DOCSLIB.ORG

The Amazing Life in the Indian Desert

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Amazing Life in the Indian Desert THE AMAZING LIFE IN THE INDIAN DESERT BY ISHWAR PRAKASH CENTRAL ARID ZONE RESEARCH INSTITUTE JODHPUR Printed June, 1977 Reprinted from Tbe Illustrated Weekly of India AnDual1975 CAZRI Monogra,pp No. 6 , I Publtshed by the Director, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, and printed by B. R. Chowdhri, Press Manager at Hl!ryana Agricultural University Press, Hissar CONTENTS A Sorcerer's magic wand 2 The greenery is transient 3 Burst of colour 4 Grasses galore 5 Destruction of priceless teak 8 Exciting "night life" 8 Injectors of death 9 Desert symphony 11 The hallowed National Bird 12 The spectacular bustard 12 Flamingo city 13 Trigger-happy man 15 Sad fate of the lord of the jungle 16 17 Desert antelopes THE AMAZING LIFE IN THE INDIAN DESERT The Indian Desert is not an endless stretch of sand-dunes bereft of life or vegetation. During certain seasons it blooms with a colourful range of trees and grasses and abounds in an amazing variety of bird and animal life. This rich natural region must be saved from the over­ powering encroachment of man. To most of us, the word "desert" conjures up the vision of a vast, tree-less, undulating, buff expanse of sand, crisscrossed by caravans of heavily-robed nomads on camel-back. Perhaps the vision includes a lonely cactus plant here and the s~ull of some animal there and, perhaps a few mini-groves of date-palm, nourished by an artesian well, beckoning the tired traveller to rest awhile before riding off again to the horizon beyond. This vision is a projection of the reality of the Saharan or the Arabian deserts. The Great Indian Desert, or the Thar Desert, does not conform to this popUlarly held general pattern in many details. For example, no oasis waves its palm fronds in welcome of the weary travel­ lers here, nor any native cactus breaks the monotony of the sandy $pan. The desert is, however, very much with us and we may indeed be grateful that it is there. The arid wastes of today will perforce be reclaimed in the near future to feed our growing human family-for good or for evil, only time will tell. Our desert is our future land-bank which will allow us to draw on its resources of food and fibre for atleast some time to come. However, this will be achieved at a price-the total breakdown of the desert's natu­ ral ecology. Our pressing socio-political exigencies will perhaps care little for such a destruction of one of Nature's wondrous handicrafts. And that will be a great tragedy. Biogeographically, the majority of the plants and animals found in the Indian desert exhibit 'western' affinities. Climatologically also, the Great Basin, extending from Sahara to the Thar, is considered to be a continuous unit. Geographically, the Indian desert holds a rather de­ batable position as it exhibits an admixture of peninsular, extra-pen­ insular and Indogangetic features. Geologically, the desert has resisted orogeniC forces and has been subjected to marine transgressions, parti- cularly in Jodhpur, Bikaner, Kutch and J abalpur regions. The area became dry during the Miocene and the Pliocene when the sea gradually receded. Dr. D. N. Wadi a had concluded that the Indian desert began to dry up after the last glaciation period. Archaeologically, it was the seat of the Mohanjodaro-Harappa-Ghaggar civilizations. Historically, the region was dominated by Princely States and had borne the brunt of a successive series of invasions by Moslem chieftains and emperors. A SORCERER'S MAGIC WAND The hot, arid and semi-arid region in northern India extends from Punjab and Haryana to Gujarat, through Rajasthan, and to the western parts of Madhya Pradesh. Thjs desert is not a continuous stretch of sand but is interspersed with hills and the dominating Aravalli ranges are a distinct land-mark of this tract. A few large lakes and small 'nadis' and a number of ephemeral and perennial streams, occurring in the desert, constitute about the whole of the invaluable surface water resources of the region. While animal life in the desert depends to a large extent on these sources of surface water, plant life too derives sustenance from these sources in no small measure. The Thorny scrub land is spread over the sandy plains from southern Haryana, Punjab and western Rajasthan to northern Gujarat. At sever~l places the native vegetation has been replaced by