Planning for drought risk mitigation in Andhra Pradesh an example with a cluster of mandals

Abstract

Drought is among the more serious problems faced by rain-fed areas in India and is intricately related to the livelihoods of the people. At present in India around 60 % of net sown area is rain-fed and 745,914 sq. kms and 745,914 sq. kms spread across 180 districts in 16 states is drought prone. 1 Andhra Pradesh (AP) has the third largest drought prone area among states in India. Drought results in loss of livelihoods and human suffering at individual and community levels. The impacts of drought vary significantly even across small geographical areas, due to variations in weather patterns, differences in soil types, poor water availability, low access to markets and social circumstances. People in many parts of arid and semi-arid India have been coping with drought on a regular basis.2 Depending on their access to and control over resources, knowledge and support systems, the ability to cope with drought varies across individuals and communities. The Government of India (GOI) efforts to mitigate the impacts of drought are largely through thematic interventions in 5-year rural development programs such as the Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) and the Desert Development Programme (DDP)3 and short-term drought-relief programs. These measures, however, have not been able to tackle drought in the long term and drought prone areas are still vulnerable to erratic monsoon causing severe hardship to affected communities.4 And now, rain-fed areas also face challenges due to changing climate.5 There is therefore a need to develop drought adaptation approaches keeping in view, sustainable livelihoods, local contexts and changing climate. A range of livelihood alternatives combined with thematic solutions at the micro-level would form an appropriate sustainable livelihoods approach especially when dealing with uncertain meteorological conditions6 in arid and semi-arid regions of India and the state of AP.