People's Archive of Rural India | Introduction and Updates

Rainmatter Partner Updates
1

The People’s Archive of Rural India (or PARI for short), is a unique digital platform that aims to document, archive, and showcase the diversity of rural India and the everyday lives of everyday people. The platform was founded in 2014 by journalist and writer P. Sainath, who has spent over three decades reporting on rural India. PARI has since become a one-of-a-kind repository of stories, reports, photographs, videos, and audio recordings that capture the rich and complex realities of the Indian countryside.

Through our work, PARI aims to challenge prevailing stereotypes about rural India and highlight the diverse and nuanced ways in which people in these areas live, work, and engage with the world. PARI’s archive is extensive and covers a wide range of themes, including agriculture, environment, education, health, and social justice. PARI’s reportage on climate change is an important aspect of the platform’s work. The effects of climate change are being felt acutely in rural India, where millions of people rely on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. PARI’s team of journalists and researchers travel to different parts of the country to document how climate change is affecting rural communities, and to report on how people are adapting to these challenges. PARI’s climate change coverage includes stories on issues such as water scarcity, drought, floods, and the impact of changing weather patterns on crop yields. Through its reportage on climate change, PARI aims to raise awareness about the urgent need for action to mitigate the effects of global warming and to highlight the ways in which rural communities are at the forefront of these efforts.

In a country where the majority of the population lives in rural areas, PARI’s work is more relevant than ever. PARI’s impact has been significant, both in terms of the content it has generated and the conversations it has sparked. The platform provides a much-needed space for rural voices to be heard and for rural issues to be discussed in a nuanced and informed manner. PARI’s content has been used by academics, journalists, policymakers, and activists, and has been widely shared on social media. The platform has also created opportunities for rural communities to engage with urban audiences, and has facilitated important conversations about rural development, social justice, and environmental sustainability.

At PARI, we are excited to be working with Rainmatter to further our cause. We believe that partnerships like these are crucial in enabling us to reach wider audiences, and to continue our efforts to create a more inclusive and diverse media landscape. Through this collaboration, we hope to engage with new audiences and to showcase the complexity of rural life and culture in India. We are confident that our work with Rainmatter will help us to build a more informed, empathetic, and connected society, and we look forward to this exciting new chapter in our journey.

5 Likes
2

The past quarter has been a productive one for the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI).

Thanks to the grant from Rainmatter Foundation, we were able to fund a part of our coverage of stories and editorial costs.

With a mandate for covering climate change, we are happy to tell you that we have covered seven stories on the subject and five resources have been added to the library. More are in the pipeline.

In addition to this, our PARI Education team visited around 20 schools and colleges. Here they interacted with over 1000 students and shared stories on Climate Change and how it affects the Indian countryside.

A major event of the past quarter was our annual conference in December 2022, which brought together a diverse group of individuals from the PARI network across India (journalists, fellows, editors, translators, illustrators and techies). The conference provided a platform for knowledge sharing and networking among the participants, and also helped to set the agenda for PARI’s future initiatives.

Some highlights from the conference include workshops for journalists on writing, editing and photography, conversations on how to increase the reach of PARI in regional languages and via YouTube, representation of rural realities in poetry and art, the success of PARI Education, the path forward and fund raising, and taking the PARI website into its next avatar.

One of the key takeaways from the conference was the importance of considering the angle of climate change when reporting on rural issues. Climate change is increasingly affecting rural communities in India, and it is crucial that journalists report on the issue from a local perspective. The participants engaged in interactive sessions where they discussed the challenges and opportunities for reporting on climate change in rural India. For translators, how to best represent the true essence of the dialogue on climate change in the 14 languages that PARI stories are published in was a big challenge.

As part of our mandate, we continue to report on a wide range of issues with special attention to gender and inequality. How climate justice overlaps with these is what will come up in future stories by PARI journalists. Another area of focus for us is the intersection of climate change and mental health in rural India. Climate change can have a severe impact on the mental health of people living in rural communities, particularly those who are already vulnerable. Since 2023 is the Year of Millets, our reporters have also been asked to be on the lookout for how millet-farming is being carried out and what factors are affecting the production of millets and the lives of millet producers.

We are proud to have added new fellowships, which will support the next generation of journalists in reporting on these important issues. A total of six new fellowships were awarded to journalists from across the country bringing the count of active fellowships to 13. The fellows will work with PARI for a period of 12 or 24 months, during which they will report on various aspects and or regions of rural India as per their respective proposals.

