Planning for rainfeed areas in rural settlements

Abstract

Water Scarcity is one of the most significant problems the world faces today. Irrigation/agriculture uses 83 percent of total water demand presently, and the estimated water demand for 2050 is 807 billion cu. m, which is 68.39 percent of the entire projected water demand, which also raises 'Food Security' concerns. In arid regions, the biggest limiting resource for enhanced agricultural productivity is water, not land. Maximizing water productivity is a better approach for dry farming systems than yield per unit of land. Under such situations, more effective water management strategies must be employed.

According to ICAR's Risk and Vulnerability Assessment of Indian Agriculture to Climate Change, Sheikhpura district has a risk ranking of 14 based on exposure, hazard, and vulnerability, with the most significant risk factors being: Low available water holding capacity (Vulnerability), Rise in Minimum Temperature (Future Hazard), High Net Sown Area (Exposure), and High Drought Proneness (Historical Hazard).

Using the case study of Ariari Block in the district of Sheikhpura, the research used a block level study methodology. Along with the district of Sheikhpura, the Ariari block's economy is based mostly on agricultural output. The current water deficit in the area is expected to be 143,3 million cubic meters. Sheikhpura block is expected to fall short by 57.8 MCM, Ariari block by 72.50 MCM, and Chewara block by 72.5 MCM (24.3 MCM). Ghatkusumbha block has the narrowest separation (7.6 MCM). Ariari Block consists of 52.6% of the total area under cultivation that is rainfed, as determined by five distinct and comprehensive indications that were used to justify the selection of block level areas (11,596 Ha).

The thesis project's objective is to manage water adequacy in rainfed areas through RWH and plausible crop diversification strategies for sustainable rural development, with three objectives in mind: first, to identify and evaluate the existing rainfed areas; second, to investigate and evaluate the adaptive capacity to existing agricultural rural livelihood; and third, to profile the vulnerable sections or critical zones through principal component analysis (PCA); and finally, to develop a crop diversification strategy that can be implemented in rainfed areas. This research's methodology can be replicated under comparable conditions for any block-level study technique in India.

Based on the findings, two future scenarios are formed based on spatial and non-spatial recommendations, namely the potential for rainwater collecting and agricultural diversification. Both scenarios include proposals for enhancing the exploitation of rainwater and drought-resistant crops to satisfy the future food supply and enhance the standard of living in the rural communities of the block.

The consolidated approach through integration of various factors such as adaptive capacity, biophysical parameters, socioeconomic aspect, and ISMD guidelines for identification of Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) potential zones/areas, which is represented by a consolidated map of all of the above-mentioned factors, is the key factor that distinguishes this study from previous research conducted by multiple researchers in the respective domain.