Pathways to Climate Resilient Livelihood Models: An Ecosystem-Based Approach - India

Pathways to Climate Resilient Livelihood Models: An Ecosystem-Based Approach is building community-based hubs in vulnerable communities in India. These hubs are fostering knowledge transfers, providing technical and financial training, creating climate resilient livelihood models and linking the farming community with experts to enhance capabilities.

Fast facts:

18,000 women living in mostly drought prone areas will benefit from this activity.

The problem

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. The poorest countries are by far the most vulnerable, due to the lack of focus on appropriate and sustainable resource management strategies. The agriculture sector in India employs 80% of all economically active women, but most of them are not recognized as farmers, which means they are denied access to government services.

The solution

To improve the status of women in agriculture and to enhance their opportunities, this activity will promote climate resilient livelihood models and set up community-based institutions for learning, management and sustainability. Climate resilient livelihood models will include agro-ecology development (prevents degradation), life cycle-based micro-water resource harvesting and create opportunities for carbon credits. Community based institutions are a safe place for local community members to voice and enforce their interests, to influence decisions taken at a higher level and get involved in activities that can initiate policy changes. Through these strong local institutions, communities can be more successful in seeking support for adaption in the form of financial flows, information and capacity building support. These institutions will create linkages between the farming community and experts to minimize critical gaps and share more updated information to enhance the capabilities of agricultural groups and cooperatives with value-added information on communication and technology relating to products, programs and policies.

Helping the planet

This activity has created seed banks that will enhance the livelihood security of small and marginal farmers through conservation of indigenous genetic resources and empower them with organic farming technologies. It is also promoting sustainable land management and various indigenous and modern technologies like solar, biogas, fuel-efficient stoves and composting.

Helping people

This activity wants to secure climate resilient livelihoods for women with the development of a women-led climate resilient alternate model emphasizing enhanced productivity. To ensure women’s participation, the activity will promote locally suitable livelihood practices, clean energy technologies, sustainable uses of natural resources, renewable resources, sustainable agriculture and natural resource management and will present ideas on how the local economy can be strengthened and how to reduce migration from the area.

Scaling Up

This activity has the ability to expand and scale up in other rural areas. Successful examples could engage neighboring areas in the process, enabling this activity to leverage unique resources.