We at PARI are keen to increase the reach and impact of PARI in different spaces. We would also like to collaborate with other organisations that Rainmatter has previously partnered with. Reading other posts on Grove, has been very inspiring and we are looking forward to impactful conversations!

Here is some of the reportage we’ve done on Climate Change. Do give it a read!
Also, don’t miss the reports we’ve added to our library. Visit the PARI library to explore more.

STORIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE

In Kolhapur, athletes get that sinking feeling by Sanket Jain | Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Changing rainfall patterns and frequent floods are wreaking havoc on the mental health and aspirations of young sportswomen from farming families in this part of western Maharashtra

When it rains, it pours misery by Jaideep Hardikar | Yavatmal, Maharashtra
As extreme rains, alternating with prolonged dry spells, wreak havoc on the kharif crop, small and marginal farmers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha are facing acute distress that will only get worse in the months ahead

Searching for grazing grounds in Spiti by Sanskriti Talwar | Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
The climate is changing at 14,500 feet, and herders in Langza say that there is not enough grass for their livestock at high altitudes anymore

Amreli’s fisherfolk wait for a lifeline by Parth M.N. | Amreli, Gujarat
Lakhs of fisherfolk in this coastal district of Gujarat risk their lives to go to work in increasingly hostile conditions. Long-promised emergency healthcare services continue to elude them

In Totana: ‘We must fill our stomach somehow’ by Parth M.N. | Banaskantha, Gujarat
Like many farmers in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district, Bhanuben Bharwad lost her land to flood damage in 2017. This and recurring climate events have deprived families like hers of food security and nutritious diet

‘We are drowning in the fear of floods’ by Sanket Jain | Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Tenant farmers and agricultural labourers in Kolhapur district are struggling with mental health issues as excessive rainfall and flooding repeatedly destroy their crops and livelihoods

In Kolhapur, ASHAs tell a SAD story by Sanket Jain | Kolhapur, Maharashtra
All is not well with the mental health of women health workers in rural Maharashtra as they grapple with the adverse effects of climate change and deteriorating working conditions

‘Our village was under water for three days’ by Rahul and Aishani Goswami | Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh
Farmers like Devendra, in Sund of Narwar tehsil, say their land still bears the ravages of the 2021 floods in Madhya Pradesh | February 1, 2023

In Vidarbha: agrarian distress, playing on the mind by Parth M.N. | Yavatmal, Maharashtra
Climate uncertainty and the resulting financial loss have created a mental health crisis in this drought-prone region in Maharashtra | March 22, 2023

3

We are happy to share our half-yearly update for the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI) for the period of April to September 2023. These past six months have seen a surge of exciting developments, increased coverage, and impactful contributions to rural journalism, thanks to your continued support.

Climate Change Stories on PARI

Our commitment to comprehensive climate change coverage continues to thrive. Over the past six months, we’ve produced a significant number of stories dedicated to this vital issue (see appendix). These narratives explore the evolving climate patterns, their consequences, and the stories of resilience from rural communities. We are dedicated to shedding light on the local impact of climate change, ensuring that these critical stories reach a broader audience. We encourage you to explore these stories on the PARI website. Our Translations team has diligently translated most of these stories into 14 Indian languages, ensuring that they are accessible to a wide readership.

Some interesting stories include Jaideep Hardikar’s contributions where he has delved into the complex issue of man-animal conflict, offering unique insights into the challenges faced by both rural communities and wildlife; and we are proud to share that two more stories are currently in the pipeline. This series brings to light the crucial need for sustainable coexistence between humans and the animal kingdom.

We also have 16 new documents on Climate change added to our Library. Among many more, these range from reports by the Indian government to declarations by the United Nations to a new lexicon of climate change related words to a record of patterns of migration of people prompted by the changing climate.

In these six months, we also put up the first ever archive of paintings by young Adivasi schoolchildren. We have 111 paintings by 98 children from 57 schools in this first collection from Odisha. You can check this collection out here.

We appreciate your unwavering support that enables us to continue our mission of bringing rural India’s stories to the forefront. As we move forward, we are eager to expand our reach, form new partnerships, and engage in meaningful conversations that contribute to a more informed and empathetic society.

