Climate Change,

Vulnerable Communities
LIVELIHOODS AND C LIMATE C HANGE
and Adaptation COMBINING DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
AND CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION TO REDUCE VULNERABILITY AND POVERTY

Information Paper 3 December 2003

Today’s climate-related disasters

foreshadow the likely adverse future
Sustainable Drylands Management
impacts of climate change, signalling A Strategy for Securing Water Resources and Adapting to Climate Change
an urgent need to minimize current
vulnerabilities. For poor communities Vulnerability Focus: Dryland Communities
living on fragile and degraded urban
Home to over two billion people living in some 100 countries, drylands cover almost
and rural lands, such as steep
hillsides, drylands and floodplains,
40 per cent of the world’s land area. While not as arid as deserts, drylands are
actions must address the characterized by their limited water supply, low and highly variable rainfall, and
deteriorating environmental recurrent drought. Even where surface waters accumulate, these are not easily
conditions that undermine their retained, as high temperatures and intense precipitation cause much to be lost to
livelihoods and capacity to cope with evaporation and run off, respectively.
disasters. IUCN, IISD, SEI and
In spite of the variable and extreme environmental conditions of drylands, they have
Intercooperation are working
together to strengthen the role of
been supporting human populations for thousands of years. Today, some of the world’s
ecosystem management and biggest urban centres are located in these regions and an estimated one billion people
restoration activities in reducing the depend on rural drylands for their livelihoods. Rural drylands consist primarily of
vulnerability of poor communities to (a) rangelands, which support domestic livestock production (b) rainfed and irrigated
climate-related disasters and climate agricultural lands, which produce major food crops; and (c) woodlands, which are an
change. Protecting and enhancing important source of biomass for woodfuel and construction. Inhabitants of drylands
natural services through activities have learned to cope with unreliable rainfall and threats of recurrent drought through
such as watershed restoration, practices including surplus accumulation, shifting cultivation, and nomadism.
mangrove reforestation and
rangeland rehabilitation, can help However, amid widespread poverty and increased human pressure on the fragile
these communities secure their resource base, these coping strategies are becoming insufficient in reducing people’s
livelihoods and improve their vulnerability. Unsustainable farming, grazing and woodfuel gathering have led to
capacity for adapting to the impacts dryland degradation and desert encroachment. Fuelled by poorly conceived policies
of climate change. and ineffective governance structures, desertification already affects 70 per cent of the
In an effort to encourage the use of world’s drylands.
such activities and their integration Climate change will likely exacerbate this trend, as increasing temperatures will bring
into emerging policy frameworks, this drier conditions and shorter, more intense rainfall events. Reducing the vulnerability
series of Information Papers has of dryland communities to climate change will require measures that diversify
been developed to highlight success
livelihood options, reduce pressure on natural resources, and restore and protect
stories from around the world. It is
hoped that the lessons learned in
dryland ecosystems through sustainable management practices. Examples of such
these stories will inform ongoing and measures are already in use in communities around the world, and can offer guidance
planned adaptation efforts. to the adaptation processes of dryland countries. Two examples of valuable
community experience are highlighted here.
India: Building community resilience through watershed restoration1
IUCN
The World Conservation Union
In the drought-prone regions of Maharashtra, a state on the western seaboard of India, the
http://www.iucn.org
Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) is helping poor communities reclaim degraded
lands through the regeneration and sustainable management of watersheds. About 70 per
http://www.sei.se cent of Maharashtra’s land area is hot semi-arid to arid, supporting agriculture that is
largely dependent upon monsoon rainfall. Precipitation is concentrated in just a few
months of the year and is highly variable in frequency, intensity and geographic coverage.
http://www.iisd.org In the dry rainshadow areas, there are no more than 10 days of harvestable rainfall. Even
though agriculture contributes only 30 per cent of Maharashtra’s GDP, these drylands
inter

