Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
The current concern is on the extent and magnitude of climate change.
Agricultural policy will require more flexible food policies that can anticipate the
selection of crops for the planting seasons and provide for seed varieties that can
adapt to drastic climatic variability. Historical trends show a noticeable increase
in mean temperature and large variation in monsoon rainfall in India and the
IGP region. Climate change is likely to reduce yields of most crops in the longterm,
and increased climatic variability could cause significant fluctuations in
production in the short-run 24 . Recent studies on regional and global simulation
models also indicate that a moderate increase in temperature will have a
significant negative impact on rice, wheat and maize yields in India 25 . Climate
change may further worsen the agricultural production system in the IGP region
by increasing water scarcity, the frequency and severity of floods, and causing
further decline in soil carbon 26 . Impacts of frequent and severe droughts and
floods on crop production have already been observed in many parts of the region,
Therefore, the climate change and variability may lead to greater instability
in food production and threaten the food security of millions of smallholder
farmers in the IGP. 27 The forest policy will need to account for erosion mitigation
measures in areas where precipitation is predicted to be high, and water-intensive
industries will need to take account of variations in water availability and siltation
issues related to changes in precipitation.
It is widely accepted that the poorest are disproportionately vulnerable to
climate change and the least able to adapt (Parry et al., 2007; Black et al., 2011).
This can be largely attributed to their reliance on the natural resource base for
their livelihood. Developing countries such as India are thus more likely to
be vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Severe changes affecting the
natural resource base will impact livelihoods of the poor in these countries. IPCC
studies indicate that the vulnerability of a region depends to a great extent on its
wealth, and that poverty and inequality limit adaptive capabilities (IPCC, 2011).
Patnaik and Narayanan (2005) argue that socio-economic systems “typically
are more vulnerable in developing countries where economic and institutional
circumstances are less favourable”. Furthermore, due to its effects on livelihoods,
climate change is predicted to impose significant aggregate costs for society
(House of Commons, 2008; Parry et al, 2007; Stern, 2007). For example, the total
Annexures
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