Appendix

Stories on Climate Change:

The times of untimely rain | Jitendra Maid
Heavy and unseasonal rains result in huge losses for pastoralists. Thunder and lightning in parts of Maharashtra in early March 2023 brought back memories of the deluge in Ahmadnagar district a few years ago

In Vidarbha: agrarian distress, playing on the mind | Parth M.N.
Climate uncertainty and the resulting financial loss have created a mental health crisis in this drought-prone region in Maharashtra

Great Indian Bustard: sacrificed for power | Priti David
Two years ago, on April 19, 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that high tension wires in the habitat of the bustard should go underground to protect their only home on the planet. But nothing has been done since then, and the recent death in March 2023 of the endangered bustard is the latest in a series of fatalities

Kangra’s tea gardens: falling off the map | Aakanksha
Once considered the capital of tea in north India, tea gardens in Himachal Pradesh are in distress caused by a changing climate and little state support

In Anakapalli: mango season is not so sweet | Amrutha Kosuru
Over the last five years, mango farmers in Pomula Bheemavaram village of Andhra Pradesh are seeing lower yields caused by unpredictable weather patterns

Surviving Vidarbha’s mental healthcare maze | Parth M.N.
Farmers here struggle with climate change, crop loss and rising debt, which lead to mental health issues. Deficient government schemes and fickle private players aggravate their situations

And a river no longer runs through it | Rana Tiwari
The story of the slow death of the Sai River, the struggles of the villages around it, and of climate change in UP’s Hardoi district. Seen through the lens of the two main persons involved in those struggles

An ancient tree, a changing climate | Pratishtha Pandya
A poem about human apathy towards climate change also speaks of the changing social and political environment in India

Kolhapur district’s water crisis | Jaysing Chavan
In Maharashtra’s Uchgaon village, groundwater levels have dropped sharply. A short film

1/4
Continued…

4

In Jaisalmer: gone with the windmills | Priti David
Solar and wind energy outfits are steadily encroaching upon Rajasthan’s orans – sacred groves set in grasslands which are mis-categorised as ‘wastelands’ in government records. Their rapidly growing presence is drastically changing the ecology and livelihoods

Arunachal’s birds: canary in the coalmine | Vishaka George
Birds in this biodiversity hotspot are shifting their ranges upslope, signalling serious ecological damage in the eastern Himalayas. Alarmed at the change, local people are actively participating in conservation efforts

In Punjab: crop losses, anxiety and debt | Sanskriti Talwar
In Sri Muktsar Sahib district, the impact of climate change is clear and present: two consecutive rabi crops have been devastated by untimely rains and hailstorms. Both livelihoods and homes have taken a hit

Karuvadu: the wet world of dry fish | Aparna Karthikeyan
With sun, salt and skilled hands, women in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, preserve fish. And their own lives. A visit to Therespuram locality brings home the complexity of their universe

Bakarwals: caught between summer and snow | Muzamil Bhat
In the summer of 2023, as Jammu heated up, pastoralists readied to move up into the higher Himalayas. But unusually cold weather in those grazing grounds held them back. While waiting, many lost livestock to unseasonal, heavy rains enroute

Alphonso’s reign is running out | Jaysing Chavan
In Maharashtra’s Konkan region, farmers are worried about the sharp decline in alphonso mango harvests

Birdman and boatman of Nal Sarovar | Zeeshan Tirmizi
Gani Sama has his eye on migratory birds that stop at this large lake near his home near Viramgam, Gujarat

‘It’s a new kind of drought’ | Jaideep Hardikar
Vidarbha’s farmers reeling under drought and financial stress now have a new worry – raids and killings by wild animals who cross over from the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. With little support from the state, they are left to fend for themselves

2/4
Continued…

5

Farm alarms: sounds of desperation | Jaideep Hardikar
Determined to keep out marauding wild animals from nearby tiger reserves and sanctuaries, farmers in Vidarbha are trying battery-operated alarms to save their crops

In Kholdoda: a night watch on a machan | Jaideep Hardikar
For farmers living in and around the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, nightly vigils for their crops are critical and routine. But this is taking a toll on their physical and mental health

Chandrapur’s cultivators: farming in fear | Jaideep Hardikar
Wild animals are attacking people working on land near forest, causing grievous injuries and even fatalities. This comes after price volatilities and climatic aberrations have already put the tiller’s survival here at risk. The bloody fallout of the man-animal conflict around the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is linked to the growing success of Project Tiger

Reports on Climate Change:

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, adopted this Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries on October 31, 1995. In order to ensure effective “conservation, management, and development of living aquatic resources”, the Code lays down ethical principles and international norms of conduct. It recognizes the “nutritional, economic, social, environmental, and cultural” relevance of fisheries, and takes into consideration the interests of different parties.

