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Purpose: The study attempts to estimate farm subsidies the governments can save by transitioning to a millet-based production system, replacing GHG emission-intensive crops. Design/methodology/approach: It updates a 131 × 131 commodity input–output (IO) table of the year 2015–16 into 2021–22 using the RAS procedure and simulates the economy-wide impacts of replacing rice and wheat with pearl millet and sorghum using consumption and production approaches. It then quantifies fertilizer, electricity and credit subsidy expenses the government can save through this intervention. It also estimates the potential reduction in GHG emissions that the transition could bring about. India is taken as a case. Findings: Results show pearl millet expansion brings greater benefits to the government. It is estimated that when households return to their pearl millet consumption rates that prevailed in the early-reform period, this could save the Indian government Rs. 622 crores (USD 75 m). The savings shall be reinvested in agriculture to finance climate adaptation/mitigation efforts, contributing to a sustainable food system. Net GHG emissions also decline by 3.3–3.6 MMT CO2e. Practical implications: Indian government has been actively aiming to bring down paddy areas since 2013–14 through the Crop Diversification Program and promoting millets (and pulses and oilseeds) on these farms. The prime reason is to check rapidly declining groundwater irrigation in Green Revolution states. Regulations in the past in these states have not brought the intended results. Meanwhile, electricity and fertilizers are heavily subsidized for agriculture. A slight shift in the cropping system can help conserve these resources. Meanwhile, GHG emissions could also be brought down and subsidies could well be saved. The results of the study indicate the same. Social implications: A less warm society is what governments and nongovernment organizations across the world are aiming for at present. Financial implications affect actions against climate change to a greater extent, apart from technological innovations. The effects of policy strategies discussed in the study, taking a large country as a case, when implemented appropriately around the regions, could help move a step closer to action against climate change. Originality/value: The paper addresses a key but rarely explored research issue – that how a climate-sensitive crop choice will help reduce the government's fiscal burden to finance climate adaption/mitigation. It also offers a mechanism to estimate the benefits within an economy-wide framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability induced increased frequency of disasters has affected the livelihood of the people especially in developing countries. Rural communities are more affected and vulnerable towards these events due to limited livelihood alternatives. The exponentially increasing population, unsustainable use of natural resources and increasing disparities in social structure have posed threats to rural livelihoods. Climate variability and change have adversely affected agriculture and allied activities but more so in mountainous regions where the agriculture is still primarily rain-fed and is practised by smallholder farmers. Thus, livelihood vulnerability assessment is essential for suggesting suitable adaptation strategies and making policy decisions. This paper makes an attempt to examine livelihood vulnerability using composite vulnerability index. Evidence is given from blocks (administrative divisions of the district) of Dimapur district of Nagaland in India. We constructed livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) by incorporating site-specific indicators for its three components (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity). The results revealed that all the blocks were greatly affected by climate variability and its induced drought. Niuland block was found the most vulnerable block followed by Kuhuboto, Dhansiripar and Medziphema blocks. Livelihood vulnerability in Niuland, Kuhuboto and Dhansiripar blocks is attributed to high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity. Sensitivity has predominantly increased livelihood vulnerability in Medziphema block. Thus, the study calls for policy implications to reduce the extent of livelihood vulnerability. LVI as a policy tool has proved to be effective in livelihood vulnerability assessment. Hence, it can successfully be utilised in other geographical regions for policy interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera correcta are two important fruit flies that are distributed in India and keep spreading to other countries due to global warming. To colonize other countries, they need to have the ability to adapt to winter temperatures, and it is thus important to know the factors behind their rapid cold hardening ability. In this study, we identified the temperature at which the two species showed the highest survival rate and performed transcriptome sequencing to explore the potential key genes involved in their rapid cold hardening ability. We identified four heat shock protein genes and tested their expression levels using RT-qPCR. Finally, we knocked down these genes to test their function in rapid cold hardening. We found that the survival rate after rapid cold hardening was related to the expression level of Hsp68 and Hsp70 in B. dorsalis and to that of Hsp23 and Hsp70 in B. correcta. This study helps elucidate the adaptation mechanism underlying the rapid cold acclimation-hardening ability of the two species and provides information for studies related to the mechanism of their tolerance to cold temperatures. Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera correcta are two invasive species that can cause major economic damage to orchards and the fruit import and export industries. Their distribution is advancing northward due to climate change, which is threatening greater impacts on fruit production. This study tested the rapid cold-hardening ability of the two species and identified the temperature associated with the highest survival rate. Transcriptome data and survival data from the two Bactrocera species' larvae were obtained after rapid cold-hardening experiments. Based on the sequencing of transcripts, four Hsp genes were found to be affected: Hsp68 and Hsp70, which play more important roles in the rapid cold hardening of B. dorsalis, and Hsp23 and Hsp70, which play more important roles in the rapid cold hardening of B. correcta. This study explored the adaptability of the two species to cold, demonstrated the expression and function of four Hsps in response to rapid cold hardening, and explained the occurrence and expansion of these two species of tephritids, offering information for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's economy is rooted in agriculture, and the majority of the farmers, being smallholders, are highly exposed to the adversities associated with climate change. It has been argued by several researchers that perceiving climate change is a pre-condition for the adoption of adaptation strategies to reduce vulnerabilities. In this regard, studies are limited to explore the question 'is the perceptions of changing climate primarily motivate the smallholders to take adaptation actions?' In this nexus, the present paper seeks to understand the linkages between smallholders' climate change perception and the changes in their farming practices. The study was conducted in the seven villages of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, India, using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools. Key results show, (1) respondents perceived increased warming and decreased precipitation in accordance with the scientific analysis; (2) abundance of groundwater, misconceptions and lack of awareness shaped respondents' agricultural risk perception, and despite decreasing precipitation, water management appeared less risky (3) incorporation of irrigation, diversification towards high valued and high yielding crops, as well as farm mechanizations were the major changes in the farming practices; and, (4) except water management, rest of the changes were not necessarily made to adapt with climate change instead to increase crop yield and profit. It is noticed that the changes in farming practices perhaps made the farmers unconsciously adapted to climate change. Still, a prolonged continuation of some of those practices may lead to maladaptation. In this regard, we have given direction towards necessary policy formulation and future research to achieve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to the growing literature highlighting the significance of assessing risk and vulnerability, micro-level perceptions and adaptation decision-making in building resilience of farm communities to climate change in dryland region of India. To select a region for grassroots enquiry, spatial differential in risk to climate change was assessed in Rajasthan, using IPCC AR5 framework. Among the highly vulnerable and risky districts, Bikaner district was selected for elicitation of micro-level imperatives. Rising atmospheric temperature, inter-seasonal displacements of rainfall and recurrence of extreme events were perceived by the farmers resulting in resource degradation, production risks and erosion of households' socio-economic dynamics. As risk preventive measures, suitable adjustment in agricultural practices, natural resource management, shift to off-farm activities and other relief measures were adopted by the farmers. Farmer's choice of adaptation was influenced by several climatic, socio-economic and infrastructural & institutional factors in varying degree. Moreover, several financial, economic, infrastructural and informational bottlenecks to adaptations were reported during household survey and FGDs. The results suggest that capturing grassroots evidence is crucial for directing locally tailored adaptation strategies, along with the improving deficiencies in the developmental pathways for climate-resilient agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mountains are one of the most ecological functional areas and provide wide range of ecosystem services (ESs) to the adjoining people. However, the mountainous ESs are highly vulnerable due to land use and land cover (LULC) change and climate change. Therefore, evaluations of the nexus between ESs and mountainous communities are essentially required for policy purpose. This study aims to assess ESs by analyzing LULC focusing in three ecosystems (forest, agriculture, and home garden) from urban and peri-urban areas for last 3 decades, applying participatory and geospatial approaches for a mountainous city in Eastern Himalayan Region (EHR), India. The findings showed that a substantial loss in ESs has occurred during the period. Moreover, there were substantial variations of ecosystem importance and dependency between urban and peri-urban areas with highest importance of provisioning ESs in peri-urban areas and cultural ESs in urban areas. Moreover, among the three ecosystems, forests were strongly supporting the peri-urban areas communities. The result demonstrated that the communities are highly dependent on various ESs for their livelihoods, but the changes of LULC had substantial impact on the loss of ESs. Therefore, implementation of effective land uses planning strategies and measures for ecological security and livelihood sustainability is to be managed with people participation in mountainous areas. Highlights: Social and geospatial approach was used to evaluate socio-ecological nexus. Losses in ecosystem services (ESs) were evident in the region during the last 3 decades. Effective land use planning for management of ecosystems in mountainous regions may provide solution to the degradation of the ES flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Structured lifestyle change education reduces the burden of cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes. Delivery of these programs at worksites could overcome barriers to program adoption and improve program sustainability and reach; however, tailoring to the worksite setting is essential. Methods: The Integrating Diabetes Prevention in Workplaces (INDIA-WORKS) study tested the implementation and effectiveness of a multi-level program for reducing cardiometabolic disease risk factors at 11 large and diverse worksites across India. Herein, we describe and classify program adaptations reported during in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with worksite managers, program staff, and peer educators involved in program delivery, and program participants and drop-outs. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes in the data and classified reported program adaptations using the FRAME classification system. Results: Adaptations were led by worksite managers, peer educators, and program staff members. They occurred both pre- and during program implementation and were both planned (proactive) and unplanned (proactive and reactive). The most frequently reported adaptations to the individual-level intervention were curriculum changes to tailor lessons to the local context, make the program more appealing to the workers at the site, or add a wider variety of exercise options. Other content adaptations included improvements to the screening protocol, intervention scheduling, and outreach plans to tailor participant recruitment and retention to the sites. Environment-level content adaptations included expanding or leveraging healthy food and exercise options at the worksites. Challenges to adaptation included scheduling and worksite-level challenges. Participants discussed the need to continue adapting the program in the future to continue making it relevant for worksite settings and engaging for employees. Conclusion: This study describes and classifies site-specific modifications to a structured lifestyle change education program with worksite-wide health improvements in India. This adds to the literature on implementation adaptation in general and worksite wellness in India, a country with a large and growing workforce with, or at risk of, serious cardiometabolic diseases. This information is key for program scale-up, dissemination, and implementation in other settings. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02813668. Registered June 27, 2016 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for agile and adaptable health systems to cope with disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic is well established. Developing countries' health systems are a mix of market, hierarchy, and collaborative arrangements. Collaborative arrangements are considered superior in responding to a crisis, but a comparative assessment of the three modes in the face of a crisis needs to be improved. Further, very little is known about the adaptation of collaborative arrangements that existed before the crisis, as extant research has primarily examined arrangements that emerged in the wake of the crisis. We assess the response of three governance modes to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. A mixed-method approach has been adopted: structured interviews with the domain experts, secondary data, and Twitter analytics framework. Both hierarchy and markets demonstrated adaptability, but market arrangements were mal-adapted to exploit the situation. Contrary to expectations, hierarchy arrangements responded with agility and delivered services substantially. Preexisting collaborative arrangements had limited adaptability due to non-convergence of expectations and reduced dependence, leading partners to choose alternative venues rather than engaging in bargaining and negotiation. The findings contribute to the limited literature on the comparative assessment of modes of governance and adaptability of preexisting collaborative arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A genomic study was conducted to identify the effects of urbanization and environmental contaminants with heavy metals on selection footprints in dairy cattle populations reared in the megacity of Bengaluru, South India. Dairy cattle reared along the rural–urban interface of Bengaluru with/without access to roughage from public lakeshores were selected. The genotyped animals were subjected to the cross-population–extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) methodology to infer selection sweeps caused by urbanization (rural, mixed, and urban) and environmental contamination with cadmium and lead. We postulated that social-ecological challenges contribute to mechanisms of natural selection. A number of selection sweeps were identified when comparing the genomes of cattle located in rural, mixed, or urban regions. The largest effects were identified on BTA21, displaying pronounced peaks for selection sweeps for all three urbanization levels (urban_vs_rural, urban_vs_mixed and rural_vs_mixed). Selection sweeps are located in chromosomal segments in close proximity to the genes lrand rab interactor 3 (RIN3), solute carrier family 24 member 4 (SLC24A4), tetraspanin 3 (TSPAN3), and proline-serine-threonine phosphatase interacting protein 1 (PSTPIP1). Functional enrichment analyses of the selection sweeps for all three comparisons revealed a number of gene ontology (GO) and KEGG terms, which were associated with reproduction, metabolism, and cell signaling-related functional mechanisms. Likewise, a number of the chromosomal segments under selection were observed when creating cattle groups according to cadmium and lead contaminations. Stronger and more intense positive selection sweeps were observed for the cadmium contaminated group, i.e., signals of selection on BTA 16 and BTA19 in close proximity to genes regulating the somatotropic axis (growth factor receptor bound protein 2 (GRB2) and cell ion exchange (chloride voltage-gated channel 6 (CLCN6)). A few novel, so far uncharacterized genes, mostly with effects on immune physiology, were identified. The lead contaminated group revealed sweeps which were annotated with genes involved in carcass traits (TNNC2, SLC12A5, and GABRA4), milk yield (HTR1D, SLCO3A1, TEK, and OPCML), reproduction (GABRA4), hypoxia/stress response (OPRD1 and KDR), cell adhesion (PCDHGC3), inflammatory response (ADORA2A), and immune defense mechanism (ALCAM). Thus, the findings from this study provide a deeper insight into the genomic regions under selection under the