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Water Security, Climate Change and Sustainable Development pp 41–63Cite as

Adapting to Climate Variability and Change in India

Part of the Water Resources Development and Management book series (WRDM)

Abstract

Responding to rainfall variability has always been one of the most critical risks facing farmers. It is also an integral part of the job of water managers, whether it be designing interventions for flood management, improving the reliability of water supply for irrigation or advising on priorities during drought conditions. The conventional tools and approaches employed are no longer sufficient to manage the increasing uncertainty and incidence of extreme climate events, and the consequent effects these have on human vulnerability and food security. To be effective, the technological advances need to be matched with physical, institutional and management innovations that transcend sectors, and place adaptation and responsiveness to variability at the centre of the approach. This chapter examines a number of these challenges and possible solutions at a range of scales, from ‘climate-smart villages’ to national policy, with a focus on Asia and India, in particular.

Keywords

  • Manage Aquifer Recharge
  • Crop Insurance
  • Surface Storage
  • Central Ground Water Board
  • Land Surface Water Index

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Notes

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    USD 1 = INR 64 (as at July 2015).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka

    J. Bird, S. Roy, V. Smakhtin, G. Amarnath, U. A. Amarasinghe & P. G. McCornick

  2. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Anand, India

    T. Shah

  3. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), New Delhi, India

    P. Aggarwal

  4. International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Vientiane, Lao PDR

    P. Pavelic

Authors
  1. J. Bird
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  2. S. Roy
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  3. T. Shah
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  4. P. Aggarwal
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  5. V. Smakhtin
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  6. G. Amarnath
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  7. U. A. Amarasinghe
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  8. P. Pavelic
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  9. P. G. McCornick
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Bird .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. para Manejo del Agua, Centro del Tercer Mundo para Manejo del Agua, Atizapán, Estado de México, Mexico

    Asit K. Biswas

  2. Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore, Singapore

    Cecilia Tortajada

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Bird, J. et al. (2016). Adapting to Climate Variability and Change in India. In: Biswas, A., Tortajada, C. (eds) Water Security, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Water Resources Development and Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-976-9_4

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