This document summarizes activities from a vulnerability assessment and capacity building program in semi-arid areas of Mahabubnagar district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The program conducted situational analyses of villages, raised awareness of climate impacts, and built capacity on sustainable agriculture, water management, and energy. Specific activities included soil testing, introducing efficient stoves, establishing knowledge centers, and designing improved stove prototypes. Upcoming activities proposed expanding demonstrations of best practices, training community weather monitors, and strengthening women's self-help groups. The overall goal was to enhance adaptive capacity and livelihood resilience to climate variability in the target communities.

1. 131st
August ‘06
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND ENHANCING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO
CLIMATE CHANGE IN SEMI-ARID AREAS OF INDIA
Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, Lead Consultant
V&A PROGRAMMEV&A PROGRAMME
Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh
Steering Committee MeetingSteering Committee Meeting
31st
August 2006, New Delhi
Mahabubnagar

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August ‘06
Programme Implementation Area
Mahabubnagar District, Andhra Pradesh
Kondurg
Midjil
Srirangapur Village
Kothur Village

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August ‘06
PROGRAMME ACTIVITIES
1. Situational Analysis
2. Capacity Building
3. Activities Done
4. Research and Innovations
5. Process Documentation
6. Liaison with the District Level Officers
7. State Advisory Council
8. Proposed Activities YPO 2006-07
FACILITATIONFACILITATION RESEARCHRESEARCH
ACTIVITYACTIVITY
CAPACITYCAPACITY
BUILDINGBUILDING

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August ‘06
1. Situational Analysis
Situational Analysis - SA-I (District level) and SA-II (Mandal and
Village level)
• Selection of Mahabubnagar District & Project Villages
– Assessing the project area with respect to the following parameters
General information; socio-economic aspects; biophysical indicators,
village level institutions; rural energy; and climatic aspects.
– Identification of progressive farmers and community leaders in the
project villages.
• Best Practices / Story lines documented
• Identification of activities through community participation.
Methodology adopted:
Field visits, Structured format, PRA tools, Focused group discussions,
community level meetings and case studies documentation.

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August ‘06
2. Capacity Building
Village Level
Village level Awareness Campaigns - about the V & A Programme,
Impacts of Climate variability on Agriculture, Water and Energy.
Methodology / Tools
• Street Plays, folk songs, Puppetry,
• Film shows,
• Wall writings, Wall Paintings, V & A Programme awareness structures
• Participatory Rural Appraisal exercises
• Village level workshops with community
• Meetings with Farmers and SHGs in the village
• Focused groups Discussions
• Interaction of International and National Consortium Members with the
villagers
Awareness, Exposure, Trainings and Sensitization

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August ‘06
…Capacity Building
Men, Women and youth participated, the learning's are on :
Sustainable Agricultural Practices, ‘System of Rice Intensification Practice,
Horticulture crops, Vegetables Cultivation, Floriculture, Dry-land farming, use
of appropriate technology, Kitchen gardens
Farm animals – Poultry, Small ruminants, Cattle and Dairy
Agri-business, agri-clinics, input cost reduction
Soil testing
Agro-Meteorology
Food Processing technology
Non-farm based livelihood options
Outside the District
Facilitating Institutions
• KVK, Central Research Institute for Dryland
Agriculture; Hyderabad
• KVK, Gaddipally, Nalgonda District;
• Extension Education Institute (EEI) and Agriculture
University, Hyderabad
• MANAGE, Hyderabad
Awareness, Exposure, Trainings and Sensitization

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August ‘06
3. Activities Done
Agriculture / Water
• Advise on agricultural practices and effective utilization of Water
resources.
• Sample Soils of the farmers was tested by trained village youth
• Guidance on treating the alkaline soils in Kothur village
• Facilitated farmers in procuring Foundation seeds (Paddy, Castor
and Redgram) of suitable varieties.
• Encouraged System of Rice Intensification
• Advise given on crops to be grown during the drought period,
• A Water Management action plan is made with community
participation, the activities are in incorporated into YPO.
• Drinking water sources in both the villages has fluoride. To
demonstrate one roof top rainwater harvesting structure was
completed in each village and awareness was created.

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August ‘06
. . .Activities Done
Energy
275 ‘Good stoves’ are adopted by the community in the
project villages.
One Good Stove (large size) was constructed for the school
for cooking mid-day meals for ~50 children in Kothur village.

9. V & A Programme
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August ‘06
. . .Activities Done
Village Knowledge Center
• A community building was dedicated by the Gram
Panchayat, Srirangapur Village for the establishment
of Village Knowledge Center.
• Information on the sustainable agriculture practices is
displayed.
• Farmers regular interactive meetings with the
specialists are being held in this center.
• Basic infrastructure is provided – Electricity
connection and furniture.

