Securing Livelihoods by Improving Climate Resilience

A changing climate will significantly affect agricultural and related livelihoods. The Government of India projects that rice yields under rain-fed and irrigated conditions could fall by as much as 20% and 3.5%, respectively, by 2050 in the absence of interventions. For wheat, a 19.3% reduction is projected.

Reliance Foundation takes a multipronged approach with rural communities to help smallholder farm households enhance their resilience to pests, diseases and inter-seasonal climate uncertainties while improving their capacity to adapt to long-term climate related changes through its Climate Resilience for Sustainable Development (CR4SD) initiative.

Adopting resilient crop varieties

Farm households with small landholdings cultivating conventional varieties of a single crop are more vulnerable to climate shocks than households that cultivate resilient varieties. Reliance Foundation encourages farmers to cultivate resilient varieties with traits like a short maturity cycle, heat, drought or salinity tolerance, and pest and disease resilience.

Diversifying crop production

Intensive monocropping renders farmers more vulnerable to climate shocks including inter-seasonal dry spells, pests and diseases. To help farmers shift from monocropping, farmers are introduced to crop rotation with pulses, oilseeds and millets along with the incorporation of horticulture and floriculture for enhanced incomes.

Better natural resources management

Reliance Foundation works with rural communities to enhance crop yields by supporting communities in the sustainable use of land and water. Landscape approaches like contour bunding, land levelling and terracing are advocated alongside practices like raised bed cultivation that can sustain or improve crop yields while reducing erosion.

Partnering with entire villages, Reliance Foundation encourages strengthening the water harvesting capacity within communities by supporting the creation of new water harvesting structures and revitalising existing structures. Farmers are supported in adopting efficient irrigation practises like sprinkler and drip irrigation to encourage sustainable water use.

Rural diversification

A household’s resilience is higher when sources of income are diverse. To enhance resilience to log-term climate related challenges, households are supported in diversifying into agri-allied income generating activities like livestock rearing, poultry, fishing and non-farm, skill-based microentrepreneurial activities.

Households are supported in acquiring resilient and market-preferred breeds of livestock and poultry. Through regular capacity enhancement programmes, scientifically-proven practises are shared to help communities in caring for their livestock. Livestock medical camps are regularly organised to help households get timely veterinary treatment. The camps assume greater importance during and after extreme weather events.

Information services for farmers

Smallholder farming communities are supported with information throughout a crop cycle. Weather forecasts and advisories that help inform decisions regarding the times of sowing, intercultural operations, pest and disease management and harvest. Besides ensuring desired yields, the information helps to mitigate the fallout from climate shocks.

Reliance Foundation supports marine fishing communities by providing fishers crucial ocean state forecast information and related advisories. This helps fisherpersons navigate the ocean in a safe and informed manner, lowering risk to their lives and livelihoods. Weather information also helps both marine and inland fisherfolk to safeguard their equipment, ponds and fish during extreme events like cyclones and floods.