India State of Forest Report 2021
The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is a biennial publication by the Forest Survey of India – an organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India. The ISFR was first published in 1987 and this 2021 edition is the 17th publication in this series.

Health effects of short and long-term air pollution exposure: Evidence from a survey of residents living in rural and urban regions near Kolkata
This report details the health impact of air pollution on urban and rural population near Kolkata. It was published on July 23, 2022, by Climate Trends, a New Delhi-based organisation working in the climate and development sector.

Climate Inequality Report 2023: Fair taxes for a sustainable future in the Global South
The World Inequality Lab, a research organisation based in Paris, released this report on January 30, 2023. The report compiles the latest research on the unequal distribution of carbon emissions and climate impacts. It presents this along with data gained from interviews with experts in climate and development policy.

The Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index
This report, released by UNICEF on August 20, 2021, assesses children’s exposure and vulnerability to climate change and environmental hazards. It also introduces a framework – the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) – that ranks countries based on levels of vulnerability to “environmental stresses and extreme weather events” faced by children there.

Annual Report 2021-22, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
This report was published by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India on December 14, 2022. It presents the status of various ongoing and upcoming schemes for the year 2021 in the renewable energy (RE) sector. The report states that 2021 was a landmark year for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as the nation crossed the target of ensuring that 40 per cent of its installed energy capacity is from non-fossil sources. This target was met nine years before the deadline proposed during the Paris Agreement.

Climate Change Performance Index: Results 2023
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is a report which assesses the policies adopted by various countries across the world to combat global warming. It has been published annually since 2005. This 2023 edition was authored by Jan Burck, Thea Uhlich and Christoph Bals (Germanwatch); Niklas Höhne and Leonardo Nascimento (NewClimate Institute); and Tasneem Essop (Climate Action Network International).

3/4
Continued…

6

The Paris Agreement
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Paris Agreement on December 12, 2015. The Agreement came into force on November 4, 2016. It is a global treaty on climate change that commits its 195 Parties to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to work towards limiting global increase in temperature to 1.5-2°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels
The Lancet published this 7th edition of their report on health and climate change on October 25, 2022. An international and multidisciplinary collaboration of around 100 contributors, the report evaluates the global health situation in relation to climate change.

Gender and Climate Change: A Climate Equity Vision for now
Climate change and its impacts exacerbate inequalities in a society. Especially in a country like India, the impacts of climate change are felt more severely by socially, economically and politically marginalised populations. Women, particularly those belonging to marginalised communities, are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Despite this, women’s voices and issues are absent from a large number of policy measures focusing on mitigating climate change and adapting to its impacts.

Atlas of Migration: New facts and figures about people on the move
Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, the Berlin-based institute engaged in political education, published the Atlas of Migration in November 2022. This report, the second in the series, aims to change global perceptions around migration and ‘promote openness and pragmatism’.

The Climate Dictionary
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released this 92-page Climate Dictionary on August 8, 2023. It provides simple and concise definitions for 40 climate-related terms frequently in use. Subtitled ‘Speak climate fluently’, the publication aims to “bridge the gap between complex scientific jargon and the general public” and make crucial information on climate change easier to access.

Air Quality Life Index - June 2022
The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) developed by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) is an index that measures particulate air pollution by a very significant metric: its effect on life expectancy. The 2022 annual update of the index was released on June 14, 2022. It was authored by Michael Greenstone, Christa Hasenkopf and Ken Lee, researchers associated with EPIC.

India’s national wildlife action plan 2017-2031
This plan was released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on October 2, 2017. It is the third edition of the National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) for the years 2017-31. The plan makes note of the connection between maintenance of healthy ecosystems and the future of human survival and development on the planet. It takes a wider approach to conservation in formulating plans for the protection of all wildlife, including undomesticated fauna and uncultivated flora. It also considers the impact of climate change on wildlife by incorporating measures for mitigation and adaptation.

Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework
This report was written by the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi and Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bengaluru. Focusing on India’s climate crisis, this report identifies the most vulnerable states and districts. It considers the diverse climate conditions across districts due to distinct exposures and ecosystem vulnerabilities. The report stresses on the need to also create a ‘Risk Index’ for states, involving state climate change centres funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

Mapping India’s Climate Vulnerability – A District Level Assessment
This report was published by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi, on October 26, 2021. It was written by Abinash Mohanty and Shreya Wadhawan, researchers engaged in Risks and Adaptation research at CEEW. The report explains why India needs to measure climate vulnerability and develops an index that maps the climate vulnerability of Indian states and districts. It also provides suggestions for building India’s climate resilience.

4/4
End of Report

7

The whispers of climate change are no longer faint murmurs. Across India’s vast rural landscape, the stark realities of climate change are unfolding, impacting lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. To capture these evolving narratives, PARI delves deeper into diverse aspects of the climate crisis impacting lives across India, offering insights, data, and personal stories.

From the anxieties of Punjab’s farmers battling crop losses to the dwindling winter wonderland of Gulmarg, PARI’s journalists bring you firsthand accounts. Witness the changing fortunes of Tamil Nadu’s fisherfolk in “Karuvadu: Tales from the Drying Fishyards,” and listen to the shifting melodies of Arunachal Pradesh’s birds in “Arunachal’s Birds: A Warning Sign.”

But the impact of PARI’s work transcends mere storytelling. Their dedication is recognised on prestigious platforms. Aparna Karthikeyan’s unwavering voice for farmers earns her the Uzhavar Award, while Shalini Singh’s impactful climate documentaries secure silver in the Ricardo Ortega Memorial Prize. Sanket Jain and Amrutha Kosuru’s powerful narratives receive Jury Appreciation Citations at the Laadli Media Awards, and Jain goes on to claim the Emerging Journalist of the Year Award at Covering Climate Now. These accolades stand as a testament to the power of PARI’s journalism in shaping understanding and driving action. (See all awards PARI has received here.)

STORIES ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Gulmarg isn’t a winter wonderland this January by Muzamil Bhat | Baramulla , Jammu and Kashmir
The Jammu and Kashmir hill station is grappling with a winter tourism drought

Zanskar’s yak herders are feeling the heat by Ritayan Mukherjee | Kargil, Ladakh , Jammu and Kashmir
With temperatures climbing in Ladakh, yak herders in the Zanskar valley are finding it difficult and unprofitable to maintain their herd

In Punjab: crop losses, anxiety and debt by Sanskriti Talwar | Sri Muktsar Sahib , Punjab
In Sri Muktsar Sahib district, the impact of climate change is clear and present: two consecutive rabi crops have been devastated by untimely rains and hailstorms. Both livelihoods and homes have taken a hit

Karuvadu: the wet world of dry fish by M. Palani Kumar | Thoothukkudi , Tamil Nadu
With sun, salt and skilled hands, women in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, preserve fish. And their own lives. A visit to Therespuram locality brings home the complexity of their universe

Bakarwals: caught between summer and snow by Muzamil Bhat | Rajouri , Jammu and Kashmir
In the summer of 2023, as Jammu heated up, pastoralists readied to move up into the higher Himalayas. But unusually cold weather in those grazing grounds held them back. While waiting, many lost livestock to unseasonal, heavy rains enroute

Birdman and boatman of Nal Sarovar by Zeeshan Tirmizi (Student Reporter) | Ahmedabad , Gujarat
Gani Sama has his eye on migratory birds that stop at this large lake near his home near Viramgam, Gujarat

1/2
Continued…

8

REPORTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

EnviStats – India 2023 (Volume I: Environment Statistics)
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, released the first volume of the EnviStats – India 2023 on April 17, 2023.The report collates national as well as state-wide data on rainfall, soil conditions, water and wetlands, forests, biodiversity, climate conditions and the factors influencing them. It derives its data from a variety of sources, ranging from scientific research to remote sensing and thematic mapping.

State of India’s Birds, 2023: Range, trends and conservation status
The State of India’s Birds (SoIB) is a periodic, national-level examination of the distribution range and abundance trends of Indian birds that aids in formulating conservation plans. The SoIB last came out in 2020 evaluating 867 species. This 2023 report updates and expands on the previous one by evaluating 942 species, adding data from 20 million additional reports and refining the analytical methodology.

Report of the Working Group on Climate Change of the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea
Tea cultivation and production are facing significant challenges due to climate change all over the world, this report states. It was published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the 22nd session of the ‘Intergovernmental Group on Tea’ that was held in Naivasha, Kenya on May 25-27, 2016. The report presents recent trends and adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse impact of climate change on tea.

