Suhas P Wani International Crops Research Institute

for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India

Suhas P Wani International Crops Research Institute

for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)Patancheru 502 324, Andhra Pradesh, India

A livelihood comprises the capabilities assets (including both material and social) and activities require for a means of living. A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks, maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets, while not undermining the natural resource-base.

LivelihoodsLivelihoods

For sustainable development

To achieve poverty elimination

Without sacrificing future resources

What we are aiming?What we are aiming?

Component Parts of Livelihoods

Component Parts of Livelihoods

ResourcesActivities Strategies

Access

Social process and structures

Policies, laws, social relations

Institutions and

organizations

Current Status of Agriculture

Current Status of Agriculture

Water scarcity Water scarcity

Climate ChangeClimate Change

PovertyPoverty

Population growthPopulation growth

Land degradationLand degradation

Health and Malnutrition-HIV

Health and Malnutrition-HIV

Food security Food security

Energy and Sustainable development

Energy and Sustainable development

Number of poverty–affected people living in water-constrained, rainfed agricultural

areas

The three circles indicate the occurrence of global hotspots where more than 100 million people may be affected (Rockström & Karlberg, 2009).

Source: Barron and Keys 2011

More complex

Spread across the geographical areas

Prone to impacts of externalities – vulnerable to shocks

Agriculture-based Livelihoods

Agriculture-based Livelihoods

Source: Barron and Keys 2011

Rainfed Agriculture – A Large Untapped Potential

Rainfed Agriculture – A Large Untapped Potential

Current farmers’ yields are lower by 2 to 5 folds than the achievable yields

Vast potential of rainfed agriculture needs to be harnessed

0

2

4

6

8

1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Year

Yie

ld (

t h

a-1)

BW1

BW4C

Rate of growth

82 kg ha-1 y-1

Rate of growth

23 kg ha-1 y-1

Carrying Capacity

21 persons ha-1

Carrying Capacity

4.6 persons ha-1

Agriculture–based Livelihoods

Agriculture–based Livelihoods

Agriculture–based LivelihoodsAgriculture–based Livelihoods

Land holders

Landless people

Women

Children

and Livestock

Watershed as entry point for:Increasing productivityImproving livelihoodsProtecting environmentEmpowerment of poorSocial capital development

Watershed as entry point for:Increasing productivityImproving livelihoodsProtecting environmentEmpowerment of poorSocial capital development

Watershed Management: Engine of Agricultural

Growth and Development in Rainfed Areas

Watersheds are Revolutionalising Drylands: Meta-analysis – 636 Case

Studies

Watersheds are Revolutionalising Drylands: Meta-analysis – 636 Case

Studies

Particulars UnitNo. ofstudie

sMean Minimum

Maximum

t-value

Efficiency B:C ratio Ratio 311 2.01 0.82 7.30 35.09

  IRR Per cent 162 27.43 2.03 102.70 21.75

Equity Employment Persondays ha-1 y-1

99 154.53 0.05 900.00 8.13

SustainabilityIncrease in irrigated area

Per cent 93 51.55 1.28 204.00 10.94

Increase in cropping intensity

Per cent 339 35.51 3.00 283.00 14.96

 Runoff reduced

Per cent 83 45.72 0.38 96.00 9.36

 Soil loss saved

t ha-1 y-1 72 1.12 0.11 2.05 47.21

STEPs are holding back the potential of watershed program in India

S = Sustainability

T = Technology inputs

E = Equity

P = Participation

S = Sustainability

T = Technology inputs

E = Equity

P = Participation

Less than 1% watersheds are economically non-remunerative

Two-thirds of watersheds’ performance can be improved

Less than 1% watersheds are economically non-remunerative

Two-thirds of watersheds’ performance can be improved

Participation of villagers as individuals, as groups or as a whole, increasing their confidence, enabling their empowerment and their ability to plan for the future and for self-determination is needed

For harnessing market potential to capture scale of economies federation of groups, villages is needed

Tangible benefits to individuals for promoting quality participation are must

Targeted income-generation activities for landless and women groups are needed for improving livelihoods

Our ChallengesOur Challenges

One size fits all approach did not work and it should be a tool box approach rather than straight jacketed approach

It should be holistic approach for improving livelihoods thru convergence, capacity building, collective action and consortium approach

Community contributions in cash/kind for construction of basic infrastructure for better participation thru demand driven interventions rather than supply driven interventions

Our ChallengesOur ChallengesContd..

Science-led development thru PR&D approach with a learning approach for researchers, development workers and investors

Involvement of private sector and should be a business model approach in place of subsistence agriculture

Market-led diversification of crops and sysems to achieve higher economic returns

Our ChallengesOur ChallengesContd..

Shocks and Stresses of a Degraded Indian Watershed

Source: Barron and Keys 2011

Management activities, which interrupt the cycle of soil degradation, and encourage system stability/ resilience

Rehabilitated degraded CPRs

thru community involvement

Rehabilitated degraded CPRs

thru community involvement

NOVOD project: Novel initiativeNOVOD project: Novel initiative

Capacity Building is Must for Sustainable and Increased Impact

ICT has Important Role in Empowering Community

VASAT (Asia)

www.vusat.org

Info hubRadio-TV

Village 2Village 1 Village 3 Village n

VASAT (Africa)

ww w.vusat .org

(Interface of community radio and Internet through WorldSpace technology)

Seeing is believing Community information hub Audio video training material VASAT

Seeing is believing Community information hub Audio video training material VASAT

Not possible to improve livelihood of everyone

People like to exercise their own choices for livelihood

Potential opportunities only can be shown

Sustaining livelihoods involve more and separate issues from improving livelihoods

Be Aware of LimitationsBe Aware of Limitations

How to maintain dynamic balance between policies and actions?

How to promote sustainable livelihoods for millions of small-holder farmers?

How to manage natural and physical environment in a better manner?

How to build resilience of the communities and natural resources to changes in future including due to climate change

Our ChallengesOur Challenges

How do we improve five capitals and assess impact

Challenges to be FacedChallenges to be Faced

Access –Institutions – Policies and Laws

Access –Institutions – Policies and Laws

How to achieve followingEfficiency

Equity

Environment protection

Economic gains

Thank you!