Climate Change and

Water Resources

Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy,

CEO, GEO http://e-geo.org

16th August 2012

Center for Climate Change and Environment Advisory (CCCEA)
Dr. MCR HRD Institute of AP, India
 Present carbon cycle

Storage and flux of carbon

(in billions of tones)

SPEED OF EXCHANGE PROCESS

Very fast (less than 1 year)
Fast (1 to 10 years)
Slow (10 to 100 years)
Very slow (more than 100 years)
Human activity influence
Variation of the temperature on Earth
Temperature trends (1976 to 2000)
Precipitation trends (1900 to 2000)
 TEMPERATURE PRECIPITATIONS

5 degrees = What separates us from the last glacial era (-15 000 BC)

Models’ forecasts : +1,4 to +5,8 degrees by 2100.

Source : IPCC/SRESA2
Visual impact of Climate Change
 Impact of Climate Change on society

…Katrina, Rita, Stan, Wilma…

Climate change will cause heavier tropical cyclones.

Cost of extreme weather events
 Less visual but with major impact

Agriculture and food security

Consequences of Crop yields, irrigation demands...
climate change:
Forest
Composition, health and productivity...

Water resources
Water supply, water quality...

Coastal areas
Erosion, inundation, cost of prevention...

Species and natural areas

> Temperature increase
Biodiversity, modification of ecosystems...
> Sea level rise
> More rain
Human health
Infectious diseases, human settlements...
 Vulnerability
Vulnerability to climate change is the risk of
adverse things happening
Vulnerability is a function of three factors:
Exposure

Sensitivity

Adaptive capacity
 Exposure

•Exposure is what is at risk from climate

change, e.g.,
– Population
– Resources
– Property
•It is also the climate change that an
affected system will face, e.g.,
– Sea level
– Temperature
– Precipitation
– Extreme events
 Sensitivity
• Biophysical effect of climate
change
– Change in crop yield, runoff,
energy demand
• It considers the
socioeconomic context, e.g.,
the agriculture system
• Grain crops typically are
sensitive
• Manufacturing typically is
much less sensitive
 Adaptive Capacity

• Capability to adapt
• Function of:
– Wealth
– Technology
– Education
– Institutions
– Information
– Infrastructure
– “Social capital”
• Having adaptive capacity does
not mean it is used effectively
 Vulnerability is a
Function of …

• More exposure and

sensitivity increase
vulnerability
• More adaptive capacity
decreases vulnerability
• An assessment of
vulnerability should
consider all three
factors
 Adaptation
“adjustment in natural or human
systems in response to actual or
expected climatic stimuli or their
effects, which moderates harm of
exploits beneficial opportunities”
(Third Assessment Report, Working
Group II)

Includes “actual” (realized) or

“expected” (future) changes in
climate
 Adaptation (continued)
Two types of adaptation
Autonomous adaptation or reactive adaptation tends to be what
people and systems do as impacts of climate change become
apparent

Anticipatory or proactive adaptation are measures taken to

reduce potential risks of future climate change
 SL framework: Determinants of adaptive capacity

Livelihood Examples
resources
Human Knowledge, Skills
Social Women’s savings and loans groups, farmer-
CBOs
Physical Irrigation infrastructure, seed and grain
storage facilities
Natural Reliable water source, productive land

Financial Micro-insurance, diversified income sources

Policies, institutions and power structures

Capitals
 Indian poverty
• Poverty is widespread in India, with the nation
estimated to have a third of the world's poor.
According to a 2005 World Bank estimate, 41.6%
of the total Indian population falls below
the international poverty line of US$ 1.25 a day
(PPP, in nominal terms 21.6 a day in urban areas
and 14.3 in rural areas).[1] A recent report by the
Oxford Poverty and Human Development
Initiative states that 8 Indian states have more
poor than 26 poorest African nations combined
which totals to more than 410 million poor in the
poorest African countries.[2]
 What is being done and how effective is it?
1. Communities continuously finding better options to reduce their
vulnerability
2. Few responses decrease the sensitivity of the system
3. Majority are short-term fixes - reduce vulnerability temporarily but
decreases the resilience of the system
Climate Changes
in India

• Increase in surface
temperature by 0.4
degree C over the
past century.
• Warming trend
along the west
coast, in central
India, the interior
peninsula, and
northeastern India.
Climate Changes in
India

• Cooling trend in
northwest India and parts
of South India.
• Regional monsoon
variations: increased
monsoon seasonal
rainfall along the west
coast, northern Andhra
Pradesh and North-
western India, decreased
monsoon seasonal
rainfall over eastern
Madhya Pradesh, North-
Climate Changes in India

