Folks: Please share this information about an exciting contest #SelfieWithMahanadi for the youths of Mahanadi. The winners will get fantastic prizes during #2ndOdishaRiverConferen
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Saturday, February 24, 2018
ACT NOW: Write to Indian FM to make budgetary allocation for climate resilient farming - Climate Scorecard
INDIA: Failure of
Budget in addressing impacts of Climate Change on farmers
Indian farmers, the backbone of India’s economy, are going
through serious crises. Low income, high
level of distress and related suicides of the farmers are a daily news in the
country. The Government of India has now
come up with latest statistics that shows that a much worse future awaits the
farmers who feed the nation and are guardians of ensuring food security.
The Economic Survey for 2017-2018, a report that the Govt.
of India brings out before presenting the annual Budget in the Parliament, has said
that climate change will induce a decrease in incomes of farmers of the country
by as much as 25 percent in some parts of the country. It says, “climate change could reduce annual
agricultural incomes in the range of 15% to 18% on average, and up to 20% to
25% for unirrigated areas.” This is no good news for the farmers who are
already suffering from low income and distress and for whom the government has
been planning a strategy that would double their income by 2022[1]. The farm income, which stands at an average
of roughly 78000 INR (approx 1219 USD), will reduce by upto 25 percent.
There is also huge income inequality among farmers in
India. Statistics point out that the
small & medium size land holding farmers, who form about 85 per cent of the
total farmers, earn only 9 percent of the total income of farmers in the
country. The rest earn almost 91 percent[2]. If India really wants to build farmers’
resilience against climate change then it has to focus a lot more on the small
farmers who are in most vulnerable conditions at the moment.
Climate Scorecard Rank - * (One star)
However, the Union Budget that followed (the Economic
Survey), did not mention anything about how to make the farmers ‘climate
resilient’. The Government has announced
certain schemes for farm development, but they do not go quite well with the
findings of the Economic Survey with regard to climate induced vulnerabilities
that the farmers will face. There are a
few schemes that the government has announced to help farmers grow their income
but they fall too short to make them climate resilient. Climate Scorecard therefore gives this action of Govt. of India only one Star!
Take Action –
With this scenario in the background, we request you to send
messages to the Indian Finance Minister asking him to amend the budgetary
proposals immediately and make fresh and appropriate budgetary allocation to
increase irrigation coverage to cover the small farmers. Such schemes can
include irrigation plans that are based around small and medium systems
including tanks, other water harvesting structures, lift irrigation, check
dams, etc; support the rain-fed farmers with a strong crop insurance scheme
that takes care of not only the complete cost of farming but also ensures a
profit above that so that the farmers affected by climate change do not fall
into the trap of perennial poverty.
Please
address your letters/emails/tweets to:
Shri Arun Jaitley
Finance Minister (FM)
23092810,23092510
134/North Block, New Delhi
Twitter handle: @finminindia
Or
Shri Simanchala Dash
PS to FM
23092810,23092501,
23093868, 23094399
136-A/North Block, New
Delhi
Email: smn.dash@nic.in
For further details, contact:
Ranjan K Panda
Country Manager for
India, Climate Scorecard Project
Convenor, Combat
Climate Change Network, India
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
---
ABOUT CLIMATE
SCORECARD
Climate Scorecard is a global initiative to ensure that the
Paris Agreement meets its goal of preventing the earth’s atmosphere from
exceeding the 2 degree Celsius global warming tipping point. Recent scientific
reports, e.g. by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) warn that country emission reduction
pledges, made to the Paris Agreement, are insufficient to prevent this from
happening. Therefor Climate Scorecard is supporting a global campaign aimed at
persuading leading greenhouse gas emitting countries to take further steps to
reduce their emissions so that the Paris Agreement does not fail. This campaign,
carried out through social media and in collaboration with local partner
organizations, will provide citizens with monthly News Briefs and Action Alert
messages about what their countries are or are not doing to further their
commitment to the Paris Agreement. Climate Scorecard is an open source
initiative managed through a partnership of two non-profit organizations-The
Global Citizens Initiative ( www.theglobalcitizensinitiative.org)
and EarthAction ( www.earthaction.org )
Learn More: www.climatecorecard.org
Friday, February 23, 2018
Traditional Water Harvesting Structures can fight water insecurity and climate change!
The world is now searching for solutions to water crisis that is being aggravated by climate change. Here in this part of Odisha, the people have given some of the best solutions rainwater conservation for centuries. Apathy of the government over the last several decades has however weakened such marvels called the Traditional Water Harvesting Structures (TWHS). This news in the New Indian Express rightly highlights the plight of these structures that are found in different sizes and at various geographical locations. We have, through our constant efforts, proven that revival of the TWHS can play a significant role in fighting water scarcity as well as building climate resilient villages. Time we all tune our attention towards these indigenous systems!
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan Panda
Combat Climate Change Network, India
Mob: +91 9437050103
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan Panda
Combat Climate Change Network, India
Mob: +91 9437050103
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Unsustainable Cities: Can we afford to neglect our villagers?
Something to be seen more often in the coming days. As I
have always been telling, urbanisation at the moment is happening at the cost
of the rural areas, their livelihoods and natural resources. There are many
conflicts happening already across the nation, unless we work towards bringing
equitable development these will grow and get difficult to resolve!
Ranjan Panda
Combat Climate Change Network, India
+91-9437050103
Email: ranjanpanda@gmail.com
'Leave us alone': India's villagers rebel against urbanisation
Gujarat, one of the fastest urbanising states in India, seems to be doing so against the wishes of its people
As you move west from the crowded old neighbourhoods of inner-city Ahmedabad, the roads broaden, buildings rise taller and BMWs line the streets. Old-timers here remember watching these wealthy, modern neighbourhoods engulf the countryside – the lush fields of wheat and corn that are now gone.
Read more at: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/12/india-villagers-rebel-urbanisation-gujarat
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
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