effects of urbanization and environmental contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, a popular trope is adapting cultural myths and religious iconographies into visceral images of the monster in literary and visual representations. Cinematic representations of the Indian monster are modelled on existing folklore narratives and religious tales where the idea of the monster emerges from cultural imagination and superstitions of the land. Since it rationalizes several underlying archetypes in which gods are worshipped in their monstrous identities and disposition, the trope of the monster is used in cinema to indicate the transformation from an ordinary human figure to a monstrous human Other. This paper examines cinematic adaptations of monster figures in Malayalam cinema, the South Indian film industry of Kerala. The cultural practice of religious rituals that worship monstrous gods is part of the collective imagination of the land of Kerala through which films represent fearsome images of transformed humans. This article argues that cultural monsters are human subjects that take inspiration from mythical monster stories to perform in a terrifying way. Their monstrous disposition is a persona that is both a powerful revelation of repressed desires and a manifestation of the resistance against certain cultural fears associated with them. The analysis of several Malayalam films, such as Kaliyattam (1997) Manichithrathazhu (1993) and Ananthabhadram (2005), reveals how film performance adapts mythological narrative elements to create new cultural intertexts of human monsters that are psychotically nuanced and cinematically excessive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change induced frequent disasters pose severe threats to agro-based rural livelihoods. Perceptions of risks play a critical role in planning and averting disasters. Lack of analytical documentation concerning how vulnerable communities perceive climate risks is a barrier to addressing and averting disasters and maladaptation. Applying a mixed approach, this study examines the perception of households concerning climate change and analyses the impacts of climate change on livelihood in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest northeastern state of India, with severe climate related challenges. Conceptual livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) framework of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is adopted to analyse the climate change induced vulnerability on livelihood. A total 450 households from 18 villages located in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh were surveyed during October, 2021 for retrieving the ground complexities in the region. Decrease in yields, frequent landslides and floods, livestock losses and unpredictable weather condition were perceived by the sampled households. The LVI analysis indicated that households are vulnerable in Arzoo, Perum, Pekong and Amliang villages requiring priority for lessening livelihood vulnerability and increasing coping capacity of the communities. Correlation analysis indicated that climate variability, natural disaster, health, food and social components attributed to livelihood vulnerability in the study area. Alternate livelihood, enhancing preparedness to disasters, inclusion of women in workforce, sustainable livelihood practices and government assistance are some of the suggestions made to enhance the adaptation of local communities in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the respective risk perception toward the Covid-19 pandemic among the elderly in two developing countries and their lifestyle change and adaptation behavior as a result of that. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted among people aged 60 to 85 in Iran and India. The interview guideline was based on two constructs inspired by the study of Gerhold (2020) – risk perception of the pandemic and change in lifestyle and adaptation to the pandemic situation. Findings: The results showed that although the majority of the interviewees initially experienced fear and anxiety during the stay-at-home order and the pandemic situation at large, they quickly adapted to the new situation with behavioral and attitudinal changes in ways relevant to the new normal. The results confirmed the maturation hypothesis proposed by Knight et al. (2000). Originality/value: This paper is an original study of the researchers and among the first contributing to the literature of the elderly studies in developing countries. It contributes to the knowledge required for future behavioral studies concerning the Covid-19 pandemic by evaluating the experiences, risk perception and adaptation approaches of the older people in India and Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has 50 registered breeds of native cattle (Bos indicus) which are locally adapted to diverse environmental conditions. This study aimed to investigate the genomic basis of adaptation of native Indian cattle and to predict the impact of key SNPs on the amino acid changes that affect protein function. The Illumina 777 K BovineHD BeadChip was used to genotype 178 native cattle belonging to contrasting landscapes and agro-climatic conditions. The genotype-environment association was investigated with R. SamBada, using 5,74,382 QC passed SNPs and 11 predictor variables (10 multi-collinearity controlled environmental variables and 1 variable as "score of PCA" on ancestry coefficients of individuals). In total, 1,12,780 models were selected as significant (q < 0.05) based on G score. The pathway ontology of the annotated genes revealed many important pathways and genes having a direct and indirect role in cold and hot adaptation. Only ten SNP variants had a SIFT score of < 0.05 (deleterious), and only two of them, each lying in the genes CRYBA1 and USP18, were predicted to be deleterious with high confidence. RaptorX predicted the tertiary structures of proteins encoded by wild and mutant variants of these genes. The quality of the models was determined using Ramachandran plots and RaptorX parameters, indicating that they are accurate. RaptorX and I-Mutant 2.0 softwares revealed