Wastelands Atlas of India - 2019
The Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organisation released the Wastelands Atlas of India – 2019 on November 5, 2019. NRSC along with the Department of Land Resources have conducted periodic assessments of wastelands in the country since 1986. These assessments outline the spatial spread of wasteland areas and the changes in their extent over periods of time.

Mapping India’s Climate Vulnerability – A District Level Assessment
This report was published by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), New Delhi, on October 26, 2021. It was written by Abinash Mohanty and Shreya Wadhawan, researchers engaged in Risks and Adaptation research at CEEW. The report explains why India needs to measure climate vulnerability and develops an index that maps the climate vulnerability of Indian states and districts. It also provides suggestions for building India’s climate resilience.

Climate Vulnerability Assessment for Adaptation Planning in India Using a Common Framework
Focusing on India’s climate crisis, this report identifies the most vulnerable states and districts, and presents the vulnerability index (VI) for states – which lies between 0 and 1 (0 being the lowest VI and 1 the highest). It considers the diverse climate conditions across districts due to distinct exposures and ecosystem vulnerabilities. The report stresses on the need to also create a ‘Risk Index’ for states, involving state climate change centres funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

India’s national wildlife action plan 2017-2031
This plan was released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on October 2, 2017. It is the third edition of the National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) for the years 2017-31. It follows the first (1983-2001) and second (2002-16) NWAPs.

Social protection and informal job market reform for tackling the climate migration nexus
The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London, published this working paper on September 30, 2022. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC) estimates displacement of 31 to 72 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America by 2050 due to water scarcity, rising sea levels and crop failures. Already, according to the IPCC, more than 20 million people across the world have faced displacement each year since 2008 due to extreme weather events. This working paper highlights how communities in two districts in India – Kendrapara in Odisha and Palamu in Jharkhand – are forced into distress migration due to changing climate, lack of social protection measures and marginalisation.

2/2
End of Report.

9

@Vikas request to connect folks from Pradaan Shivganga etc for climate and BoN stories with Pari team please

10

PARI is happy to share our next update on our reportage on Climate change stories since February 2024. Here are stories and reports on Climate Change published on PARI from February to June 2024 on topics of Climate Change, Environment, Forests and Man-Animal Conflicts are listed below. We would like to thank Rainmatter for their continued support, which has made such comprehensive coverage possible. The funds from Rainmatter were utilized towards the editorial (text, photo and video) and translation efforts for publishing these stories. For some of the stories, the funds were used to pay for the reporting efforts.

Stories on Climate Change:

'Who knew the lack of rain could kill my art?’ | Sanket Jain

Sanjay Kamble, a farmer and craftsman from Kerle village in western Maharashtra, makes intricate irlas (bamboo raincoats) by hand. Decreasing rainfall over the last decade and the availability of plastic raincoats have made it difficult for him to pursue his craft

Let Them Eat Rice | Aparna Karthikeyan & Palani Kumar

Markets, mechanisation and changing rainfall patterns together contribute to a marked loss in diversity. To counter it, farmers in Tiruvanamalai, Tamil Nadu are reviving traditional varieties of rice and promoting crops better suited to their rainfed lands

In Palamu: ‘Who cares about the farmer?’ | Ashwini Kumar Shukla

Small and marginal farmers in this district of Jharkhand are reeling under debt, brought on by successive droughts. They say their vote in the General Elections 2024 is for irrigation

Water: not any drop to drink | PARI Team

As summer advances, there is fear and apprehension about the availability of water, especially in rural India. On March 22, World Water Day, PARI presents the many inequalities and injustices in access to clean drinking water – a basic right, but not for everyone

Extreme weather plays havoc with Magahi paan | Umesh Kumar Ray & Shreya Katyayini

Small farmers who cultivate the famed betel leaf in south Bihar say erratic and extreme weather is playing havoc with their crop. State compensation is negligible. Magahi paan leaf received a Geographical Indicator (GI) in 2017, but cultivators say that it has not helped and their woes remain

Kuno’s caged cheetahs and exiled Adivasis | Priti David

Kuno is now a hunting ground for green political optics. Money and state influence are powering a cheetah safari in the guise of a conservation project. For the hundreds of displaced people who vacated the forest for the cats still primarily in cages, finding jobs, schools, firewood and even drinking water is a daily challenge