• Observed trends of multi-

decadal periods of more
frequent droughts, followed
by less severe droughts.
• Studies have shown a rising
trend in the frequency of
heavy rain events and
decrease in frequency of
moderate events over
central India from 1951 to
2000.
26
Climate Changes in
India

• Records of coastal tide

gauges in the north
Indian ocean for the
last 40 years has
revealed an estimated
sea level rise between
1.06-1.75 mm per year.
• The available
monitoring data on
Himalayan glaciers
indicates recession of
some glaciers. 27
 Per-capita Carbon –dioxide emission (Metric Tons)

25

20.01
20

15
11.71
9.4 9.87
10

5 3.6 4.25

1.02
0
USA Europe Japan China Russia India World
average
Watershed activities focus on vulnerability
reduction

Livelihood enforcing
support rights

Productivity of
Enhancement
natural
of knowledge
resources
Every drop counts
The Barefoot College, Tilonia
Freshwater management in India

Water Conservation

Watershed management

Water quality conservation

Inter basin water transfer

GW management

Recycle and reuse of water

Public involvement and capacity building

Anupma Sharma
 Condensation

Let’s take a look at

Precipitation The Water Cycle
Evapotranspiration

Evaporation

Infiltration
Surface Runoff

Consumption Surface Water

.ppt (36)
Sea water intrusion
 WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME (WDP)
Improve and sustain productivity and production
potentials of the dry/semi-arid regions of India
through adoption of appropriate production and
conservation technologies.
Meet the needs of local rural communities for
food, fuel, fodder and timber. Improve all types
of lands, i.e., Government, Forest, Community
and Private Lands falling within a watershed.
 WATERSHED DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME (WDP)
WDPs, in short: A holistic approach to improve and
develop the economic and natural resource base
of dry/semi-arid/fragile regions. In a watershed
development program the watershed is the unit
for development rather than political or
administrative boundaries
 WDP Activities
• i)Land Development: Levelling and
terracing, improving soil quality and
productivity; and watershed reclamation.
• ii)Water Development: Promote in situ water
harvesting and conservation, establish
percolation ponds and open
wells, tanks, small reservoirs, and improving
water quality.
 WDP Activities
• iii)Enterprises/Activities: Evolve appropriate
farming systems, encourage a crop mix of
high value/high yield crops, social/agro-
forestry, other income-generating activities
like dairying, poultry-keeping, etc.
 Some Illustrations of Benefits of
WDPs
• -Replacing seasonal/annual crops with agro-
silvi, agrohorti, silvi-horti; systems on hill
slopes/degraded lands. Benefits: reduce soil
erosion; arrest surface run-offs.
• -Training water to store excess water run-offs in
farm ponds/percolation tanks. Benefits: improve
groundwater recharge.
• -Construction of earthen or vegetative bunds or
barriers to surface run-offs in a watershed.
Benefits: help in moisture conservation.
 In the life of a
farmer climate
Variability and
Extreme events are
more important
than climate change
 Government departments (AP)
• Agriculture and Co-Operation
• Animal Husbandry and Fisheries
• Backward Classes Welfare
• Consumer Affairs Food & Civil Supplies
• Energy
• Environment, Forests, Science and
Technology
• FinanceFinance (PMU)Finance (Project Wing)
• General Administration
• Health, Medical and Family Welfare
• Higher Education
• Home
• Housing
• Industries and Commerce
• Information Technology and Communications
• Infrastructure and Investment
• Irrigation
http://www.aponline.gov.in/apportal/departments/portallistoforgsbydepts.aspx?i=3
• Labour, Employment Training and Factories
• Law
• Minorities Welfare
• Municipal Administration and Urban
Development
• Panchayat Raj and Rural Development
• Planning
• Public Enterprises
• Rain Shadow Areas Development
• Revenue
• School Education (SE Wing)
• School Education (SSA Wing)
• Social Welfare
• Transport, Roads and Buildings
• Women Development, Child Welfare and
Disabled Welfare
• Youth Advancement, Tourism and Culture
 MGNREGA
• 'National Rural Employment Guarantee Act'2005 (NREGA)
• Act guarantees 100 days of employment in a financial year to
every household
• a social safety net for the vulnerable groups and an
opportunity to combine growth with equity
• Structured towards harnessing the rural work-force, not as
recipients of doles, but as productive partners in our
economic process
• assets created result in sustained employment for the area for
future growth employment and self-sufficiency
• Operationalised from 2nd February, 2006 in 200 selected
districts, extended to 130 more districts in 2007-08.
• The remaining districts (around 275) of the country under the
ambit of NREGA from 1st of April, 2008
 Agriculture
• India ‘s population is 1.21 billion in 2011. 67% are rural.
Majority are in agriculture.
• Importance of agriculture in Indian economy. Although it
contributes only 15% of GDP, the share of workers is about
55%.
• Marginal and small farmers dominate
• Major crops are rice, wheat, maize, coarse
cereals, groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, fruits and vegetables
• 60% of cultivated area is rainfed as only 40% of area is
under irrigation.
• Rural poverty is 41%in 2004-05.
• Agriculture is a ‘State Subject’. In other words, the policies
of provinces are also important
Climate Change / Variability
in Semi-arid regions

Precipitation is less than

potential
evapotranspiration.