significant differences among wild and mutant proteins. Adaptive alleles identified in the present investigation might be responsible for the local adaptation of these cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 15 years, a set of ideas now referred to as "thinking and working politically" (TWP) has coalesced into a "second orthodoxy" about how to take context into account when implementing development interventions. This approach stresses the importance of obtaining a better understanding of the local context ("thinking politically") in order to support local actors to bring about sustainable developmental change ("working politically"). However, the evidence base to justify this new approach remains thin, despite a growing number of programmes which purport to be implementing it. Officials in development agencies struggle with putting it into practice and it is unclear how TWP differs—or not—from similar approaches, such as Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA) and Doing Development Differently (DDD). This Special Issue sheds light on what TWP means in practice by examining a set of initiatives undertaken by both development partners and government departments in Nigeria, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, China and India. This overview article outlines, in brief, each of the Special Issue's four papers and then draws out five lessons—for funders and for practitioners—from across all the papers. Our five lessons are: (1) the fundamental importance of undertaking political economy analysis (PEA) to adapt programmes to their contexts; (2) the importance of having a realistic level of ambition for interventions; (3) the need to support local ownership—not just "agreement ownership" (between a donor agency and government) or local "management ownership" of the programme, but critically "driver ownership" by generating trust with the key local actors driving change; (4) the need for a more effective set of tools for measuring results in complex programmes that attempt to achieve improvements in long‐run governance; and, (5) that although the political economy of donors is often seen as a barrier to applying TWP, the articles show how much can be done with a TWP approach if the analysis takes into account the political economy of donors as well as that of the local context. We conclude with a set of operational recommendations for donors and implementors, as well as suggestions of avenues for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of thermal comfort in buildings is required to maintain a stable and comfortable condition of the indoor environment. The climate chamber study used to determine thermal comfort is mathematically reproducible and robust, but exaggerative and hence is energy inefficient, whereas the adaptive model-based field survey method is exhaustive and bioclimatic specific. Although, several field survey-based thermal comfort studies have been reported from India, these studies were conducted mostly either in hot and humid or composite climatic condition, and very few research has been reported from cold climatic region, which lies mostly along the high altitudinal Himalayan region. In this paper, the results of field survey-based thermal comfort studies in residential houses of highly altitudinal Darjeeling Himalayan region in eastern India are presented. The study found that female subjects showed a lesser clothing cover but portrayed a higher discomfort with lower thermal sensation and higher comfort temperature. The comfort temperature as determined in this study did not comply with the ASHRAE standard 55 graphical method, and hence new comfort zone for regions with similar cold climate is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to environmental change, including biodiversity change, is both a new imperative in the face of global climate change and the oldest problem in human history. Humans have evolved a wide range of adaptation strategies in response to localised environmental changes, which have contributed strongly to both biological and cultural diversity. The evolving set of locally driven, 'bottom-up' responses to environmental change is collectively termed 'autonomous adaptation,' while its obverse, 'planned adaptation,' refers to 'top-down' (from without, e.g. State-driven) responses. After reviewing the dominant vulnerability, risk, and pathway approaches to adaptation, this paper applies an alternative framework for understanding human adaptation processes and responding more robustly to future adaptation needs. This adaptation processes-to-pathways framework is then deployed to consider human responses to biodiversity change caused by an aggressive 'invasive' plant, Lantana camara L., in several agri-forest communities of southern India. The results show that a variety of adaptation processes are developing to make Lantana less disruptive and more useable—from avoidance through mobility strategies to utilizing the plant for economic diversification. However, there is currently no clear synergy or policy support to connect them to a successful long-term adaptation pathway. These results are evaluated in relation to broader trends in adaptation analysis and governance to suggest ways of improving our understanding and support for human adaptation to biodiversity change at the household, community, and regional livelisystem levels, especially in societies highly dependent on local biodiversity for their livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender mediates climate vulnerability and adaptation action. Consequently, climate change adaptation policy has seen a push towards 'mainstreaming' gender and prioritizing 'gender-responsive' climate action. However, it is unclear to what extent this mainstreaming advances or obscures gender considerations and whether current climate policies reflect developments in the gender and climate change literature. This paper explores how gender is operationalized in adaptation policy in India through a policy review of 28 State Action Plans on Climate Change. We juxtapose normative goals around reducing differential vulnerability with policy approaches to mainstreaming