agricultural crops, particularly in regions where irrigation facilities are available. The unpredictable bounty of the thrifty rain-gods has led to a take-over of the land mostly by annual species of plants but certain perennial grasses, shrubs and trees have persistently resisted total domination by the an­ nuals. Wit4 the first shower of the season, the forbidden sea of sand assumes a gay cloak of. the most magnificent greenery. The sweet patter of the long-awaited rain drops breaks the slumber of the dormant seeds lying buried in the sand and the desert is transformed almost overnight into a garden as if by the touch of a sorcerer's magic wand. This annual transformation of the desert scene from one of drab life­ lessness to one of lush greenery is fortunately, a characteristic feature of the Indian desert. In most other deserts 'of the world, the monsoon fails to bring in its wake such a vivid transformation of the landscape. The monsoon vegetation in our desert comprise the annuals such as a few sedges ar:d the perennial grasses. The extent of their colonization and the dominance they attain over a particular tra'ct is mainly determined by their relative adaptabili­ ties tor the envnonment. Their seeds germinate with the first shower and develop a shal~ow root system so that moisture can be quickly uti- 2 . hsed from the top soil. They have a rather short life cycle and flowers appear within 25 to 35 days of germination. The cocktail of the mild fragrance of these flowers fill the desert air -in August when honey bees and butterflies flutter around in search of nectar. By the end of monsoon, during September-October, the annuals shed their seeds which are flung far and wide by various natural agencies. The seeds of desert plants are capable of withstanding extreme soil temperatures, about 60°C, by lying burried under the top soil during the summer and retaining their viability till the showers come to make them sprout. THE GREENERY IS TRANSIENT The lush monsoon vegetation of the desert may seem an inexhau­ stible source of foraging material for the very large number of domestic livestock that are reared within the desert's bounds. Unfortunately, most of the green annuals are not only inedible or unpalatable to lives­ tock, they colonise so thoroughly and compete so severely with the peren­ nial species and highly nutritive grasses that the latter are deprived of all chances of survival and regeneration. This deterioration of the perennials is furthered by factors such as overgrazing by cattle and des­ truction by rodents. If a balance sheet is prepared of the annual pro­ ductivity of desert livestock (milk, wool and lambs) a rather gloomy picture emerges. The conception rate of cows is poor, their milk pro­ ductivity is extremely low and the quality and quantity of wool produced by the sheep is too poor by Australian and New Zealand standards. The desert scene starts changing soon after the monsoon. The air temperature rises and the vegetation experiences a second summer during the month of October. Soon the greenery fades and the desert starts looking brown. As winter approaches, bare sandy patches appear. The sand on the crests of dunes, sometimes, starts blowing. With the advent of spring emerges a fresh crop of sprouts but these are quickly grazed over by the wandering herds of hungry cattle and the all-destructive hordes of rodents and the desert soon conforms to its popular image of an area of bare, rolling sand dunes, undulating sandy plains, dry shrubs, a few thorny trees and the seductive mirage. The wind grows strong during May and June, with the afternoons often darkened by the howling andhi and the world seems lost under a blanket of dust. The full fury of the elements is now let loose on man and beast alike. In the extreme west, in Jaisalmer district, which is the driest (2 inches annual rainfall) zone in the country, there is hardly any tree to meet the tired eyes of a traveller. Even the 'king' among desert trees, the Khejri (Prosopis cineraria) grows here only near wells. The Mandla basin situated in the south-west of Ramgarh, only a few kilometres away 3 from the Pakistan border, however, presents an extraordinary situation. This region is dominated by tall, longitudinal sand dunes. In the interdu­ nal gaps in this basin, there exists a beautiful, un-utilized climax­ 'forest' of Khejri and Jal (Salvadora oleoides). The trees are not only very healthy 'but are larger in girth than those growing in higher rainfall zones. In this basin, the depth of the underground water table ranges from 100 to 330 feet and, therefore, the roots of the trees exploit 'perched' water which is in abundance in the gulleys between the lofty dunes. This forest, thriving under the harshest of conditions, is a fine example of Nature's ingenuity in meeting the chal­ lenge of life. BURST OF COLOUR The dune slopes throughout the desert are dominated by the shrub commonly known as Phog (Calligonum polygonoides). It is a favourite fodder for camel and a useful fuel for the desert dwellers.