Low annual rainfall of 25

to 60 centimeters and
having scrubby vegetation
with short, coarse grasses;
not completely arid.
 Climate Change / Variability in Semi-arid regions

Climate Variability and extremes are an

expected characteristic of semi-arid lands.

The people vulnerable to droughts, which

trigger frequent subsistence crises

Increasing crop
failures, dislocation, famine, poverty, increases
stratification and the social inequities.
Major challenges of Agriculture

Climate change - Soil fertility Water

variability - management
extremes

Impact of Burning of crop Alkalinity of soils

hazardous residue
pesticides and
nitrogen fertilizers
Crop Water

Soil Climate

Energy Environment
Vulnerability of poor in rural areas
Two-thirds of households derive income directly
from natural sources
Natural resources are threatened by stresses
Biotic & Abiotic
Agriculture & natural resource based livelihoods
at immediate risk
Rural poor do not have resources to cope
 Nature of Works
Water based Land based
• » Water conservation
• » Land development
• » Water harvesting
• » Micro and minor Forest/ Agro--Forestry
irrigation works
• » Provision of irrigation • » Afforestation
facilities • » Horticulture
• » Desilting of tanks Infrastructure
• » Renovation of traditional
water bodies • » Rural roads
• » Flood control and
protection works
 Conservation technologies
Stress-tolerant, climate-resilient varieties of
seeds, drip irrigation, zero-tillage, raised-bed
planting, laser-levelling, Systems of Rice
Intensification (SRI), can build adaptive
capacities to cope with increasing water
stress, providing “more crop per drop”.
“VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT AND ENHANSING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO CLIMATE
CHANGE IN SEMI-ARID AREAS OF INDIA”

Policies/Structures Vulnerability Adaptability

Rural Poverty Livelihoods Diversification

Community Empowerment

Energy

Bio Diversity Agriculture Production Water Resources

Climate Change

Appropriate Skills Water Management

SCENARIO 1

Human / Social Natural / Environmental / Physical Economic / Political

AFPRO 59
GSBC PROJECT
INTEGRATED APPROACH
Major challenges of Agriculture

Climate change - Soil fertility Water

variability - management
extremes

Impact of Burning of crop Alkalinity of soils

hazardous residue
pesticides and
nitrogen fertilizers
 100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300

0
195152
195253
195354
195455
195556
195657
195758
195859
195960
196061
196162
196263
196364
196465
196566
196667
196768
196869
196970
197071
197172
197273
197374
197475
197576
197677
197778
197879
197980
198081
198182
198283
198384
198485
198586
198687
198788
198889
198990
199091
199192
199293
199394
199495
199596
199697
199798
199899
199900
200001
200102
200203
Mahabubnagar District Rainfall Pattern
200304
200405
200506
200607
R2 = 0.1374

200708
200809
200910
y = -4.6207x + 851.14

201011
201112
201213
201314
Field level interventions
ACTIVITY

CAPACITY
DEVELOPMENT

FACILITATION RESEARCH
 INCREASED
PRODUCTI SOIL
SPIRITUAL CARBON ON TEMPERAT
SEQUESTR URE
ATION REGULATE
D
CREMATIO
BELIEFS
N
TERMITES /
MOISTURE
ANTS
RETENTION
CULTURAL REPULSION

ALTARS RITUALS ENERG

Y
EARTHWO WATER
SOIL
RMS CONSERVA
FESTIVALS AMENDMENT
INCREASE TION
BIOCH
AR
NITROGEN
BIOMASS BIOCHAR
/
PHOSPHOR
COMPOST
OUS
INSECT FOOD PRESERV RETENTION
REPELLE ING
NT FOOD SOIL
MICROBES
NURSERIES
FILTERIN CLEANIN DENSITY
INCREASE PESTICIDES
G MEDIA G ADBSORBTI
ON
GOOD
STOVES
SOAK MEDICIN •TLUDs
PITS E •Other
stoves POULTRY -
PRACTICES CH4
REDUCTION