gender and propose entry points that link advances in gender and feminist studies with climate change adaptation policy. Our analysis indicates that most subnational climate policies in India explicitly mention gender as a mediator of vulnerability and adaptive capacity but operationalize it inadequately and unevenly. We also reflect on how the heuristics of mainstreaming get operationalized in policies (gender-blind, gender-sensitive, to gender-transformative approaches) and what that means for addressing gendered vulnerability. Key policy insights While explicitly mentioned, gender concerns are unevenly operationalized in India's subnational climate policy. In most State Action Plans on Climate Change in India, gaps exist between normative goals such as reducing differential vulnerability and empowering women, and policy approaches (namely gender-blind, -neutral, -specific, -sensitive, and -transformative approaches). To be effective, the conceptualization of gender must expand beyond focussing on differences between women and men to engaging more with intersections of sex, caste, class, and resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapidly changing climatic conditions are adversely impacting the Indian agricultural sector. Farmers are frequently seen adopting several adaptation measures, which are neither equally efficient nor mutually exclusive. Based on the primary data collected from 300 farming households of the Indian Eastern Himalayan foothills, the present study attempts to examine the efficiency of local farmers' adaptation by developing indices combining the feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of the adaptation measures with the scale of actual adoption. Further, by employing multiple linear regression, the study analyzes the internal (psychological) and external (physical and socio-economic) factors influencing higher scores of these indices. Results show that local farmers are well aware of climate change and are responding through implementing at least one and up to seven adaptation measures. Farmers preferred agroforestry, a shift from cereals to low water-intensive commercials, irrigation, and intensification of winter crops as the most efficient. There was, however, a misalignment between the perceived efficiency of adaptation measures and their scale of adoption. Farmers' perceptions of pest infestation, satisfaction with farming, soil characteristics, farm size, remittances, and access to credit were found to be positively and significantly influencing the adaptation indices, while open-mindedness toward changing farming practices and crop-raiding by elephants were found to be negatively and significantly associated with adaptation indices. Lastly, the study made relevant recommendations for improving farmers' efficiency in adopting appropriate adaptation measures and strengthening the "State Action Plan on Climate Change". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is often linked with record-breaking heavy or poor rainfall events, unprecedented storms, extreme day and night time temperatures, etc. It may have a marked impact on climate-sensitive sectors and associated livelihoods. Block-level weather forecasting is a new-fangled dimension of agrometeorological services (AAS) in the country and is getting popularized as a climate-smart farming strategy. Studies on the economic impact of these microlevel advisories are uncommon. Agromet advisory services (AAS) play a critical role as an early warning service and preparedness among the maize farmers in the Parambikulam–Aliyar Basin, as this area still needs to widen and deepen its AWS network to reach the village level. In this article, the responses of the maize farmers of Parambikulam–Aliyar Basin on AAS were analyzed. AAS were provided to early and late Rabi farmers during the year 2020–2022. An automatic weather station was installed at the farmers' field to understand the real-time weather. Forecast data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) were used to provide agromet advisory services. Therefore, the present study deserves special focus. Social media and other ICT tools were used for AAS dissemination purposes. A crop simulation model (CSM), DSSAT4.7cereal maize, was used for assessing maize yield in the present scenario and under the elevated GHGs scenario under climate change. Our findings suggest that the AAS significantly supported the farmers in sustaining production. The AAS were helpful for the farmers during the dry spells in the late samba (2021–2022) to provide critical irrigation and during heavy rainfall events at the events of harvest during early and late Rabi (2021–22). Published research articles on the verification of weather forecasts from South India are scanty. This article also tries to understand the reliability of forecasts. Findings from the verification suggest that rainfall represented a fairly good forecast for the season, though erratic, with an accuracy score or HI score of 0.77 and an HK score of 0.60, and the probability of detection (PoD) of hits was found to be 0.91. Verification shows that the forecasted relative humidity observed showed a fairly good correlation, with an R2 value of 0.52. These findings suggest that enhancing model forecast accuracy can enhance the reliability and utility of AAS as a climate-smart adaptation option. This study recommends that AAS can act as a valuable input to alleviate the impacts of hydrometeorological disasters on maize crop production in the basin. There is a huge demand for quality weather forecasts with respect to accuracy, resolution, and lead time, which is increasing across the country. Externally funded research studies such as ours are an added advantage to bridge the gap in AAS dissemination to a great extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study analyzes the individuals' risk management strategies and determinants of preparedness for drought in Madhya Pradesh, India. It employs the descriptive and binary logistic regression on primary data and show that more than one earning member, access to social safety schemes, migration, irrigation facilities and diversified employment are the important