1/2

Continued…

11

Dukkarwale mama is a man in a hurry! | Jaideep Hardikar
Vitthal Badkhal is a godsend for farmers in and around Chandrapur district and the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. 'Dukkarwale mama' as he is called here, is a compensation crusader, educating and actively helping farmers file claims to recover the losses caused by wild animal raids

Rights on paper, struggles on ground | Rudrath Avinashi
Himalayan pastoralists find they cannot access state welfare schemes, forest rights and even ration cards that they are entitled to. Some like Abdul Rashid Sheikh and Nazir Ahmed Dinda have become RTI activists in an attempt to seek accountability from the state

Chandrapur’s cultivators: farming in fear | Jaideep Hardikar
Wild animals are attacking people working on land near forest, causing grievous injuries and even fatalities. This comes after price volatilities and climatic aberrations have already put the tiller’s survival here at risk. The bloody fallout of the man-animal conflict around the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is linked to the growing success of Project Tiger

‘Who drowned Delhi?’ | Shalini Singh
The capital is getting a facelift as it gears up to host the G20 meet on September 8, 2023. But the sprucing up is selective. Those residents of Delhi who have been displaced by the recent Yamuna floods and on-going development projects on its banks, are now living on public roads, and told to ‘stay out of sight’

Mumbai's Adivasis stand up to be counted | Ishita Pradeep
On World Indigenous People’s Day, Adivasis who live in and around Mumbai’s Aarey forest gathered for a show of strength and solidarity

When elephants come calling in Birbhum | Sayan Sarkar
In Patalpur village, it's only the family of farmers, Ujjwal and Chandana Das who are still holding out against annual raids that devastate their crops and destroy their home. The rest of the village has left

In Jaisalmer: gone with the windmills | Priti David & Urja
Solar and wind energy outfits are steadily encroaching upon Rajasthan’s orans – sacred groves set in grasslands which are mis-categorised as ‘wastelands’ in government records. Their rapidly growing presence is drastically changing the ecology and livelihoods

‘Where will we go leaving everything behind?’ | Labani Jangi
At the Deocha Pachami coal mine in West Bengal, women are at the forefront of the protest to save their land and livelihoods. An artist tells us the story of their determined fight through a series of illustrations

2/2
End of Report

12

From the drought land | Syed Merajuddin

A poet writes about the farmers across central India dealing with extreme weather conditions as strong heat wave sweeps through the northern part of the country this year

‘How will ragi grow in this heat’ | Sanviti Iyer

Temperatures are changing in the Nilgiris, it’s warmer and drier now. Farmers from Irula and Soliga Adivasi communities say that changing rainfall patterns make it difficult to farm millets like ragi, cholam and samai

Birds in West Kameng: Micah has them in focus | Binaifer Bharucha

Capturing rare birds on camera is more than just getting a good shot.

The search for water | Achyutanand Dwivedi and Prabhat Sinha

In Satara district of Maharashtra, a film on the acute water crisis

Wayanad: water, soil, banks and bodies | M. Palanikumar

A photographer visits the scene of loss

Kuno’s folk: missing the wood and the trees | Priti David

Thousands of Sahariya Adivasis who have lived here for centuries and depended on the forest for their livelihoods, are now banned from entering. September 2024 marks two years since the state shut them out for a cheetah safari park

Trapped by climate change in Brahmaputra | Mahibul Haque

The seppa, bair, darki, duyer, diyaar are just some of the indigenous bamboo fishing traps that Jalal Ali crafts for a living. But truant monsoons have shrunk Assam’s many waterbodies, and the demand for fishing traps has fallen sharply, and so has his income

Ambegaon’s farmers fear raiding bisons | Aavishkar Dudhal

The loss of forest habitats is driving Indian bison and other wildlife onto farms here in Maharashtra. The consequent crop destruction and low compensation are forcing farmers to abandon agriculture

Karauli’s farmers hit by a changing climate| Kabir Naik

In the village of Khirkhiri, untimely rain is wreaking havoc with the harvest, and even livestock are not spared. A video capturing the voices of farmers across Rajasthan’s Karauli district

The waters of the Sutlej run black | Arshdeep Arshi

The ‘Kale Pani Da Morcha’ saw thousands of people turn out in Ludhiana to protest the state’s apathy, and call attention to the continuing pollution in the Buddha nala which empties into the Sutlej, once a source of potable water for drinking and irrigation