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • A Mesolithic Site in the Thal Desert of Punjab (Pakistan)
    Asian Archaeology https://doi.org/10.1007/s41826-019-00024-z FIELD WORK REPORT Mahi Wala 1 (MW-1): a Mesolithic site in the Thal desert of Punjab (Pakistan) Paolo Biagi 1 & Elisabetta Starnini2 & Zubair Shafi Ghauri3 Received: 4 April 2019 /Accepted: 12 June 2019 # Research Center for Chinese Frontier Archaeology (RCCFA), Jilin University and Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019 1Preface considered by a few authors a transitional period that covers ca two thousand years between the end of the Upper The problem of the Early Holocene Mesolithic hunter-gatherers Palaeolithic and the beginning of the Neolithic food producing in the Indian Subcontinent is still a much debated topic in the economy (Misra 2002: 112). The reasons why our knowledge prehistory of south Asia (Lukacs et al. 1996; Sosnowska 2010). of the Mesolithic period in the Subcontinent in general is still Their presence often relies on knapped stone assemblages insufficiently known is due mainly to 1) the absence of a de- characterised by different types of geometric microlithic arma- tailed radiocarbon chronology to frame the Mesolithic com- tures1 (Kajiwara 2008: 209), namely lunates, triangles and tra- plexes into each of the three climatic periods that developed pezes, often obtained with the microburin technique (Tixier at the beginning of the Holocene and define a correct time-scale et al. 1980; Inizan et al. 1992; Nuzhniy 2000). These tools were for the development or sequence of the study period in the area first recorded from India already around the end of the (Misra 2013: 181–182), 2) the terminology employed to de- nineteenth century (Carleyle 1883; Black 1892; Smith scribe the Mesolithic artefacts that greatly varies author by au- 1906), and were generically attributed to the beginning thor (Jayaswal 2002), 3) the inhomogeneous criteria adopted of the Holocene some fifty years later (see f.i.
    [Show full text]
  • Herein After Termed As Gulf) Occupying an Area of 7300 Km2 Is Biologically One of the Most Productive and Diversified Habitats Along the West Coast of India
    6. SUMMARY Gulf of Katchchh (herein after termed as Gulf) occupying an area of 7300 Km2 is biologically one of the most productive and diversified habitats along the west coast of India. The southern shore has numerous Islands and inlets which harbour vast areas of mangroves and coral reefs with living corals. The northern shore with numerous shoals and creeks also sustains large stretches of mangroves. A variety of marine wealth existing in the Gulf includes algae, mangroves, corals, sponges, molluscs, prawns, fishes, reptiles, birds and mammals. Industrial and other developments along the Gulf have accelerated in recent years and many industries make use of the Gulf either directly or indirectly. Hence, it is necessary that the existing and proposed developments are planned in an ecofriendly manner to maintain the high productivity and biodiversity of the Gulf region. In this context, Department of Ocean Development, Government of India is planning a strategy for management of the Gulf adopting the framework of Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM) which is the most appropriate way to achieve the balance between the environment and development. The work has been awarded to National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa. NIO engaged Vijayalakshmi R. Nair as a Consultant to compile and submit a report on the status of flora and fauna of the Gulf based on secondary data. The objective of this compilation is to (a) evolve baseline for marine flora and fauna of the Gulf based on secondary data (b) establish the prevailing biological characteristics for different segments of the Gulf at macrolevel and (c) assess the present biotic status of the Gulf.
