Local adaptation strategies in semi-arid regions: study of two villages in Karnataka, India

Abstract

Rural households in India, particularly farmers, are exposed to current climate variability and risk, which is likely to increase due to climate change. This study assessed current adaptation strategies adopted by rural households in two dry land villages of Bagepalli Block, Chikballapur district, Karnataka, in southern India. The adequacy of adaptation strategies was also assessed. The study showed that rural households and in particular, farmers adopted several practices to cope with current climate risks which include; irrigation provisioning (depending on ground water), shift in cropping pattern (to more resilient but low economically valued crops and varieties), mixed cropping, agro-forestry (as a long term strategy), diversified livestock holdings and reliance on government development programmes. The adaptation measures also included leaving croplands fallow, sale of assets, such as livestock and trees in their property, and migration. Current climate related responses to agricultural distress are not adequate to cope with even the current climate risks. This further indicates that rural households may not be able to cope with increasing climate variability and climate change. Thus, there is an urgent need for an improved understanding of current adaptation strategies and to enhance resilience and develop structured adaptation strategies to cope with current climate risks and long-term climate change.

Agroecological and Social Transformations for Coexistence with Semi-Aridity in Brazil

“…It is a system with elevated levels of autonomy, flexibility, and resilience to the climatic variability of the region as well as in terms of commercial relationships and dependence on external actors. Similar experiences have been described in other regions of the world [1,[3][4][5][6]26].…”

“…It is estimated that more than 42% of the world population inhabits these areas, accumulating life experiences connected to the particular climatic dynamics of these dryland regions [2][3][4][5][6]. Historically, the conceptualization of reality that has influenced the technical, economic, and social imaginary has built and institutionalized an image of problematic regions full of adversities [7].…”

Mapping evidence of human adaptation to climate change

“…71,72 At the farm scale, behavioural responses include adoption of crops and livestock that are adapted to drought, pests, and encroaching salinity. [73][74][75][76][77] Individuals shift to other economic and livelihood activities, abandoning fishing for farming, 78 or change food consumption practices to cope with environmental risks. In Africa and Asia, farmers commonly use drought-tolerant plant and animal species, water and soil management practices, and diversified income streams to spread risks and adjust to shifting climate conditions.…”

Traditional Design Principles of a Groundwater Irrigation System in the Foothills of the Western Ghats of Southwest India

“…Unfortunately, water scarcity has become a major concern in southern India because of a complex array of pressures. Population increases (Cincotta et al 2000; Jain 2011) and climate changes (IPCC 2014;Kattumuri et al 2017;Fukushima et al 2019), such as the delay of monsoon onset (Kripalani et al 2007) and periods of drought and flood, result in a decrease in crops (Krishna Kumar et al 2011;Kumar et al 2011) and forest productivity (Chaturvedi et al 2011) and cause seasonal water scarcity (Jain 2011). Thus, there is a call for an increased focus on traditional waterharvesting techniques on the Indian subcontinent (Kokkal 2002;Agarwal and Narain 2005;Jacob 2008), due in part to their greater sustainability in comparison to large-scale irrigation systems (Christensen 1998) and their ability at times to provide drinking water.…”