps them nourished through the year. The strange thing is, the practise is outlawed by an Act
Centre for Science and Environment
practise is outlawed by an Act
Central and Peninsular India
Weather based agro services Ahmednagar, Maharashtra
Weather-based agro-advisories come to the rescue of farmers in Maharashtra as they grapple with erratic weather brought on by climate change
Centre for Science and Environment
Central and Peninsular India
Gonchi- Reviving ancient irrigation system g yAnantapur, Andhra Pradesh
Gonchi is a unique practice of diverting water by gravity from natural streams and rivers and sharing it equitably among farmers in the command area of the channel. The system was developed by local people more than 300 years ago
Centre for Science and Environment
people more than 300 years ago
How and what of adaptation?
I t l t f li t h d l t• Incremental costs of climate change on development is going to increase – making development more expensiveexpensive
• Climate change will widen existing gaps and create new “poverty traps”new “poverty traps”
• Without sufficient mitigation efforts globally, and even with adaptation, climate variability will start diminishing “developmental gains”
• “Beyond adaptation” scenario will become reality for many sensitive areas like coasts
Centre for Science and Environment
How and what of adaptation?
Add i l bilit d b ildi th ili f• Addressing vulnerability and building the resilience of the poor to climate variability is not new for India.
• Huge experience – some good and some bad – to address poverty taking into account climate variability
watershed management agroforestry soil moisture– watershed management, agroforestry, soil moisture conservation, drought proofing, employment guarantee etcguarantee etc.
• What changes now is pace and uncertainty of change and frequency and intensity of extreme eventsand frequency and intensity of extreme events
• Adaptation is about doing development better (s stainabl ) and faster taking into acco nt(sustainably) and faster taking into account climate variability and responses
Centre for Science and Environment
How and what of adaptation?
I t li th i i k d b li t h• Internalize the serious risk posed by climate change• Impacts will be local and adaptation will have to be
designed implemented and owned locally movedesigned, implemented and owned locally – move towards “effective decentralisation” from “centralised decentralisation”decentralisation
• Mainstreaming climate change responses into existing policies, processes, programmes and g p p p ginstitutions; no need for a separate silo for adaptation
• Strengthen social safety nets• Scrutinize global policies and mechanisms for their
impact on the poor• Promote, share knowledge, disseminate and build
capacity on adaptation practices
Centre for Science and Environment