Scaling Success: Lessons from Adaptation Pilots in the Rainfed Regions of India

"Scaling Success" examines how agricultural communities are adapting to the challenges posed by climate change through the lens of India's rainfed agriculture regions. Rainfed agriculture currently occupies 58 percent of India's cultivated land and accounts for up to 40 percent of its total food production. However, these regions face potential production losses of more than $200 billion USD in rice, wheat, and maize by 2050 due to the effects of climate change. Unless action is taken soon at a large scale, farmers will see sharp decreases in revenue and yields.Rainfed regions across the globe have been an important focus for the first generation of adaptation projects, but to date, few have achieved a scale that can be truly transformational. Drawing on lessons learnt from 21 case studies of rainfed agriculture interventions, the report provides guidance on how to design, fund and support adaptation projects that can achieve scale

Watershed development for rainfed areas Concept, principles and approaches

Not AvailableLand, water, and vegetation are the natural resources, which provide food, feed, fiber, and fuel needs for the survival of human beings. However, the growing biotic pressure and overexploitation of the natural resources are leading to their accelerated degradation, resulting in reduced productivity. The sustainable management of natural resources is the key for the sustenance and well-being of human beings. Water is a finite resource and an elixir of life; however, water is becoming scarce due its overexploitation to meet the demands of the ever increasing demographic pressure. Agriculture is a major consumer (75-80%) of water for food production globally. For meeting the food demand of the growing global population by 2025, it is estimated that additional 2000 km3 water will be required with the current practices of food production (Falkenmark 1986). An integrated approach to rainwater management is necessary, where the links are addressed between investments and risk reduction, between land, water, and crop, and between rainwater management and multiple livelihood strategies. The conservation linked development of vital natural resources on a sustained basis without impairing its productivity for the future generation is the need of the hour. In this context, watershed scale becomes very effective and handy to manage water and land resources effectively, particularly in the drought-prone rainfed areas, which are the hot-spots of poverty, malnutrition, and water scarcity and are prone to severe land degradation (Wani et al., 2003a, 2009; Rockström et al., 2007, 2009, 2010). For sustainable development of rainfed agriculture in tropical Asia and Africa, small catchment or watershed management approach is recommended for the sustainable development and to achieve food security through enhanced green water (rainwater stored as soil moisture) and blue water (runoff water harvested in tanks and groundwater) use efficiency (Wani et al., 2002, 2009; Rockström et al., 2007, 2010).Not Availabl

Health Dimensions of COVID-19 in India and Beyond

This open access book addresses the multiple health dimensions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in India and other countries including nine in Asia, five in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New Zealand. It explores the impact of the pandemic on mental health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, health financing, self-care, and vaccine development and distribution. The contributing authors discuss its impact on vulnerable populations, including interstate migrants and female sex workers. The significant role of media and communications, rapid dissemination of information in social media, and its impact during the COVID-19 pandemic era are discussed. It closes with lessons learned from the experiences of countries that have contained the pandemic. With contributions from experts from around the world, this book presents solutions of problems that relate to COVID-19. It is a valuable resource appealing to a wide readership across the social sciences and the humanities. Readers include governments, academicians, researchers, policy-makers, program implementers, as well as lay persons

A new paradigm in watershed management: A must for development of rainfed areas for inclusive growth

