Unprecedented Drought in North East India Compared to Western India

Parida, Bikash Ranjan; Oinam, Bakimchandra

doi:10.18520/cs/v109/i11/2121-2126

Cited by 32 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This has devastated agricultural lands and declined farm productivity, forcing people to migrate to nearby cities in search of alternative livelihoods. The frequency of unprecedented droughts is reported to have increased in recent decades in NEI leading to adverse agricultural impacts (Parida and Oinam, 2015).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on socio-hydrological spaces of the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam, Northeast India: A review

et al. 2022

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Intensification of the water cycle mediated by global warming increases the risk of hydrological disasters by modifying precipitation patterns across the globe which leads to adverse socio-economic impacts, especially in developing countries. Socio-hydrological spaces in the vicinity of major river systems are prone to the devastating effects of hydrological disasters yet attract human settlements due to the availability of fertile lands that support agriculture. The Brahmaputra floodplain (BFP) of Assam in Northeast India (NEI) is one such region that supports a high population in spite of being ravaged by annual floods and occasional droughts. The current study attempts to critically review the climate change impacts on socio-hydrological spaces of the BFP exploring climate change-hazard-lives and livelihood linkages of floodplain dwellers. This work utilizes peer reviewed articles along with reports of government and international/national organizations to critically appraise the following-(i) existing climate and fluvial hazard scenario in the BFP, (ii) impacts of climate change on the fluvial hazard and agriculture in the BFP, and (iii) the adaptation and mitigation measures that exist in the BFP. Shifts in the long-term trends of temperature and rainfall have occurred over this region leading to speculations on future scenarios of hydrological hazards and their impacts. Studies project an alteration in the hydrology and flow regime of the Brahmaputra River under climate warming scenarios which will influence the hazard characteristics with implications for agriculture and food security. Integrating disaster risk reduction with agricultural management can provide better climate resilience to the farming communities in the BFP.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change impacts on socio-hydrological spaces of the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam, Northeast India: A review

et al. 2022

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“…The Eastern Himalayas along with the hills of NEI (including the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia hills, Arakan hills) also show tremendous diversity in vegetation and rainfall. Over the past few years, there is evidence of decreasing rainfall and increasing temperature, with reports of unusual drought conditions in many parts of the NEI region [28][29][30]. These changes have been linked to rising global temperatures, which reduce the transport of moisture over NEI, resulting in less rainfall than normal [31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The absence of alternative stable states in vegetation cover of northeastern India

2022

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Globally, forests and savannah are shown to be alternative stable states for intermediate rainfall regimes. This has implications for how these ecosystems respond to changing rainfall conditions. However, we know little about the occurrence of alternative stable states in forest ecosystems in India. In this study, we investigate the possibility of alternative stable states in the vegetation cover of northeastern India, which is a part of the Eastern Himalaya and the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots. To do so, we construct the so-called state diagram, by plotting frequency distributions of vegetation cover as a function of mean annual precipitation (MAP). We use remotely sensed satellite data of the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) as a proxy for vegetation cover (at 1 km resolution). We find that EVI exhibits unimodal distribution across a wide range of MAP. Specifically, EVI increases monotonically in the range 1000–2000 mm of MAP, after which it plateaus. This range of MAP corresponds to the vegetation transitional zone (1200–3700 m), whereas MAP greater than 2000 mm covers the larger extent of the tropical forest (less than or equal to 1200 m) of northeast India. In other words, we find no evidence for alternative stable states in vegetation cover or forest states at coarser scales in northeast India.

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“…Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have reported droughts at least once every three years, while Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal have also suffered from frequent droughts. The major drought-prone states in India are Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha [5,6]. Large parts of southern Afghanistan, southern parts of Pakistan (Baluchistan and Sindh States), north-western Bangladesh (Rajshahi, Khushtia, Jessore, and Khulna Divisions) and north-western Nepal also experience frequent droughts [7][8][9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Large Seed Banks Requirement for Drought Risk Management in South Asia

Khatri‐Chhetri

Aggarwal

2017

Sustainability

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Agriculture in South Asia is largely dependent on rainfall, where about two-thirds of the cultivable lands lack irrigation facilities. In recent years, increasing frequency and severity of droughts have had a severe impact on rainfed agriculture and livelihood of millions of farmers in the region. There are numerous drought adaptation and mitigation options available for rainfed agriculture. A seed bank is one of those options that can play an important role in minimizing the effect of droughts on crop production. This paper assesses the need for seed banks in rainfed/partially irrigated areas of South Asia for the purpose of drought risk management. The need for additional seeds of the main crops or suitable alternative crops for re-sowing/planting after drought-induced losses of the main crop was assessed by using long-term gridded rainfall data and crop information. Results show that very limited rainfed areas in South Asia require additional seeds of main or alternative crops for drought risk management once in five to seven years' drought return period. About 90 percent of such areas in South Asia may require additional seeds for drought risk management once in 10 years or more. The timing and severity of droughts during cropping season and cost/benefits of seed bank maintenance play a major role in choosing additional seeds for the main crops and/or alternate crops for maintenance in the large seed banks. This study shows that, despite the large investment requirement, maintenance of large seed banks for drought risks management is economically viable for the limited areas in South Asia.

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Unprecedented Drought in North East India Compared to Western India

Cited by 32 publications

References 8 publications

Climate change impacts on socio-hydrological spaces of the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam, Northeast India: A review

Climate change impacts on socio-hydrological spaces of the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam, Northeast India: A review

The absence of alternative stable states in vegetation cover of northeastern India

Assessment of Large Seed Banks Requirement for Drought Risk Management in South Asia

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