    [Show full text]
  • Convention on Migratory Species
    CMS Distribution: General CONVENTION ON UNEP/CMS/COP11/Inf.21 MIGRATORY 16 July 2014 SPECIES Original: English 11th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES Quito, Ecuador, 4-9 November 2014 Agenda Item 23.3.1 ASSESSMENT OF GAPS AND NEEDS IN MIGRATORY MAMMALS CONSERVATION IN CENTRAL ASIA 1. In response to multiple mandates (notably Concerted and Cooperative Actions, Rec.8.23 and 9.1, Res.10.3 and 10.9), CMS has strengthened its work for the conservation of large mammals in the central Asian region and inter alia initiated a gap analysis and needs assessment, including status reports of prioritized central Asian migratory mammals to obtain a better picture of the situation in the region and to identify priorities for conservation. Range States and a large number of relevant experts were engaged in the process, and national stakeholder consultation meetings organized in several countries. 2. The Meeting Document along with the Executive Summary of the assessment is available as UNEP/CMS/COP11/Doc.23.3.1. For reasons of economy, documents are printed in a limited number, and will not be distributed at the Meeting. Delegates are requested to bring their copy to the meeting and not to request additional copies. UNEP/CMS/COP11/Inf.21 Assessment of gaps and needs in migratory mammal conservation in Central Asia Report prepared for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. Financed by the Ecosystem Restoration in Central Asia (ERCA) component of the European Union Forest and Biodiversity Governance Including Environmental Monitoring Project (FLERMONECA).
    [Show full text]
  • Status of Indian Wild Ass (Equus Hemionus Khur ) in the Little Rann of Kutch
    PAPER ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 15(5): 253-256 STATUS OF INDIAN WILD ASS (EQUUS HEMIONUS KHUR) IN THE LITTLE RANN OF KUTCH H.S. Singh Director, GEER Foundation, Indroda Park, Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382009, India Abstract The Indian Wild Ass, Equus hemionus khur is found restricted to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and its surrounding areas. The population of the sub species is on the increase in the ninetees since the last debilitating effects of the drought in 1987. The numbers are slowly increasing to the carrying capacity of the area, towards the recommended numbers suggested in the IUCN Action Plan. The numbers of Wild Ass may reach 4000 by 2010AD, if current conditions prevail and there is no severe setback by droughts. However, the study on the status of the Wild Assess indicates that the increasing numbers may cause problems to the local inhabitants. The threats by the loss of habitat due to exotic plants, salt manufacturing activities, defence activites and cattle grazing may affect the population, which is also likely to get dispersed in the coming years to the adjacent Thar Desert areas in Rajasthan. The paper discusses the population trends of the WIld Ass over the years and its effects, as also the need for alternate measures of conservation. Key words Indian Wild Ass, population, distribution, status, migration, conservation, Wild Ass Sanctuary Introduction data collected during the period. The Rann, fringe area, Bets of The Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat State in India is a unique the Sanctuary and Khadir Bet were surveyed during the study.
    [Show full text]
  • Western: Desert Specials Forest Owlet Extension
    India Western: Desert Specials 17th January to 29th January 2021 (13 days) Forest Owlet Extension 29th January to 31st January 2021 (4 days) Demoiselle Cranes by David Shackelford The wonderfully diverse nation of India is well-known for its verdant landscapes and the snow-capped Himalayas. It therefore surprises many people to learn that India is also blessed with some incredible deserts, and our tour showcases this much-underrated habitat by exploring some of India’s less RBL India - Western Desert Specials and Forest Owlet Extension Itinerary 2 frequented parks and reserves in the county’s dry, western parts. Desert National Park, Tal Chappar and the Great and Little Ranns of Kutch are amongst the most important of the protected areas of western India and we will visit all of them. We will also pay a visit to the more verdant Mt Abu along with an extension to the deciduous forests of Tansa Reserve. Along the way we are going to see some of the most threatened and rare birds not only of India but of the whole world. Species we are searching for include the Great Indian Bustard which sadly teeters on the brink of extinction, the almost equally rare White-browed Bush Chat, along with Indian Spotted Creeper, Yellow-eyed Pigeon, Green Avadavat, Sociable Lapwing, Macqueen’s Bustard, White-naped Tit, Marshall’s Iora, and for those doing the extension the recently rediscovered Forest Owlet. We also stand a great chance at picking up two of the more difficult monotypic families in the world, namely Crab-Plover and Grey Hypocolius.
