ABSTRACT
India is a country that will always be known for its rural and tribal communities, no matter how much it grows from an urban-growth perspective. Nearly 89.4% of communities in rural and tribal geographies across the country are small and marginal farmers, 1 and they depend heavily on their resources to meet food security and financial concerns. Since agriculture and the allied livelihoods of these communities depend on critical resources, such as water, weather, infrastructure, markets, etc., unfortunately, it has always resulted in subsistence, thereby leading to labour and migration. Climatic variations have added to their vulnerabilities, with low rainfalls, erratic and unseasonal rains, etc. Along with climate challenges, practices such as flood irrigation, chemical fertilisers, and pesticides usage are adding to the challenge of productivity, with direct impacts on income. Collectives for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI), together with small and marginal farmers, especially women, have been focusing on the key aspect of ‘aspirations’ of these communities - for themselves, their families, and the ecosystem.
The ‘Lakhpati Kisan programme’ (name coined by the women) is trying to balance the two pillars of economic security and climate resilience from a long-term sustainability perspective. In the initial years, the focus was on economic development at community level. Learnings from the ground through dynamic engagement have resulted in integrating climate change resilience with economic development and build on balancing both, with women collectives leading the growth path.
Toward this approach, a systems thinking process of understanding the links between livelihood and climate was introduced. Exercises undertaken with the programme team and women, through causal loop diagrams, are enabling them to understand how to balance their economic security as well as address challenges related to soil health, water management, etc. from a climate change lens.
The Lakhpati Kisan programme aims at enabling women to lead the growth trajectory and bring in relevant stakeholders to meet their demands and manage the balance between the economy and the environment in a long-term perspective.
The chapter presents the field experience of women-led institutions that drives their growth through an understanding of climate vulnerabilities affecting them, to then build up relevant actions to grow sustainably and irreversibly. As community members are engaged in various layers of livelihood procurement (through agriculture, livestock, non-timber forest products), they have been experiencing climate challenges over the years due to which yields become stagnated on account of soil health and water-related issues. But they do develop an understanding and come up with relevant suggestions, like spending more efforts on water resources development and management, soil health, and crop diversification.
Through a so-called systems thinking approach with the community, discussing and debating on actions (past, present, and future), the Lakhpati Kisan programme is attempting to bring about a better connection between livelihoods and climate through a balanced approach. Because, as part of this approach, the programme tries to ensure that the rural and tribal communities, especially their women members, understand the interconnections between social, environmental, and economic development, this enables them to meet economic security while balancing environmental security.
