Droughts and Floods

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December 12, 2022 Study looks at behavioral biases in crop insurance adoption
Adoption rate of crop insurance low in India despite government efforts (Image: PxHere, CC0 Public Domain)
October 30, 2022 This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
September 13, 2022 Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop!
Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)
August 21, 2022 Floods are not feared, but rather welcomed by the Mishing communities from Majuli island in Assam as they bring bountiful fish- a rich source of food, nutrition and livelihood for the community.
The Majuli island, a haven for fish (Image Source: Usha Dewani, India Water Portal)
August 10, 2022 The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons):
August 2, 2022 The frequency and intensity of floods is on the rise in Assam spelling doom for fish biodiversity.
Life during floods in Assam (Image Source: Kausika Bordoloi via Wikimedia Commons)
New data shows Indian landmass warming
The warming of Indian landmass has been confirmed through past climate records captured in depths of the earth. Posted on 14 Nov, 2018 02:40 PM

Scientists are literally looking into the ground for clinching evidence of climate change. A new study of geothermal records across India has shown that the country has experienced about one degree of warming over the baseline mean temperature of the 19th century.

Researchers collect geothermal data through boreholes. (Pic: ISW)
The unique Himalayan wetlands
The Himalayan wetlands are under threat due to unregulated urbanisation and unsustainable tourism. Urgent attention at the policy level is the need of the hour. Posted on 03 Nov, 2018 08:33 AM

Wetlands are very important and productive ecosystems that support a wide range of plants and animals and provide livelihood opportunities to local communities in India.

A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Few districts in the country drought resilient: Study
News this week Posted on 31 Oct, 2018 10:40 AM

Human activities are taking a heavy toll on country's resilience to drought

Parched land during drought in India. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Vidarbha farmer's date with success
Farmer Thangavel tastes success with date farming in the drought-prone region of Vidarbha. Posted on 30 Oct, 2018 10:12 AM

In a drought-prone region like Vidarbha in Maharashtra, mostly in the news for water scarcity and farmer suicide, it is not every day that you hear the success story of a farmer. That's why the story of Savi Thangavel, 69, a resident of Mohegaon village which is just 22 km from Nagpur, is special.

Thangavel date farm (Source: India Water Portal)
Green Climate Fund aid for coastal communities
Policy matters this week Posted on 23 Oct, 2018 10:47 AM

Fund approved to boost climate resilience among coastal communities

Coastal communities in India (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Artificial lake forms in Brahmaputra
News this week Posted on 23 Oct, 2018 10:27 AM

Artificial lake in Brahmaputra in China, flood threat in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam wanes

A flooded river in Assam (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Cyclone Titli hits Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
News this week Posted on 16 Oct, 2018 12:38 PM

Cyclone Titli devastates Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

A file photo shows a severe cyclonic storm in progress. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Global warming impacts on India to be huge
The latest report from the UN's climate change panel says that world is already witnessing the consequences of one-degree global warming. Posted on 09 Oct, 2018 04:25 PM

The latest report of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), formally released on Monday, warns that global warming is occurring faster than anticipated and that it can have devastating impacts if steps are not taken to cut down emissions. 

Extreme weather events like floods indicate climate change. (Photo: IWP flickr photos)
Wetlands disappearing three times faster than forests
News this week Posted on 02 Oct, 2018 11:43 AM

World is losing the wetlands at a rate of 0.78 percent a year: Ramsar Convention

Deepor Beel in Assam (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Kerala floods and after
The reason behind Kerala floods is a lot more than what the CWC wants us to believe. Posted on 27 Sep, 2018 05:11 PM

Every time there is a huge flood in India with massive loss of lives and extensive physical damage, there is a hue and cry. Especially, if this takes place in an area not normally prone to such floods. Assam and Bihar, for instance, are regularly laid waste by floods and so, there is not much agitation over that anymore.

The floods in Kerala have taken nearly 400 lives and have displaced around 1.2 million people. (Image: Ranjith Siji via Wikimedia Commons)
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