Lecture given at MCR HRD

1. Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, CEO, GEO http://e-geo.org
Center for Climate Change and Environment Advisory CCCEA)
Dr. MCR HRD Institute of AP
21ST June 2012

3. In the life of a
farmer climate
Variability and
Extreme events
are more
important than
climate change

4. Climate Change / Variability in
Semi-arid regions
Precipitation is less than
potential
evapotranspiration.
Low annual rainfall of 25
to 60 centimeters and
having scrubby vegetation
with short, coarse grasses;
not completely arid.

5. Climate Change / Variability in Semi-arid regions
Climate Variability and extremes are an
expected characteristic of semi-arid lands.
The people vulnerable to droughts, which trigger
frequent subsistence crises
Increasing crop failures, dislocation, famine,
poverty, increases stratification and the social
inequities.

6. Major challenges of Agriculture
Climate change - Soil fertility Water
variability - management
extremes
Impact of Burning of crop Alkalinity of soils
hazardous residue
pesticides and
nitrogen

7. Crop Water
Soil Climate
Energy Environment

8. NREGA
 The primary objective of the act is poverty
alleviation, a further objective is stated “...as
creation of durable assets and strengthening the
livelihoods base of the rural poor...”
 NREGA links two of the most critical problems of
our times: namely, extreme poverty and climate
change.
 The linkage is forged through environmental
services which are provided by rural households
when they engage in works under NREGA.

9.  The livelihoods of the rural poor are
directly dependent on environmental
resources — land, water, forests — and
are vulnerable to weather and climate
variability — as water stress
increases, groundwater levels
recede, soil fertility declines and forest
habitats disappear.

11. NREGA Objectives
Primary
 Supplementing employment opportunities
(Additional not substituted)
Auxiliary
 Eco-restoration & regeneration of natural resource
base for sustainable rural livelihood Process
Outcomes
 Strengthening grass root processes of democracy
Infusing transparency & accountability in rural
governance

12. Vulnerability of poor in rural areas
Livelihoods of rural poor based on natural resources -
Land, Water, Biodiversity, Agriculture, Animal
Husbandry, Fisheries, Forest Produce
Two-thirds of households derive income directly from natural
sources
Natural resources are threatened by stresses Biotic & Abiotic
Climate Change -- an additional stress
Poor are most vulnerable to Climate Change
Poor are first and worst affected – least contributed to it
Agriculture & natural resource based livelihoods at
immediate risk
Rural poor do not have resources to cope

13. Nature of Works
Water based
Land based
• » Water conservation
• » Water harvesting • » Land development
• » Micro and minor irrigation
works Forest/ Agro--Forestry
• » Provision of irrigation • » Afforestation
facilities
• » Horticulture
• » Desilting of tanks
• » Renovation of traditional Infrastructure
water bodies
• » Flood control and protection • » Rural roads
works

14.  Of the 2.7 million works being
undertaken in over 600 districts, nearly
80 per cent are water, land and forestry-
related. These not only provide local
environmental services, they have the
potential to yield co-benefits of adaptation
and mitigation to global climate change; the
former through rejuvenation of the
livelihood base and thereby strengthening
resilience of rural communities, the latter
through enhanced carbon sequestration in
agricultural soils, pasturelands and woody

16. NREGA Types of Works Andhra Pradesh
Nature of works taken up
 70 % water conservation
 10 % Irrigation related
 5% Plantations
 2 % road connectivity
 13 % others

17. Water
Conservation Rural
Afforestation Connectivity
- 51% of the works
undertaken - 17% of total works
- 14% of the works undertaken
- Water Conservation undertaken
and Water - UP, MP and Bihar
Harvesting - AP and MP leading leading in the
in the forefront in number of works
- Renovation of these activities undertaken
Traditional Water
Bodies
- Micro Irrigational
Works
- Drought Proofing

21. CARBON SEQUESTRATION – BIOCHAR OPTIONS
Or
In slide share
http://www.slideshare.net/saibhaskar/agriculture-
crisis-and-biochar-saibhaskar2

24. SL framework: Determinants of adaptive
capacity
Livelihood Examples
resources
Human Knowledge of climate risks, conservation
agriculture skills
Social Women’s savings and loans groups,
farmer-based organizations
Physical Irrigation infrastructure, seed and grain
storage facilities
Natural Reliable water source, productive land
Financial Micro-insurance, diversified income
sources
Policies, institutions and power structures

25.  Defined and prioritised under the act, works
can significantly change the environment
through rejuvenation of the natural resource
base. Water conservation, land development
and afforestation through NREGA can provide
local services such as ground-water
recharge, enhanced soil fertility
and increased biomass. These, in
turn, can generate global benefits such as
adaptation to and mitigation of climate change
and biodiversity conservation.

26.  NREGA works with programmes of
agriculture and allied sectors are leading to
enhanced yields. With the scope of works
under NREGA expanded to include lands of
small and marginal farmers, it is possible to
significantly enhance the irrigation
potential in rainfed areas and drought-proof
small-holder agriculture, leading to
sustainable, higher yields.

27. Conservation technologies —
stress-tolerant, climate-resilient
varieties of seeds, drip
irrigation, zero-tillage, raised-bed
planting, laser-levelling, Systems of
Rice Intensification (SRI), can
build adaptive capacities to cope
with increasing water
stress, providing “more crop per

28.  Similarly, strengthening land development
practices such as land levelling, conservation
bench terracing, contour and graded bunding, and
pasture development prevent soil erosion and loss
of organic matter. Reclamation of wastelands and
degraded lands together with
afforestation, horticulture plantation and agro-
forestry have the potential to sequester carbon
both above and below ground, thereby
contributing to carbon mitigation.

30. Category of works
Priority wise
 Water conservation & Water harvesting
 Drought Proofing including Afforestation
 Irrigation Canals including Micro/Minor
Irrigation Works
 Provision of irrigation facilities to SC/ST
 Renovation of traditional Water bodies
 Land development
 Flood control & Protection Works
 Rural connectivity
 Any other works approved by GOI

31. Ref: http://...
Mainly presentations of Dr. Rita Sharma