support 65 per cent of the rural population and are the principal suppliers of coarse
cooperation cereals, pulses and oilseeds. The importance of rainfed agriculture in terms of rural
Natural Resource Management
Rural Economy
employment, sustenance and livelihoods cannot be over emphasized.
Local Governance and Civil Society
http://www.intercooperation.ch
1 Based on a draft consultation paper entitled, “Watershed Management: A Sustainable Strategy for
Copyright © 2003, IISD, SEI, IUCN and Intercooperation.
Augmenting Water Resources and Mitigating Climate Changes” by Crispino Lobo, Executive Director of
Published by the International Institute for Sustainable the Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR).
Development, Winnipeg, Canada.
 Climate Change,
Vulnerable Communities
and Adaptation

• training villagers in new or improved agricultural

practices and livelihood activities; and
• supporting cottage industries and supplemental income
generation through micro-lending schemes.
Crucial to the successful implementation of these measures is
the active participation of women. Almost 80 per cent of a
rural household’s consumption basket is derived from the
environment. As the primary resource providers in rural
households, women are intimately involved with the
management of environmental resources to meet immediate
household needs and are therefore crucial to the
sustainability of the watershed effort.
Outreach and impact
To date, WOTR’s activities have been conducted in over 150
Gully Plugs, Nagzari Village, (Oct. 1999). Photo: WOTR watersheds, covering about 160,000 hectares and benefiting
over 230,000 people. In all project areas, the local environment
Yet the fragility of Maharashtra’s drylands is being has started to recover and stabilize. Improved soil conditions
compounded by ecological degradation. The combination of and water availability have led to observable changes in the
recurrent drought and human pressure on the environment landscape. Previously barren hills are now covered with
has rendered these watersheds barren, heavily eroded and vegetation, as local flora and fauna begin to reappear. Springs
unable to retain even limited rainfall. The poorest of the and streams that used to run dry shortly after the monsoons are
poor usually inhabit these degraded watersheds, subsisting in now showing signs of renewed vigour, with some becoming
highly water-stressed circumstances. With limited resources perennial and others flowing until the onset of summer.
and access to external services, these communities are unable
Rehabilitated watershed ecosystems have boosted and
to safeguard their livelihood systems, leaving them more
diversified agricultural production, thereby securing food
vulnerable to extreme climate conditions. Improving the
supplies and livelihoods. Dry climate conditions no longer
resilience of these communities is of utmost importance.
signify hunger and migration, as communities have an
In response to this challenge, WOTR was established in increased resilience to drought.
1993 to help villagers eradicate their poverty through
Local examples of successful watershed development projects:
watershed regeneration. As the official capacity building
organization of the Indo-German Watershed Development • In the semi-arid region of Darewadi watershed, where
Programme (IGWDP), WOTR provides support to Village drinking water used to be supplied by water tanker five
Self Help Groups (VHSG) and grassroots NGOs in the months a year, villagers now enjoy piped water from a
technical and management aspects of local watershed perennial well. Between 1996 and 2001, the
development projects. groundwater table rose three metres and there was a net
increase in cropped land. Around 342 ha of land were
The program brought under irrigation, of which 13 ha are now
Conducted on a micro-catchment basis, the watershed perennially irrigated. Over 378,000 trees were planted
development effort emphasizes self-help, ecological with a survival rate of over 90 per cent. Fodder
regeneration and “catching rain wherever it falls.” Upon availability increased 170 per cent and milk production
developing a proposal for action, villagers agree to undertake rose over 1,500 per cent.
a series of rigorous watershed development activities, such as: • Similarly, between 1994 and 2000 in the Sherikoldara
• establishing Village Self-Help Groups to help guide the watershed, the number of wells increased by nine per cent
watershed effort; with the number of perennial wells growing by 300 per
cent. Drinking water shortages have largely been solved.
• building hydraulic structures for in-situ water harvesting,
Perennially irrigated land increased by 315 per cent and
aquifer recharge and erosion control;
milk production increased by 1,250 per cent. Over 250,000
• planting trees and grasses to stabilize waterways and trees have been planted with survival rate over 85 per cent,
provide fodder and fuelwood; and fodder production increased by 2,700 per cent.
• instituting bans on tree felling and grazing for natural In both of these watersheds, there have been considerable
regeneration of shrubs and grasses; socio-economic changes. Mud huts have been replaced by
 Climate Change,
Vulnerable Communities
and Adaptation

