Climate Vulnerability in Rainfed Farming: Analysis from Indian Watersheds

Abstract

India ranks first among the rainfed agricultural countries in the world. The impact of changing climate threatens rainfed food production as well as the food security of millions of people in the tropics and subtropics. The Government of India initiated Watershed Development Programmes (WDPs) for the overall development of these areas. We, therefore, established a comprehensive, location-specific, bottom-up tool to analyse and compare the climate vulnerability of watershed areas. For this, we deducted a new Climate Vulnerability Index for Rainfed Tropics (CVIRFT) to evaluate the potential effectiveness of programmes to adapt to climate change impacts. The CVIRFT comprises of three dimensions of vulnerability, i.e., adaptive capacity, exposure and sensitivity. These dimensions consist of ten major components and 59 indicators with emphasis on rainfed farming and WDP interventions. To test the tool, we collected primary data through household surveys (n = 215, split among three watershed communities) in Kerala. We show that there were strong variations in the exposure dimension, moderate in sensitivity and negligible in adaptive capacity across the watersheds. After analysing the major components under the dimensions, we suggest focusing on policy orientation towards redesigning of the WDPs with emphasis to economic diversification, livelihood strategies, social networking coupled with stakeholder participation, natural resource management and risk spread through credit and insurance flexibility. The CVIRFT is replicable to similar physio-geographic areas of rainfed farming, with the refinement of indicators suited to the locality.

Perceptions of Climate Change and Determinants of Adaptation Decisions of Smallholder Maize (Zea mays L.) Farmers in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

“…are developing effective coping strategies such as the use of improved crop varieties, croplivestock integration, adjusting of planting dates, changes in crop type, irrigation, use of soil and water conservation practices, agro-forestry and involvement in off-farm and non-farm activities (Bryant et al, 2016;Ndamani & Watanabe, 2016;Akinnagbe and Irohibe, 2015;ATPS, 2013;Gebre et al, 2013). However, rainfed farmers identified dependence on climate-sensitive activities, a lack of accurate information, falling production, a lack of agricultural technologies, poverty, labor, land, and money shortages, and the lack of existence and/or proper provision of institutional services (seed and inputs companies, rural credit institutes, and so on) as major barriers to adaptation strategies (Araro et al, 2019;Sathyan et al, 2018;Eyasu and Beek, 2015;Gutu, 2015).…”

“…Smallholder farmers in poor nations, on the other hand, are disproportionately affected by climate change because of their reliance on the environment and natural resources for food and income, as well as a lack of infrastructure for adaptation, notably in Africa (Mercy, 2021). Because agriculture in these countries is dominated by the presence of low-income earner farmers engaged in subsistence farming (Akinnagbe and Irohibe, 2015;IPCC, 2007), climate change has had a significant impact on agricultural activity in developing countries (Fadina & Barjolle, 2018), and it affects farming livelihoods by acting as a hunger risk multiplier by damaging harvests and lowering crop yields, thereby increasing poverty and food insecurity (Sathyan et al, 2018). ).…”

Profile of Farmers in Ananthapuramu District Adopting Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) Technologies

“…The low productivity in drylands might be a cumulative effect of the constraints faced during crop production [5]. The higher exposure of the dryland farmers to the vagaries of climate change and the natural hazards in addition to the small landholding has resulted in fluctuating and low incomes of the farmers in most developing countries like Asia and Africa [6]. In this context, the study was made with the aim to highlight the profile characteristics of the farmers in the study area.…”

Farmers’ Distress Index: An Approach for an Action Plan to Reduce Vulnerability in the Drylands of India

“…Over several decades, the neglect of rainfed areas by public and private sectors and farmers themselves has resulted in meager accumulated capital to conserve natural resources [15]. The high exposure to natural hazards and low accumulated capital coupled with the small land-holding size of the majority of the rainfed farmers have led to low and fluctuating farm incomes in most developing countries of Asia and Africa [16]. These farmers in tropical countries, including India, have limited resources and capacity to cope with these shocks [17] and are experiencing severe hardship due to their low adaptive capacity [18].…”