BIOCHAR MATTRE WASTE

URINALS SS MANAGEM SOURCES CROP
ENT (BIOMASS) RESIDUE
•Sludge

BIOCHAR TOOTH ANIMALS

BRICKS POWDER

AQUARI AIR
POULTRY
QUALITY LIVESTOCK -
UM / LITTER FYM /
WATER URINE AND
TERRARI • CO2 / COMPOST
TREATM DUNG
UMS CH4
ENT Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, GEO
http://e-geo.org | http://biocharculture.com
 RITUAL /
SPIRITUAL /
SOIL AGRICUTURE ANIMALS ENERGY HABITAT SANITATION HEALTH WATER
RELIGIOUS /
PRACTICES

PADDY APPLICATION IN
ANIMAL PLACES BIOCHAR FIRE / ALTAR /
METHANE BIOCHAR URINALS
TO TAP SOURCE FROM YAGNAS /
EMISSIONS BRICKS CLEANING
URINE, SANITAT EFFICIENT TLUD AGNIHOTRA
REDUCTION TEETH
ION AND COOK STOVES
EMISSIONS
BIOCHAR
REDUCTION
BIOCHAR
PESTICIDE & TOILETS
COMPLEX
BIOCHAR IN FIRE DURING
CHEMICALS
AQUARIUMS FESTIVALS
AFFECTS
RUMINANT WATER
MITIGATION
ANIMALS AS BY PRODUCT PURIFICATION –
METHANE FROM GASIFIER BIOCHAR IN BIOCHAR COLOR, ODOR,
EMISSIONS STOVES, BOILER CATTLE SHEDS TABLETS REMOVAL OF
EMMISIONS REDUCTION AS S ETC HARMFUL
REDUCTION FEED ADDITIVE ELEMENTS, ETC.
BIOCHAR IN
FROM FARM
POULTRY CREMATIONS
YARD
FARMS CLEANING
MANURES AND
COMPOSTS PLATES /
BIOCHAR UTENSILS
SOAKING IN
COMPOST CHARCOAL
WITH ANIMALS BIOCHAR IN
PRODUCTION NATURAL /
URINE AND FOOD AS PART
FROM BIOMASS BIOCHAR IN ARTIFICIAL
CROP RESIDUE EXCRETA - OF FOOD
/ WASTE FRIDGES, MATT FIRES IN
MANAGEMENT VALUE BATHING PREPARATIONS
MANAGEMENT RESSES, ETC. FORESTS /
ADDITION
FIELDS, ETC.
 Biocharculture
Biocharculture is the process of using Biochar,
including cultivation of crops
• Biochar is the charcoal produced from carbonaceous source
material. Sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial
ecosystems
• Biocharculture is one of the means to integrate for sustainable
cultivation and carbon sequestration.
• Biochar is usually produced at around temperatures 300 to 600
degrees centigrade for example as found in the common biomass
cook stoves.
• Because of its macromolecular structure dominated by aromatic
C, Biochar is more recalcitrant to microbial decomposition than
uncharred organic matter
 Biocharculture Adaptation benefits
Lessen the impact
of hazardous
Securing the crop
Reclaim the pesticides and
from drought and water conservation,
degraded soils, complex chemicals
climate variabiiity
& to reduce plant
uptake.

Conversion of crop
reducing emissions increases in
residue into Biochar
and increasing the Increase in crop C, N, pH, and
an option and
sequestration of yield available P to the
address carbon
greenhouse gases plants
sequestration

Reduction in Increase in the soil

Impacts of Biochar Temperature
leaching of the bio / microbes / worms
last more than 1000 regulation in the
chem fertilizers at the biochar and
years. soil
applied soil interface
CONTROL AND BIOCHAR - OKRA
Farmers focus
80% ON CROP
20% ON SOIL
BIOCHAR COMPOST
APPLICATION IN THE FIELDS
 OKRA - CONTROL AND BIOCHAR PLOTS

CONTROL BIOCHAR COMPOST

4 KGS 8 KGS 12 KGS
 BIOCHAR

CONTROL

1.5 FEET 6 FEET

 BIOCHAR
RESULTS

GSBC PROJECT, 2009 (DORUGHT

PREVAILED DURING THE GROWING
SEASON)
Methane Emissions from paddy fields
Biochar – livestock urine
BIOCHAR URINALS

TAPPING NITROGEN FROM URINE

OF ANIMALS AND PEOPLE USING
BIOCHAR
 OTHER BIOCHAR
APPLICATIONS

BIOCHAR BRICKS, GREEN BUILDINGS

MAGH SERIES BIOCHAR PRODUCING STOVES
MAGH SERIES BIOCHAR PRODUCING STOVES