brick houses. The purchase of consumer goods such as and overstocking of livestock have drastically depleted the
television sets, radios and motorcycles has increased. Those vegetation. As a result, soil erosion, desertification and
who formerly had no voice in village affairs are now elected atmospheric dust have emerged as significant environmental
to serve on public bodies and people are now able to manage challenges. The local resource base has been degraded,
livelihoods during times of scarcity. undermining livelihoods and leaving communities more
Impacts have also been felt at the national policy and state vulnerable to the adverse effects of future droughts.
levels. With the government of India now viewing watershed The program
development as an effective strategy for stabilizing rainfed
farming systems, WOTR’s experiences have influenced the Recognizing that communities were highly vulnerable to the
way resources at the national level are allocated and spent on effects of drought and grappling with the effects of degraded
these efforts.2 At the state level, WOTR’s experiences have soil, failing livestock, dwindling crop production and chronic
informed the partnership arrangements in a large government- food insecurity, in 1992 a group of 17 villages within the
funded Watershed Development Program involving NGOs.3 Gireigikh Rural Council in central Bara Province took part
Today, WOTR is training people from all over the country in a pilot project entitled, “Community-Based Rangeland
(and also internationally) in the skills and approaches for Rehabilitation (CBRR) for Carbon Sequestration.” The
community-based watershed management. project was funded by UNDP’s Global Environmental
Facility (GEF) and sought to:
1. Implement a simple model of community-based natural
resource management to prevent overexploitation of
marginal lands and rehabilitate rangelands for the
purpose of carbon sequestration, biodiversity
preservation, and the reduction of atmospheric dust; and
2. Help ensure the success and sustainability of this
approach by diversifying local production systems and
improving socio-economic conditions.
In designing its activities, the CBRR project emphasized
strong community participation structured around local,
traditional, social institutions, and the implementation of a
range of activities that did not explicitly contribute to carbon
Community Contribution, Kauthe Kamleshwar Village, India (Oct. 1999). Photo: WOTR
sequestration, but secured the necessary support of villagers
by meeting some of their near-term needs. More than 100
mutually-supportive activities were designed as part of the
Sudan: Community-based rangeland rehabilitation project, which can be broadly categorized as follows:4
Since 1992, villages in the drought-prone Bara Province of • Awareness and institution building to mobilize and
western Sudan have been implementing community-based organize community groups for project planning and
rangeland rehabilitation measures to restore overexploited implementation
lands and enhance local livelihoods. The area of Bara • Training in a wide range of activities to build local
Province consists of marginal land, which is becoming capacity for project implementation and ensure project
increasingly degraded under combined anthropogenic and sustainability;
climatic pressures. With a population highly dependent on
the productive capacity of rainfed agriculture and grazing • Rangeland rehabilitation—including land management,
lands, land degradation often leads to food insecurity; and in livestock improvement, agroforestry and sand dune
countries like Sudan where food insecurity can lead to fixation—to prevent overexploitation and restore
massive dislocation and loss of life, food security is productivity of rangelands
synonymous with human security. 2 Based on the experiences of the IGWDP, the Govt. of India has
Classified as semi-arid and dominated by sandy soils and established the national Watershed Development Fund to spread the effort
poor fertility, most of the Bara Province consists of desert to 100 districts in the country.
3 The concept of “Mother NGO” to support and accompany the efforts of
scrub vegetation on undulating sand dunes. Average rainfall
participating NGO’s was based on the role WOTR played in the IGWDP.
in the areas is quite low, at roughly 250 mm per year, and 4 Dougherty, B., A. Abusuwar and K.A. Razik. 2001. Sudan: Community-
the region experiences significant seasonal and inter-annual based rangeland rehabilitation for carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
rainfall variability. The cumulative impact of recurring Report of the Terminal Evaluation, SUD/93/G31. UNDP GEF.
droughts, cultivation of marginal lands, fuelwood gathering
 Climate Change,
Vulnerable Communities
and Adaptation