Two third of agriculture in India is rain-fed and is also Ihe hot spot of poverty as is the case in Asia where large proportion of 852 million poor in the world reside. Rainfed areas in developing countries and panicularly so in India are at cross roads as looming water scarcity for achieving food security and reducing poverty tainled agriculture has come in the central stage. Large potential of rain-fed agriculture is untapped largely due 10 lack'of enabling policy support and investments. in drought-prone rainfed areas watershed management has shown the potential of douhlillg the agricultural productivity and increasing the rural family through increased water availability and diversifying the cropping and farming systems resulting in diversified sources of income. impact of watershed programs can be substantially enlumced by developing new approaches and enabling policies, however, additional investments are mustfor meeting the millennium development goal New paradigm . based Oil the learnings over last thirty years for people-centric holistic watershed management in.volving convergence; collective action consortium. approach, capacity development to address equity efficiency, environment, and economic concerns is urgently needed. Through new paradigm watershed management can be used as an entry point activity for improving livelihoods of rural poor ill rainfed areas to enable India to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for meeting the MDGs as well as achieving the food, water: and energy security. Concened efforts by all the stakeholders and actors will make India a global leader in the area of inclusive and sustainable development in drought-prone challenging rainfed areas to develop a watershed management as business model through public private partnerships hamessing the benefits of value chain and linking farmers to the market

An Exploration of Experiences of Transdisciplinary Research in Aging and Technology

Transdisciplinary research (TDR) involves academics/scientists collaborating with stakeholders from diverse disciplinary and sectoral backgrounds. While TDR has been recognized as beneficial in generating innovative solutions to complex social problems, knowledge is limited about researchers' perceptions and experiences of TDR in the aging and technology field. We conducted a qualitative study to address this knowledge gap by exploring how members of a pan-Canadian research network on aging and technology perceived and experienced TDR. Thirty members participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview data were analyzed thematically. Participants identified benefits that can be gained from implementing TDR, including mutual learning, improved capacity to understand and solve problems, and community engagement and empowerment. Participants also identified challenges to implementing TDR: communication issues and conflicting priorities among team members; tensions between traditional and TDR approaches; and difficulties identifying partners and developing partnerships. In addition, contradictions between TDR principles and participants' understanding of them became apparent. Nevertheless, some participants described successful strategies for implementing transdisciplinary principles in their projects: stakeholder engagement; language and goal sharing; and open, respectful communication. We offer recommendations to support TDR in aging and technology that focus on education and reform of the culture and values that can constrain efforts to practice TDR.Im Rahmen transdisziplinärer Forschung (TDF) arbeiten Wissenschaftler*innen mit Stakeholdern unterschiedlicher disziplinärer und sektoraler Herkunft zusammen. Während es mittlerweile akzeptiert scheint, dass TDF hilfreich ist, um innovative Lösungen für komplexe soziale Probleme zu generieren, ist das Wissen um Wahrnehmungen und Erfahrungen transdisziplinärer Forscher*innen im Bereich Alter(n) und Technologie vergleichsweise gering. Mittels einer qualitativen Studie mit Mitgliedern eines Pan-Kanadischen Forschungsnetzwerks haben wir versucht, diese Wissenslücke zu schließen. Mit 33 Mitgliedern des Netzwerkes wurden teilstrukturierte Interviews geführt, die thematisch analysiert wurden. Zu den berichteten Benefits von TDF gehörten u.a. wechselseitiges Lernen, verbesserte Möglichkeiten zum Verstehen und Lösen von Problemen  sowie Zugehörigkeit zu und Einbettung in die jeweilige Community. Erlebte Herausforderungen betrafen insbesondere kommunikative Schwierigkeiten und Prioritätskonflikte im Team, Spannungen zwischen Vertreter*innen von traditionellen vs. TDF-Ansätzen sowie Hindernisse beim Identifizieren von potenziellen Partner*innen. Zusätzliche waren Widersprüche zwischen TDF-Prinzipien und deren Verständnis durch die Interviewten offensichtlich. Einige der Gesprächspartner*innen haben gleichwohl Strategien beschrieben, die auf eine erfolgreiche Implementierung transdisziplinärer Prinzipien verweisen, nämlich das Engagement von Stakeholdern, das Teilen von Zielen und Sprachen sowie eine offene, respektvolle Kommunikation. Hiervon ausgehend bieten wir Empfehlungen für TDF zu Alter(n) und Technologie mit einem Fokus auf Bildung und auf eine Reform von Kulturen und Werten, die in der Praxis Bemühungen um TDF entgegenstehen