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Report Low Carbon Pathways Sustainable Civil Society Initiatives Embassy of Switzerland in India Overview OverviewOverview Low Carbon Pathways Sustainable Civil Society Initiatives Overview Abbreviations BKP Bundelkhand Knowledge Platform BMTPC Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council CDM Clean Development Mechanism CERs Carbon Emission Reductions CIGs Common Interest Groups CRIDA Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture CSOs Civil Society Organisations DRDA District Rural Development Agency DST Department of Science and Technology FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation IARI Indian Agricultural Research Institute IAY Indira Awaas Yojana ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics IGFRI Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute IIVR Indian Institute of Vegetable Research KVKs Krishi Vigyan Kendras MEAL Monitoring, Evaluation, Action and Learning MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NAPCC National Action Plan for Climate Change NIRD National Institute of Rural Development Publication Details: NRCAF National Research Centre for Agro-Forestry PoADD Programme of Activities Design Document Published by PoP Package of Practices Development Alternatives PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal B-32 TARA Crescent, PRI Panchayati Raj Institutions Qutub Institutional Area, RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete New Delhi 110016 SCSI Sustainable Civil Society Initiative to Address Global Environmental Challenges Phone +91 11 2613 4103, 2696 0380 SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Fax +91 11 2613 0817 SORs Schedule of Rates www.devalt.org SSMM Sankalp Swashakti Mahila Mandal TKM TARA Karigar Mandal Cover Illustration TNA Training Needs Assessment Mohan Sharma and Shreya UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change USP Unique Selling Proposition Developed and Printed by IRIS Publication Pvt. Ltd. VERs Voluntary Emission Reductions 111/9, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, VLC Village Level Community Kishan Garh, New Delhi-110 070 WEC Women Energy Cluster www.geographyandyou.com WUA Water Users Association O v September 2011 e r v i e 2 w Overview Contents Prelude ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 9 The Initiative .......................................................................................................................................... 10 Process and Pathways ..................................................................................................................... 12 Knowledge Dialogue Capacity Building The Green Enterprise Model Outcome ................................................................................................................................................... 18 Influencing Behaviour Change Emerging Lessons .............................................................................................................................. 21 Scaling up the Initiative Challenges ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Bundelkhand and Surrounding Regions Fig. 1: Bundelkhand and the Project Area Climate Change Vulnerability Lowest Double Exposed Low State boundaries Medium Urban Districts High Missing data Highest Jhansi Tikamgarh Source: IPCC 2007 Map not to scale ● Farmer have adopted and demonstrated sustainable agricultural practices. ● Women ensured livelihood security through access to renewable energy services. ● Artisans are profitably engaged in delivery and promotion of eco-building products and services O v e r v i e 4 w Overview Prelude In a region marked with recurrent droughts, crop to benefits of enhanced incomes and reduced failures and increasing uncertainties of life-giving green house gas emissions. monsoons, small groups of farmers, women and The formative meetings with Civil artisans are making changes in their livelihood Society Organisations (CSOs) from the region practices to adapt to the climate variability that revealed the need for sharing knowledge not only reduce their vulnerability, but also and collaborative action towards improved Development processes in the ensure a low carbon growth to development. agriculture and livestock to reduce livelihood Bundelkhand region require communities to adapt to changes The Sustainable Civil Society Initiative to vulnerability in the region. The Bundelkhand in the climatic regime and Address Global Environmental Challenges (SCSI) Knowledge Platform (BKP - www.bkpindia.net) promote economic growth; social has made an attempt to influence vulnerable has been initiated to facilitate engagement with and institutional strengthening communities, local administration and stakeholders for effective participation in actions to enhance community resilience. facilitating agencies in the public sector towards related to drought alleviation in the region and The challenge is to direct this development to enhance the adaptive capacities with the state and national partners for dialogue growth on a low carbon pathway for a sustainable future. of the communities of Bundelkhand in the on climate change mitigation and adaptation. face of adverse environmental conditions. The The Initiative worked with farmers, women initiative is designed as a part of Development and building artisans. Outcomes of the Alternatives’s Shubh Kal Campaign1 wherein endeavour (2008 - 2011) point to possibilities the organisation has set about understanding that can be achieved with concerted efforts: climate vulnerability as well as identifying ● In the past 3 years, over 285 small and marginal development gaps and designing and testing farmers shifted to improved practices of institutional, technological, social and market agriculture such as resilient and improved based mechanisms towards this goal. seed varieties, line sowing, reduced tillage, The Swiss Agency for Development and drip irrigation and sprinkler systems that Cooperation (SDC)/Climate Change and have resulted in savings in irrigation and also Development Division, Embassy of Switzerland prevented loss of seed and crop when the rains in India has supported Development Alternatives have been delayed, as in 2009. An increase in in this endeavour. The Initiative has promoted productivity by 30 per cent has been marked efficient resource use and enhanced incomes for with a reduction in input costs. The practices small and marginal farmers, women’s collectives of reduced irrigation, reduced tillage and agro- and building artisans by a synergy of indigenous forestry etc. have led to a calculated savings in and scientific knowledge. The process has carbon emission by 25 per cent per hectare in also involved packaging of technology based one year. Members of the Harit Kisan Mandal measures into market-based viable economic are sharing an equipment bank for small tools, models for the target communities, financial as also knowledge on improved practices investments and business initiatives leading and have won prizes for quality of produce in regional crop day events. Access to information owners of the Sri Ram Raja Gaushala have in and an appreciation of improved techniques of the past 3 years set up a small biogas based irrigation and agriculture-horticulture practices energy unit to provide energy for running has enabled over 600 farmers to access up to small livelihoods enterprises. They have been Rs. 44 lakhs from existing government schemes. struggling with getting the right technology, This is a significant jump in terms of access to organising themselves for collective marketing, public support available and indicates a clear understanding the financial viability of small intent amongst farmers to change practices that businesses that would give them an alternative enhance their resilience to climate variability. income to support them in times of monsoon ● The 40 members of the Sankalp Swashakti crises. They have experienced an increase in their Mahila Mandal – Women’s SHG federation, annual incomes and an enhanced confidence Sidhh Baba Farmers Club: spirit of competitiveness. Sidhh Baba Farmers Club RY A new force: As part of the Behta is among the very few showed significant increases to S Farmers Adaptation Cluster villages where farmers have in profits. Under FAC, farm (FAC) Project village level started using the sprinkler for equipment was procured and ccess institutions were formulated to irrigation. provided to the Club for renting SU take forward the interventions During the first Rabi to other farmer members. being carried out in the villages. season of the FAC Project, Farmers thus gained exposure Farmers groups were thus the Sidhh Baba Farmers to the reaper and soon the initiated with a membership Club decided to try the new Club procured a reaper from of 5 to 6 active farmers. One practices with the seeds their own savings. The Sidhh such club named Sidhh Baba procured from the market. Baba Farmers Club also started Farmers Club, Behta, under The result was enhanced renting out the reaper to non the active leadership of Tara wheat yield of approximately club members to recover its Singh reached unprecedented 20 per cent compared to the cost. Two farmers from the heights. Tara Singh willingly nearby