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August ‘06
4. Research and Innovations
A Rural Energy Lab was established in AFPRO, Hyderabad
After studying the existing stoves, which are primitive and less
efficient, the following efficient stoves (prototypes) were designed:
1. ‘Good Stove’ – Fuel wood
2. ‘Best Stove’ (Wood-gas stove) – Chips of wood as Fuel
3. ‘Srushti’ – Biogas plant, kitchen waste and green matter as
feed
1 & 2 stoves were demonstrated in village level workshops, with the
active participation of the community further improvement in the
design is being made.
These stove’s designs are reviewed by International experts on
stoves www.bioenergylists.org

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August ‘06
5. Process Documentation
Programme :Process Documentation covers the following
aspects:
Gram Sabhas, meetings / workshops and decisions
taken, Field visits and observations, activities and work
done.
Gram Panchayat : The respective Gram Panchayat’s have
passed resolution’s regarding participation, contribution, and
protection and sustenance of assets created.
Audio-Visuals : ~1000 photographs and video footage is
taken covering important events and activities. Four short
duration documentary video films (draft versions) were made.

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August ‘06
6. Liaison with the District Level Officers
Awareness on V & A Programme was created among the District
level officers and sought their cooperation and active participation in
the successful implementation of the programme.
Rapport is established with the District Collector, Chief-planning
officer, Joint Director of Agriculture (JDA); Joint Director of Animal
Husbandry (JD-AH); Assistant Director of Horticulture (AD-H);
Project Director – District Water Management Agency; District
Manager, NEDCAP; Head, District Groundwater Department; and
other line departments.
Mandal level: Established rapport with Mandal Development
Officers; Mandal Revenue Officers; Agriculture Officers; and Project
Implementing Agencies (PIAs) - DWMA

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August ‘06
7. State Advisory Council
A State Advisory Council (SAC) is formed and first meeting was held on 15th
May 2006.
• Ms. Gayathri Ramachandran, Director General, EPTRI is the Chairperson of SAC.
• Seniors specializing or having experience on the focal theme areas from reputed
Government Institutions, Organizations and the District Collector are the members of
SAC.
Important suggestions:
• Crop diversity
• Fodder Development and improved livestock
• Recharging dried-up wells, micro-irrigation technologies,
• Importance to rural energy / sustainable energy
• Explore new technological options
• Convergence – Institutions and Programmes
• Flexibility to operate and making choices should remain with the local implementing
partners
• ToR’s for the SAC

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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
1. Documentation of process and case studies of selected
coping practices in the project villages or areas:
• Visual documentation of Sustainable cropping system, waste
land use, livestock and fodder management, low cost water
harvesting structures / renovation of the existing structure,
use of energy efficient chullahs ‘good stove’ and ‘best stove’
and use of biomass as energy.
• Assessing the opportunity for post harvest technologies &
dairy.
• Case studies on coping and adaptability by community to
Climate Variability.

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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
2. Awareness campaign on Climate Change / Variability;
• Awareness through Local Theatre / film shows / wall-
writings, on climate themes like extreme weather, disaster
preparedness, Natural resources management, use of
efficient stoves, organizing climate specific programs for
school children and youth.

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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
3. Participatory Facilitation of Best Practices (PFBP) on
focus areas (agriculture, water and energy) for selected
farmers and groups;
• Participatory Facilitation of Best Practices (PFBP) on IPM for
Castor and Tomato crops
• System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
• Replacing rice with irrigated dry crops
• Alternate tree component to replace Prosopis Juliflora

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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
4. Capacity Building of farmers (on specific best practices) and CBOs;
• Community mobilisation : Community and SHGs meeting on planning,
institution of Smart Farmers Club and strengthening the Water
Management Association.
• Joint workshops for community and extension service professionals.
• Exposure visits for farmers and women groups (technologies and best
practices)
• Training for community weather managers (one man and a women from
each project village)
• Exploring possibilities of insurance as a mechanism to cope against affects
of climate variability on livelihoods.

18. V & A Programme
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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
5. Demonstration of location specific best practices:
Agriculture:
– Facilitating adaptation of refined technologies from PFBP,
– Compost pit for waste recycling,
– Nursery and biomass plantation of Pongamia, Jatropha and Subabul
– Introduction of fruit trees (Amla, Sapota, Pomegranate, etc.,)
– Establishment of seed banks,
– Fodder development,
– Organizing veterinary camps and up gradation of small ruminants.

19. V & A Programme
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August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
5. Demonstration of location specific best practices (…Contd.)
Water
• Maintenance of existing water harvesting structures
constructed under different schemes, water conservation
methods, roof top rainwater harvesting, and strengthening
tank management committees.
• The community is willing to construct another community
Roof-top rainwater harvesting structure by self-
contribution.

20. V & A Programme
2031st
August ‘06
Proposed Activities - YPO (2006-07)
5. Demonstration of location specific best practices (…
Contd.)
Energy
• Energy from biomass :
– ‘Good Stove’ designed will be improved with feedback
from community,
– Field level demonstration on renovation and repair of
different existing small scale biogas plants,
• Familiarization of bio-fuel briquettes.

21. V & A Programme
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August ‘06
Thank you