risk management strategies. Gender, social group, income, non-migration, employment status and the interaction of 'access to government schemes and gender' are the statistically significant determinants in order, increasing the odds of preparedness against droughts. However, in the sub-sample of farmers, the main predictor variables are gender, non-migration, social group, crop losses and income. The study is novel to generate the field evidences with respect to risk management and drought preparedness, making noteworthy contributions to the disaster literature. The results advocate to strengthen the outreach and access of the social safety schemes in the drought-affected areas. Individuals are expected to build self-resilience to cost-effectively supplement the government limited efforts and capacity. These findings are important and equally applicable to the governments, policymakers and individuals residing in the other drought-affected regions with similar socio-economic characteristics of respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on immigrant adaptation has been criticized for ignoring the perspective of migrant communities, for framing migrants within a binary categorization of insiders/outsiders, and for focusing on the traumatic aspect of migration. This paper addresses these criticisms, by using a narrative approach to study the adaptation processes of one community of Jewish migrants from Cochin in India to Israel, from a resilience perspective. The study incorporates participant observations and life-story interviews with this first generation of migrants. The preeminent theme running through the life stories was that of the reconciliation of contrasts. This theme is demonstrated through identified patterns, in the life of the community, of both integration and separation from the wider society. The findings highlight the significant role played by cultural influences in the adaptation process and the potential that exists for active learning and the building of bridges to the inner world of migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under what conditions do governments turn to adaptive governance systems? This paper explores a success case of adaptive governance in a non-western country and tries to understand what factors lead to the adoption of this type of governance. Adaptive governance is considered most efficient to address the many challenges of climate change and natural disasters because it embraces uncertainty by focusing on collaboration, flexibility and learning. Yet, the concept remains underdeveloped and the conditions under which governments decide to embrace adaptive governance are not clear. The paper argues that two main factors are crucial for governments to turn to adaptive governance. First, a traumatic shock is likely to stimulate a reconsideration of the manner in which governance is thought and applied. The shock by involving considerable economic and human cost creates a momentum for governance rethinking. Second, a committed political leadership is essential to make use of that momentum to reform previous governance practices to create a more resilient system. These arguments are explored in the case of Odisha, an Indian state that was able to adopt adaptive governance and that became a successful example of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region comprises of areas which are highly vulnerable to flood risks. The region faces challenges from multiple non-climate stressors such as poverty, environmental and climate shocks, and inadequate infrastructure. Addressing these deprivations in ways that reduce vulnerability associated with a changing climate are critical for the communities that live here. This paper combines data on flood risks derived from a climate–hydrology model under two future scenarios of RCP 4.5 and 8.5, with socio-economic data from communities in the Gandak basin, to demonstrate how mainstreaming climate change impacts into decision-making for sanitation interventions can reduce socio-economic vulnerability to flooding. A Cost-effectiveness analysis of the alternative interventions for sanitation reveals that gains are substantially higher under an intervention that takes note of climatic events, both for the present and in the future. Substantial health costs and inconvenience losses that are particularly acute for women during floods can be averted by investing in climate-friendly options. Climate adaptation (SDG goal 13 on climate action) can be synergistic with the achievement of other SDGs (Goal 6 on sanitation, goal 3 on health and well-being, goal 5 on gender). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research synthesises two evaluations of a local level climate change adaptation and planning process in the southernmost coastal region, Kanyakumari, India which was supported through community-based appraisals. First, understanding the public perception of climate change factors is crucial in generating support for climate change response. Second, generating enough grass-root level support from the local population to assess the long-term climate change impacts on decision-making to design the adaptation strategies for sea-level rise. These two results highlight the level of understanding and awareness of climate change's impact by the local population in the coastal region of Kanyakumari. A well-designed questionnaire with structured interviews, to collect data on local knowledge and local perception of climate change and sea-level rise from 100 respondents was distributed each in 44 coastal villages in the study area. The finding showed that 20.7% of the local population have knowledge of climate change and its impacts and 18.4% of the population agreed that the impact of sea-level rise is experienced in the coastal region. This study is to provide insight into the communities' knowledge of the adaptive capacity of the local population to cope with climate change towards the treaty of sea-level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is a key livelihood strategy to diversify incomes, reduce risks associated with rainfed agriculture and the effects of climate change, and meet