Coping with climate induced natural disasters in coastal Orissa, India

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Coping with climate induced natural disasters in
coastal Orissa, India

• B. C. Roy
• Mruthyunjaya
• S. Selvarajan
• National Centre for Agricultural Economics and
  Policy Research (ICAR)

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Presentation

• Part I
• Vulnerability of Orissa Agriculture
• Part II
• Coping with natural disasters

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Why Orissa agriculture is highly vulnerable?

• Erratic climate
• Low irrigation coverage
• Very high degree of dependence on a single crop
  (mainly rainfed kharif rice)
• Large coastal area
• Poor rural infrastructure
• Lack of resources

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• Orissa is one of most severely food insecure
  states in India
• Here, the net climate effect is negative also
  (Downing, 2002)

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Season-wise contribution to total foodgrain
production 1960-2000

• Very high dependence on kharif production in
  Orissa
• Paddy alone accounts for 78 of gross cropped
  area in Orissa

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ORISSA- The Disaster Capital of India
After 1999 super cyclone
Men can survive on relief, but what about
cattle?
Deadly cocktail of floods,cyclones, and
droughts
Flood in Mahakalpara 2001
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Coping with natural disasters

• Large scale adaptation programmes by government
  are severely constrained due to resource
  scarcity. Therefore, efforts by those who feel
  the impacts are crucial.
• How do rural households perceive and cope with
  CINDs?

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Orissa
Kendrapara
Mahakalpara
Rajnagar
Jambu (50) Mangalpur(50)
Gupti (50) Sanwara(50)
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Rural peoples perception
Events Increased incidence? ( response)
Drought Frequency Intensity 92 90
Floods Frequency Intensity 57 17
Cyclones Frequency Intensity 26 54
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Preparedness against CIND events
Individual/community
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Preparedness against CIND eventsInstitutional
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Coping strategies

• Reducing expenditures Modifying consumption
• Livestock keeping Composition De-stocking
• Drawing down inventories Stocks assets
• Drawing upon CPRs Forest, river sea
• Seeking alternate employment Locality or
  Migration
• Adjustment in crop practices Change crop variety
  
• Others Co-operation, Postponing family festivals

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Some lessons

• Vulnerability Nexus between poverty and
  environment
• Poor are more vulnerable. Further, their capacity
  to withstand any extreme event is very low.
• Warning systems are almost timely and more or
  less accurate but the problem is of follow-up
  actions
• Relief is vital. In spite of limitations, it
  saved many poor from further suffering.
• Livestock is a neglected entity in relief
  programmes. So the case with seed, fodder and
  credit requirements.
• The coping mechanisms adopted by the rural
  households provide them flexibility to reduce
  vulnerability
• However, it is necessary that a system be
  developed for greater preparedness at all levels,
  i.e., government and civil society

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Looking forward

• A collaborative study Developing Decision
  Making Tools for Assessment of Vulnerability to
  Climate Change
• Objective Help mainstream adaptation on climate
  change in national sustainable development
  planning
• Target The project will cover agriculture and
  allied sector
• Time Output will be ready within one year from
  now