Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Linking Poverty and Climate Change: IRRAD’s Activities

Jane Schukoske

Presented on January 11-12, 2013

The 9th International Conference in India

Theme: Finding Poverty and Climate Solutions for India

Rajagiri Center for Business Studies, Kochi, Kerala

Institute of Rural Research & Development

Together, We Empower Rural India

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Mission

• To improve the lives of rural people

Focus

• Develop innovative and replicable

models for integrated village development

• Establish grassroots experience

10 year goal

• Scale up our models in collaboration with

public, private and nonprofit partners

An initiative of the S.M. Sehgal Foundation

A registered Trust since 1999

About IRRAD

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

200+ Villages in District

Mewat, Haryana

Capacity building of

Panchayats in Himachal

Pradesh

Training of youth on life

skills in Bikaner, Rajasthan

Crop Improvement Research,

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

Maize research at ICRISAT

Campus

IRRAD’s Reach

Good Village Governance

(Supply-side Interventions)

Good Village Governance

(Demand-side Interventions) Agriculture Interventions

Water Interventions

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

One Way of Looking at Poverty:

Distance from HDI 1.00

Source: India Human Development Report 2011. Institute of Applied Manpower Research, Planning Commission, Government of India. 2011

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

District-Level HDI in 2001

Source: Jean Drèze and Reetika Khera 2012

Mewat District Haryana

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Climate Change Affects Poverty

Climate Change

Water Agriculture

Soil Moisture

Poverty Trap ( Living Standard, Health, Education)

Water for Irrigation

Crop Damage

△ Temperature pattern

Larger Runoff

Groundwater Recharge

Groundwater Table

△ Rain pattern

Access to Water

Agricultural Income

New pests & diseases

Extreme Weather

Energy Bio Diversity Health Disaster

Living Standard, Health, Education

Health, Education

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

IRRAD’s Focus Areas

Water , Sanitation & Hygiene

Rural Governance

Provides water solutions

Ensures citizen participation Builds capacity of village-level institutions

Agriculture

Enhances farmers’ income

Research: evidence -based interventions

Research: evidence -based

interventions

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Problem Solution No.

Limited water resources

Recharge wells 62

Roofwater harvesting 65

Check-dams, culverts, loose stone structures

58

Rejuvenation of traditional water structures

29

Poor access Hand pumps, storage tanks 68

Stand posts, taps 262

Poor quality Bio-sand filters 184

Poor awareness Water literacy sessions 335

Water Programs

Achievements are cumulative till date

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Addressed water issues

of 2,50,000 people

Cumulative figures till date

Impact: Water Programs

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Agricultural Programs

Problem Solution Achievement Lo

w F

arm

Pro

du

ctiv

ity

Poor soil

health

Soil mapping Entire Mewat District

(431 villages)

Soil testing 6,000 sample tests

Demo. of integrated

nutrition mgt.

practices

4,500 demos

Lack of

technology

Bed making 550 acres (demo)

Chisel ploughing 514 acres (demo)

Water-saving

irrigation technology

39 acres (demo)

Lack of

knowledge

Farmers training 16,000 farmers trained

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Impact: Agriculture

Reached

30,000 farmers

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Good Village Governance Programs

Achievements since program inception in 2008

Issue Solution Achievement Lack of citize

ns’ aw

aren

ess ab

ou

t

the

ir rights an

d e

ntitle

me

nts

Training Expected to produce 1,500 governance

trainees (trainers of trainees) in Mewat

Community

meetings

8,000 people participated in 200

community meetings organized by

governance trainees

Legal literacy

camps

Provided 1,250 villagers with on-site

counseling on gov’t programs

Panel discussions Had 300 villagers directly interact with

gov’t officials

Int’l and regional

governance

conferences

500 development practitioners, academics,

policy makers shared their visions of good

rural governance

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Governance wave

reached 1,50,000 people

Functional ration depots

Effective implementation of right to education

Functional Mid Day Meal and Anganwadi centers

Right to Information applications filed

Employment under MGNREGA

Impact: Village Governance Programs

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Good Village Governance Programs

Issue Problem Solution Achievement

Po

or p

ub

lic service

de

livery

Lack of capacity of Gram

Panchayat (Village Council)

Capacity building

1. Needs

assessments

2. Training

3. Technical

support

4. Support for the

devolution of

power

5. Facilitate

linkages with

govt dept.

Revitalized

35 Village

Councils

Lack of capacity of Village

Health Sanitation and

Committees (VHSCs)

Revitalized

35 VHSCs

Lack of capacity of School

Management Committees

(SMCs)

Revitalized

40 SMCs

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Impact: Village Governance Programs

Helped

2,50,000

people receive better public services

Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD)

Contact Details

Reach us at: smsf@irrad.org / www.irrad.org

Institute of Rural Research and Development

(an initiative of S.M. Sehgal Foundation) Plot No. 34, Sector 44, Institutional Area

Gurgaon 122002, Haryana, India