Adaptation of small scale farmers to climatic risks in India - Sustainet

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Focused group discussions (FGD) were held separately with the various groups of the communities that were sampled. The groups include the elderly men, the women group, NGO people and then the youths. The project team also relied on existing literature or documentation on the area to complement the information that was collected during the field work. Such information was sourced from relevant government and academic institutions and from traditional institutions in the area. The selection of the study areas was done on the basis of association and guidance/advice from the Sustainet partners. The selected villages varied both in terms of irrigation as well as the socioeconomic parameters such as total land area; households, human and cattle population, literacy and average family income. Most of the villages selected for the survey were dependent on rain fed agriculture and had little to no irrigation facilities at their disposal. This report, by documenting five case studies, makes an effort to strengthen the knowledge base on local climate change adaptation initiatives being practiced in different states of India, which will definitely facilitate the Govt of India’s efforts of developing a climate resilient national policy for agriculture development. An assessment of the factors influencing farm-level adaptation can facilitate the formation of policies and investment strategies that help moderate potential adverse consequences of long-term climate change. Because smallholder farmers tend to have a low capacity to adapt to changes in climatic conditions, policies that help these farmers adapt to global warming and associated climatic extremes are particularly important. Therefore the present study assesses smallholder farmers' adaptation to climate change in India. The study identifies farmers' perceptions of climate change and the determinants of farm-level adaptation strategies, and recommends policies that could help stabilize national and regional food security given the anticipated adverse effects of climate change. 1.5 Why a focus on small-scale farmers? Climate change poses particular challenges for India, due to its immense diversity, geographical, physiographical, social and economic. In India, climate vulnerability and impacts are likely to vary substantially across regions and populations. Although many impact studies have been carried out for the agriculture sector (as discussed in the above section) one must acknowledge the fact that climate change, though a global phenomenon will be mainly faced by resource poor farmers. Agricultural production remains the main source of livelihood for rural communities in India, providing employment to more than 65 percent of the population. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to significantly affect agricultural production, which could be detrimental to the region's food security and economic growth. The severe impacts of climate change have to be managed by these farmers, at a local level. It affects current conditions of production and their access to resources, including land, water and seeds, as well as their capacity to apply acquired knowledge. 16 16
Figure iii Farmer presenting the results from group works Understanding the existing coping and adaptive strategies of small farmers in specific geographic contexts is a first step toward the identification of appropriate options to increase the potential for adaptation of particular farmer groups. Local-level analyses can help highlight the primary constraints to adaptation and the different nature of vulnerability of particular groups. Local-level analyses can further contribute to prioritize adaptation interventions and thus facilitate the creation of a more sustainable and equitable production environment (IUCN / IISD / IISDnet, 2004; Wehbe et al., 2005a). Local methods of agricultural production have climate adaptation (and mitigation) potential. Peasantbased, low-input agriculture and artisanal methods provide key solutions for reducing climate stress as they use limited resources for sustaining livelihoods. There is a need to capture local knowledge and experiences for devising efficient adaptation options for resource-poor farmers. Adaptation happens on the local level and farmer’s knowledge and experiences of their region are important in this respect. Climate change adaptation is very site specific; there can be no one-size-fits-all approach. Therefore, there is a need to consult with smallholders and the resource poor to build on their local knowledge and experiences, including indigenous practices, and technical options at the local level in order to help them face the challenges of ensuring food security in a changing climate. 17 17
Page 1 and 2: Adaptation of small scale farmers t
Page 3 and 4: Disclaimer This report is the resul
Page 5 and 6: 3 CASE STUDY ANDHRA PRADESH 35 3.1
Page 7 and 8: 6.3.1 Agriculture sector 83 6.3.2 I
Page 9 and 10: 1 Climate Change India: An Introduc
Page 11 and 12: of its share in the GDP, it is stil
Page 13 and 14: 1.2.2 National Farmers Policy 2007
Page 15: maintenance of soil fertility both
Page 19 and 20: 2 Case Study Rajasthan 2.1 Backgrou
Page 21 and 22: According to farmers, the weather s
Page 23 and 24: Reduction in rainfall is considered
Page 25 and 26: 2.3.3 Impact on Livelihood Farmers
Page 27 and 28: Adoption of biodiversity based orga
Page 29 and 30: 2.4.2 Water sector The most limitin
Page 31 and 32: Furrow irrigation: small trenches i
Page 33 and 34: 2.5 Recommendations for future acti
Page 35 and 36: 3 Case Study Andhra Pradesh 3.1 Bac
Page 37 and 38: satisfying basic food requirements.
Page 39 and 40: 3.3 Climate Change Impacts The foll
Page 41 and 42: Reduced income and food security: A
Page 43 and 44: However, the rainfall quantity is n
Page 45 and 46: The results of the regulation schem
Page 47 and 48: “Extension services are very impo
Page 49 and 50: provided by the local seed dealers.
Page 51 and 52: 4.1.1 Climate The climate varies fr
Page 53 and 54: Padam Singh, 52 years, of Nala vill
Page 55 and 56: Table 5: People’s perceptions of
Page 57 and 58: More attack of insects and pests: F
Page 59 and 60: This is one of the important practi
Page 61 and 62: Figure xiv Indigenous variety of pa
Page 63 and 64: term resilience of agro ecosystems
Page 65 and 66: 5 Case Study Orissa 5.1 Background
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5.2 Evidences of Climate change Ori
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The tribal population of the study
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years, but what it is certain that
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Figure xvii Farmer's fields with tr
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Figure xviii Rejuvenated forests af
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Figure xix Watershed management pla
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5.5.2 Agriculture related For the r
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6.1.2 Rainfall The rainfall pattern
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One of the major concerns expressed
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ten bore wells, only five were succ
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epay. Of the 3.4 million cotton far
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Table 14: crop combination in the
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wet season and less cracking afterw
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7 Summary and Conclusions: This rep
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Promotion of Sustainable agricultur
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States Summary of insights: Experie
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9 References 1. A. Kitoh, R. Knutti
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32. Pashupalak, 2009: Climate chang
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Adaptation of small scale farmers to climatic risks in India - Sustainet

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