    [Show full text]
  • The Geographic, Geological and Oceanographic Setting of the Indus River
    16 The Geographic, Geological and Oceanographic Setting of the Indus River Asif Inam1, Peter D. Clift2, Liviu Giosan3, Ali Rashid Tabrez1, Muhammad Tahir4, Muhammad Moazam Rabbani1 and Muhammad Danish1 1National Institute of Oceanography, ST. 47 Clifton Block 1, Karachi, Pakistan 2School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK 3Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA 4Fugro Geodetic Limited, 28-B, KDA Scheme #1, Karachi 75350, Pakistan 16.1 INTRODUCTION glaciers (Tarar, 1982). The Indus, Jhelum and Chenab Rivers are the major sources of water for the Indus Basin The 3000 km long Indus is one of the world’s larger rivers Irrigation System (IBIS). that has exerted a long lasting fascination on scholars Seasonal and annual river fl ows both are highly variable since Alexander the Great’s expedition in the region in (Ahmad, 1993; Asianics, 2000). Annual peak fl ow occurs 325 BC. The discovery of an early advanced civilization between June and late September, during the southwest in the Indus Valley (Meadows and Meadows, 1999 and monsoon. The high fl ows of the summer monsoon are references therein) further increased this interest in the augmented by snowmelt in the north that also conveys a history of the river. Its source lies in Tibet, close to sacred large volume of sediment from the mountains. Mount Kailas and part of its upper course runs through The 970 000 km2 drainage basin of the Indus ranks the India, but its channel and drainage basin are mostly in twelfth largest in the world. Its 30 000 km2 delta ranks Pakiistan.
    [Show full text]
  • Automated Detection of Archaeological Mounds Using Machine-Learning Classification of Multisensor and Multitemporal Satellite Data
    Automated detection of archaeological mounds using machine-learning classification of multisensor and multitemporal satellite data Hector A. Orengoa,1, Francesc C. Conesaa,1, Arnau Garcia-Molsosaa, Agustín Lobob, Adam S. Greenc, Marco Madellad,e,f, and Cameron A. Petriec,g aLandscape Archaeology Research Group (GIAP), Catalan Institute of Classical Archaeology, 43003 Tarragona, Spain; bInstitute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera, Spanish National Research Council, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; cMcDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, CB2 3ER Cambridge, United Kingdom; dCulture and Socio-Ecological Dynamics, Department of Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08005 Barcelona, Spain; eCatalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, 08010 Barcelona, Spain; fSchool of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa; and gDepartment of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3DZ Cambridge, United Kingdom Edited by Elsa M. Redmond, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, and approved June 25, 2020 (received for review April 2, 2020) This paper presents an innovative multisensor, multitemporal mounds (7–9). Georeferenced historical map series have also machine-learning approach using remote sensing big data for been used solely or in combination with contemporary declas- the detection of archaeological mounds in Cholistan (Pakistan). sified data (10–14). In recent years, RS-based archaeological The Cholistan Desert presents one of
    [Show full text]
  • A Taste of Africa
    BIRDING OUT OF AFRICA: INDIA Gujarat A TASTE OF AFRICA ndia is a vast, sprawling country, teeming with people, but it also supports more than 1 200 bird species. Most birders visiting India for the first time do a Inorthern loop, centred on Bharatpur and the Himalayan foothills (see Nick Garbutt’s article in volume 9, number 4). While this offers a good cross-section of Indian birds, as well as the chance to chase tigers, African birders might consider cutting their teeth in the state of Gujarat, which has more in common with this continent than the rest of India. Peter Ryan reports on some of the region’s birding attractions. TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER RYAN 58 BIRDING INDIA AFRICA – BIRDS & BIRDING irthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, for viewing and photography. Indeed, I pakistan INDIA Gujarat lies north of Mumbai on frequently found myself comparing it to India’s north-west coast. At Ethiopia in this regard. The Jainist tradi- Great Rann Gujarat some 196 000 square kilometres, tion of jiv daya is similar to that of ubuntu, of Kutch State itB is half the size of Zimbabwe, yet com- but extends to wildlife as well as people. Little Rann prises only five per cent of India’s land Birds and other wildlife are part of local of Kutch Gulf of Kutch Ahmedabad area. It offers a wide range of habitats, culture, and Gujaratis take pleasure in Jamnagar Velavadar NP from verdant woodland in the southern sharing their land with thousands of mi- Porbandar hill country, where the annual rainfall grant birds.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Report