• Community development activities to address immediate management and restoration activities, enabling them to
needs of communities by diversifying local production better cope with climate-induced stresses such as drought.
systems and income-generating opportunities, thereby Both the WOTR and CBRR projects have yielded some
reducing pressure on rangeland resources. important lessons for climate change adaptation,
demonstrating the importance of certain enabling measures
Outreach and impact
and conditions that lead to successful resilience-building
The results of the CBRR management exceeded original projects. Among these are:
expectations. For example, over 700 ha of rangeland were • Understanding of local livelihoods and vulnerabilities,
improved, exceeding the 100 ha goal. The rehabilitation of knowing the assets that comprise peoples’ livelihoods
additional lands could be attributed to positive leakage, and the factors (including climate-related risks) that
whereby additional communities undertook project activities shape vulnerability to ensure the design of appropriate
after witnessing their early benefits. The project’s short-term and locally-relevant project activities.
achievements included:
• Community-driven implementation, emphasizing the
• Establishment of local institutions to coordinate active participation of community members in the
community natural resource management and initiation, design, implementation and monitoring of
community development activities; development of project activities to secure community support and
land-use master plans to guide future resource use and promote a strong sense of ownership
implementation of sustainable rotational grazing
systems; and establishment of community mobilization • Community organization, establishing or building upon
teams to conduct outreach and training. social institutions—e.g., Village Self-Help Groups,
women’s groups and village water sub-committees—to
• Revegetation and stabilization of five km of sand dunes carry out activities in a structured, participatory and
to halt desert encroachment; construction of 195 km of efficient manner.
windbreaks to protect 30 farms from soil erosion; and
restocking of livestock by replacing goat herds with more • Strong participation of women, recognizing their role as
resilient and less damaging sheep. household and community resource managers,
promoting their active involvement in project activities
• Creation of water management sub-committees to better to ensure the success and sustainability of achievements.
manage wells; establishment of 17 women’s gardens to
produce vegetables for household consumption, with • Local training and capacity building, enhancing the local
surplus sold at local markets; establishment of five human resource base and the effectiveness of project
pastoral women’s groups to support supplemental activities by teaching community members a range of
income generating activities including lamb fattening, technical, financial and managerial skills.
handicrafts, milk marketing and cheese production. • Blending of traditional and modern approaches, using local
• Preparation of a drought contingency plan, etc. traditional knowledge to develop appropriate project
activities.
The long-term importance of these achievements lies in their
effectiveness in increasing the capacity of people in the • Reconciling short-term needs with long-term goals,
Gireigikh rural council to withstand drought. With improved investing in the long-term success of the project with
land management and a more secure environmental and socio- activities that meet the immediate development needs of
economic asset base, communities were able to cope with the community and build local capacity to sustain the
climate stresses, establishing a solid foundation upon which to ecosystem management and restoration (EM&R) effort.
base climate change adaptation strategies. • Supportive policy environment, working within broader
Lessons for climate change adaptation policy frameworks that support de-centralized natural
resource management and community development
The experiences from India and Sudan have demonstrated processes.
that the resilience of dryland communities can be
successfully built through a wide range of ecosystem

Funding for this series has been provided by

the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and
The IUCN Commission on
Environmental, Economic
the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) Swiss Agency for
Development and
and Social Policy Cooperation
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ceesp/index.html http://www.sdc.admin.ch/