This document summarizes strategies for adapting agriculture to climate change in a tribal region of central India. It discusses how the region receives most of its annual rainfall concentrated within 50 days, creating water management challenges. The strategies discussed include comprehensive watershed treatment, participatory hydrological monitoring, aquifer mapping, developing climate-resilient agricultural practices, and building community institutions. These strategies aim to improve water harvesting and make more rainfall available for agriculture throughout the year.

1. WATER AND CLIMATE CHANGE
IN CENTRAL INDIA
Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Vulnerability
and Change in a Rainfed Tribal Region
P.S. Vijayshankar
Samaj Pragati Sahayog
Madhya Pradesh, India

2. OUR LOCATION
A Backward, Neglected and
Drought-Prone Tribal
Pocket in Central India –
District Dewas, Madhya
Pradesh
Dewas
district
INDIA
Bagli
MADHYA
PRADESH

3. RAINFED DRYLANDS OF INDIA
CONTRIBUTION:
•62% of Total Land Area
•56% of Cropped Area
•52% of Population
•48% of Food Crop Area
•68% of Non-FC Area
•77% of Pulses
•66% of Oilseeds
•45% of Cotton
•40% of Additional Food
for Self Sufficiency

4. WATER
The Focal Point Climate-Resilient Agriculture

5. 3 Yearly Moving Averages of Rainfall, Western MP, 1871-2011
R2 = 0.0082
1300
1200
1100
1000
900
800
700
600
1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Year
Rainfall, mm
•Rainfall is Highly Variable Across Years in Central India
•There is a Modest Decline of Mean Rainfall
•But Increase in Extreme Events & Spatial Variation (ref: M
Rajeevan et.al., Geophysical Research Letters, 2008)

6. 90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
RAINFALL, MM
DAILY RAINFALL (MM) – BAGLI, 1997
DAY/MONTH

7. The critical problem is that the average 1000 mm of
rain we receive falls with great intensity within an
average of 50 days per annum
The challenge is to make this 50-
day water available over the year,
for at least 180 days.
How is one to do that?

8. Earthen Naala Bund: 155

9. UNDP-CCA PROGRAM COMPONENTS
• Comprehensive Watershed Treatment
• Aquifer Mapping & Water Use Action Plan
• Participatory Hydrological Monitoring (PHM)
with support from APFAMGS
• Vulnerability Assessment Studies
• Development of Rainfed Agriculture Package
• Training Manual on Water Management
• Preparation of Community Videos
• Community Institutions and Capacity Building

10. PROGRAM OUTPUTS
• Watershed Treatment Works taken up on 6100 Ha
• Participatory Hydrological Monitoring (PHM) System
Set Up in 9 Watersheds
• Aquifer Mapping Done in 8 Villages and Groundwater
Management Plans being Formed
• Work on Agriculture Package and Soil Fertility Initiated
• Vulnerability Analysis Completed for Addressing
Climate-related Risks in Rainfed Agriculture
• Crop Water Budgeting Manual (APFAMGS) Prepared
• 10 Community Videos for Capacity Building of Local
Communities (Series UDARSHIL BHUMI)

11. WATER HARVESTING AND LAND MANAGEMENT
Earthen Naala Bund
Stop Dam
Farm Bunding Tree Plantations

12. NADEP Compost Liquid Manure - Sanjeevak
Application of Tank Silt
Four Pit Vermi-Compost

13. MULTIPLE
CROPPING & CROP
MANAGEMENT

14. INSTRUMENTATION FOR PHM

15. CWB - Crop Water Budget Manual
• Contents:
• Basics of Geology
• India’s Water Resources: Role of Groundwater
• Principles of Demand-side Groundwater Management
• Participatory Monitoring of Water Resources
• Crop Water Budgeting
• Farmer Field Schools Approach
• Climate-resilient Water Management Practices
• Institutional Framework of Demand-side Water
Management: Watershed/Hydrological Network;
Groundwater Management Committees, WC

16. AQUIFER MAPPING AT SCALE

17. SUMMARY OF AQUIFER
CHARACTERISITCS
Name of Aquifer Aquifer
surfa
ce
area
(m2)
Transmis
sivity
in
m
2
/d
ay
Average
satur
ated
thick
ness
(m)
Specific
yield
Aquifer
Storage
3
in m
Current
water
level
fluctu
ation
(m)
Annual
yield
in
mm
Limbi 3720000 7.4 7.2 0.016 428544 4.7 75.2
Ranjna 5180000 4.8 6 0.009 279720 4.8 43.2
Rawatpalasiya 3970000 8.4 4.5 0.02 357300 4.4 88
Sorthibarul 4640000 12.6 9.15 0.03 1273680 6 180
Khamkibarul 4850000 10.5 7.8 0.01 378300 5.2 52
Kadkibarul 3620000 8.1 11.6 0.01 419920 10.7 107
Mutpalasiya 1040000 7.4 6.25 0.007 45500 6.25 43.7
Titwapalasiya 2270000 7.8 5.5 0.006 74910 4.4 26.4
Palsud 310000 6.1 6.8 0.011 23188 4.6 50.6
Sapat 1740000 20.5 7.8 0.03 407160 7.2 216
Bargana 1950000 11 8.6 0.03 503100 5.3 159
Bekhliya 1620000 8.2 8.4 0.015 204120 5.6 84

18. Selected Groundwater Protocols
PROTOCOL T YPE I TYPE 2 TYPE 3
Sample Village
Sorthi Barul,
Sapat, Bargana
Limbi, Bekeliya,
Palsud
Ranjana, Mutpalasia,
Rawat Palasia,
Khambi Barul
Protection of Recharge
Area YES YES LIMITED
Efficient Use of Wells YES LIMITED NO
Regulation of Pump
Capacity YES YES LIMITED
Regulation of D & D of
Wells YES YES YES
Regulation of Crop Water
Requirement YES LIMITED LIMITED
Community Sharing of
Wells YES LIMITED LIMITED
Cropping Pattern
Regulation YES YES YES

19. COMMUNITY VIDEOS
Over 150 Videos Made on Agriculture and Other
Themes

20. COMMUNITY VIDEOS

21. THANK YOU