Adivasis in Panna tiger park: dammed futures | Priti David

First, they were moved to make space for tigers. Now it’s the Ken-Betwa river linking project that is grabbing forest dwellers’ land. The uncertainty about compensation, displacement dates and destination, is happening all over again

The winter night with no end… | Prabhu Mamadapur

In Bhopal, 40 years after toxic methyl isocyanate leaked from the factory of Union Carbide India Limited, survivors continue to live with the aftereffects and trauma. Legal battles for compensation drag on

The PARI Library: wrapping up 2024 | Swadesha Sharma

Looking back at some of the most interesting and important resources released and archived this year we realise that the frontrunners had much to do with the elections, economy and the environment

Surviving a flood of problems in Assam | Ashwini Kumar Shukla

The annual flooding of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries throws up many challenges for people living in flood-affected areas. The lack of potable water and the challenges of sustaining agriculture in fields submerged annually are some of the daily stresses

Cosmetic changes for Adivasis | K.A. Shaji

In Kerala’s forests, the Kadar Adivasi community soon to be displaced for a hydro-electric project, say the Union Budget 2025 will not help them survive displacement due to ‘development’

In Sunderbans, women feel the heat | Ritwika Mitra

As the main workers on boat cruises in the Sunderbans, women battle a myriad health issues brought on by rising heat in the region

Walnut rates keep dropping | Suhail Bhat

In Kashmir, cheaper imports and a changing climate is affecting the walnut trade – an annual income that is shrinking

REPORTS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

India State of Forest Report 2023: Volumes I&II

The 2023 edition of the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) in two volumes, is published by the Forest Survey of India. It uses the term ‘forest cover’ for all lands including agro forestry like orchards, bamboo and palm plantations irrespective of ownership and legal status. As per the report, the forest and tree cover of the country is 8,27,356.95 square kilometres, which is 25.17 per cent of the geographical area of the country.

Urban Heat Stress Tracker: Smaller cities-Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow and Pune

This report, published by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), tracks the patterns of heat and land surface temperature along with urban expansion between 2001-2023 in Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow and Pune. It highlights the growing concerns over rapidly changing climate trends and an increase in the incidence of heat waves across Indian cities.

Our Beaches, Our Sea: Heritage of Fishing Communities, Usufruct of all citizens

Janakeeya Padana Samithi (JPS), a committee comprising oceanographers and social scientists published this report investigating the impact of Vizhinjam International Seaport (VIS) on livelihood and ecology. It highlights potential livelihood disruptions and financial losses incurred by the coastal community due to VIS.

2024 Global Hunger Index: How Gender Justice Can Advance Climate Resilience and Zero Hunger

Welthungerhilfe and the Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict, Germany, along with Concern Worldwide, Ireland released this report in October 2024. This editon, 19th in the Global Hunger Index series, highlights the importance of considering the existing gendered and unequal access to resources while working towards the goals of climate resilience and hunger eradication.

The Mysterious Mangroves of Bhitarkanika

A children’s book authored by Katie Bagli and featuring illustrations by Priya Kurian, The Mysterious Mangroves of Bhitarkanika was published in 2024 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Through the story of two young children the book takes readers into the Bhitarkanika mangroves of Odisha and educates them about the flora and fauna of the wetlands.

Air Pollution in India: Health and Economic Impact

Artha Centre for Rapid Insights published this report examining the health and economic consequences of worsening air pollution in India, particularly in the northern states. The the report found that more than half of respondents or their relations reported pollution-induced respiratory illness. It calls for a transition from city-focused air pollution policy to an ‘airshed-based’ approach that considers cross-border pollution flows.

Natural-disaster and Displacement in Assam: The Case of Floods and Impact on Marginalised Communities

This issue brief, published by the Delhi-based Social Policy Research Foundation reviews existing literature on the impact of recurring floods in Assam. It explores how floods increase the risk of displacement for vulnerable communities and assesses the adequacy of disaster management and rehabilitation measures implemented by government authorities.

Understanding the Differential Impacts of Climate Change on Women and Children Across India’s Agro Ecological Zones

In May 2024, the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation published this study examining how climate change disproportionately affects women and children across India’s 15 agro-ecological zones (AEZs). It documents how disasters impact children’s education, health, and safety, and how women face greater food insecurity, domestic violence, and reproductive health risks.