    No. JAPAN INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AGENCY （JICA） GOVERNMENT OF GUJARAT THE RECONSTRUCTION SUPPORT FOR THE GUJARAT-EARTHQUAKE DISASTER IN THE DEVASTATED AREAS IN INDIA FINAL REPORT OCTOBER, 2002 YAMASHITA SEKKEI INC. NIHON SEKKEI, INC. S S F J R ０２－１６１ Currency Equivalents Exchange rate effective as of June, 2001 Currency Unit = Rupee(Rs.) $ 1.00 = Rs．46.0 1Rs.=2.66 Japanese Yen,1 Crore = 10.000.000,1 Lakh = 100.000 Preface In response to a request from the Government of India, the Government of Japan decided to implement a project on the Reconstruction Support for the Gujarat-Earthquake Disaster in the Devastated Areas in India and entrusted the project to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). JICA selected and dispatched a project team headed by Mr. Toshio Ito of Yamashita Sekkei Inc., the representing company of a consortium consists of Yamashita Sekkei Inc. and Nihon Sekkei, Inc., from June 6th, 2001 to May 29th, 2002 and from August 4th to August 18th, 2002. In addition, JICA selected an advisor, Mr. Osamu Yamada of the Institute of International Cooperation who examined the project from specialist and technical points of view. The team held discussions with the officials concerned of the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat and conducted a field survey and implemented quick reconstruction support project for the primary educational and healthcare sectors. After the commencement of the quick reconstruction support project the team conducted further studies and prepared this final report. I hope that this report will contribute to the promotion of the project and to the enhancement of friendly relationships between our two countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Protected Areas in News
    Protected Areas in News National Parks in News ................................................................Shoolpaneswar................................ (Dhum- khal)................................ Wildlife Sanctuary .................................... 3 ................................................................... 11 About ................................................................................................Point ................................Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary................................ ...................................... 3 ......................................................................................... 11 Kudremukh National Park ................................................................Tiger Reserves................................ in News................................ ....................................................................... 3 ................................................................... 13 Nagarhole National Park ................................................................About................................ ......................................................................................................................................... 3 .................................................................... 14 Rajaji National Park ................................................................................................Pakke tiger reserve................................................................................. 3 ...............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Desert-2.Pdf
    Desert Contens Top Ten Facts PG 1 front cover 1 All Deserts are all different but they all have low amounts of rain PG 2 contens 2 Deserts normally have less than 40 CM a year 3 The Sahara desert is in Northern Africa and is over 12 different countries PG 3 top ten facts 4 Sahara desert is the largest desert in the Earth PG 4 whether and climate 5 Only around 20% of the Deserts on Earth are covered in sand 6 Around one third of the Earth's surface is covered in Desert PG 5 desert map 7 The largest cold Desert on Earth is Antarctica PG 6 animals and people that live there 8 Located in South America, the Atacama Desert is the driest place in the world PG 7 what grows there 9 Lots of animals live in Deserts such as the wild dog 10 The Arabian Desert in the Middle East is the second largest hot desert on Earth but is substantially smaller than the Sahara. This is a list of the deserts in Wether And Climate the world Arabian Desert. ... Kalahari Desert. ... Wether Mojave Desert. ... Sonoran Desert. ... Chihuahuan Desert. ... This is a map showing Deserts are usually very, very dry. Even the wettest deserts get less than ten Thar Desert. ... the deserts in the world inches of precipitation a year. In most places, rain falls steadily throughout the Gibson Desert. year. But in the desert, there may be only a few periods of rains per year with a lot of time between rains.
    [Show full text]
  • Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities
    Annex II – Feasibility Study GREEN CLIMATE FUND FUNDING PROPOSAL I Enhancing climate resilience of India’s coastal communities Feasibility Study February 2017 ENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE OF INDIA’S COASTAL COMMUNITIES Table of contents Acronym and abbreviations list ................................................................................................................................ 1 Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................. 6 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 13 2. Climate risk profile of India ....................................................................................................................... 14 2.1. Country background ............................................................................................................................. 14 2.2. Incomes and poverty ............................................................................................................................ 15 2.3. Climate of India .................................................................................................................................... 16 2.4. Water resources, forests, agriculture
    [Show full text]