personal aspirations. Drawing on life history interviews with migrant and non‐migrant families, we explore the role of migration and commuting in addressing livelihood vulnerability along a rural–urban continuum in Karnataka, India. We find that labelling migration as an adaptation strategy or not does not necessarily capture the breadth of experiences and implications for livelihoods that migrants and their families face. At an intra‐household level, migration and commuting can alleviate vulnerability for some family members while exacerbating vulnerability of others. At a larger scale, migration that is adaptive at a household scale can be maladaptive at a system scale, where cities are unable to provide for or absorb migrants who often live in highly vulnerable conditions. Finally, on a temporal scale, migration and commuting affect livelihood trajectories and choices beyond the migrants alone, and understanding how these strategies affect household vulnerability over time is crucial for adaptation research. We also highlight the use of life histories as a methodological tool that complements current econometric approaches exploring migration and allows for in‐depth and temporally sensitive inquiry into the drivers and consequences of migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid environmental change, increasing climate variability, land fragmentation, and underlying institutional lacunae have shaped rural livelihoods in India. Increasingly, rural-urban migration has been a significant livelihood strategy to manage risks, meet aspirations, and move out of increasingly unprofitable agriculture. I argue that this movement of people is changing shape household structures, and the metrics to assess these transitions, often through categories of male- and female-headed households, fall short in understanding the experiences and outcomes of migration. Using a household survey (n = 825) and life history interviews (n = 16) to study rural-urban migration in South India, I demonstrate that shifting household configurations due to migration and commuting have implications for the risk management strategies people undertake. This calls for an expanded understanding of the 'household', which captures the realities of multi-local households, and consequently, for an expanded conceptualisation of 'local adaptation'. Such an understanding is sensitive to the 'beyond-local' flows and networks that shape household risk management behaviour and has implications for improving the effectiveness of climate change adaptation interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how Subway, the US fast food restaurant franchise, has adapted to Indian culture. Glocalization theory will be the guiding framework used in this analysis. Glocalization rests on the premise that a universal concept must change to fit and function in a local culture. Blending the local and the global, it provides a passage to empowerment where modifications to a particular commodity can make it prosper in various traditions. Four important themes of glocalization emerged from this analysis: (1) adjustment of restaurant ambience; (2) adoption of Jain values; (3) adjustment of advertising practices; and (4) adjustment of the use of social media. An important conclusion is that, although India is embracing modernity, Subway has honoured many religious and cultural views in that nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines climate change adaptation and gender issues through an application of a feminist intersectional approach. This approach permits the identification of diverse adaptation responses arising from the existence of multiple and fragmented dimensions of identity (including gender) that intersect with power relations to shape situation-specific interactions between farmers and ecosystems. Based on results from contrasting research cases in Bihar and Uttarakhand, India, this paper demonstrates, inter alia, that there are geographically determined gendered preferences and adoption strategies regarding adaptation options and that these are influenced by the socio-ecological context and institutional dynamics. Intersecting identities, such as caste, wealth, age and gender, influence decisions and reveal power dynamics and negotiation within the household and the community, as well as barriers to adaptation among groups. Overall, the findings suggest that a feminist intersectional approach does appear to be useful and worth further exploration in the context of climate change adaptation. In particular, future research could benefit from more emphasis on a nuanced analysis of the intra-gender differences that shape adaptive capacity to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change poses major challenges to agricultural systems in drought prone regions of the world especially in the areas with high poverty, lack of irrigation facilities and low productivity. Towards this it is essential to understand the climate change perceptions, adaptation practices and barriers to effective adaptation at household and community level. This paper using household surveys and focus group discussions in one of the drought prone areas of Odisha in India, explores various aspects of perception on climate change and barriers to adaptation. It also analyses the accuracy of perceptions based on rainfall data from nearest meteorological stations. The study reinforces the argument by earlier studies that the perception by people simply cannot be wrong because they may have a just a low correlation with underlying meteorological data. Results suggest that farmers increasingly perceive the changes in the rainfall and temperature patterns. However, when compared with the trend in actual rainfall data, perceptions on rainfall are found to more closely align with the results from the nearest station as compared to the station farther from it. Analysis revealed that seasonal rainfall variability has a profound influence on the farmers' perceptions on climate change and drought in the study region. Farmers' are still dependent on the traditional forecasting system because of the lack of access to modern climate forecasting and tailored information for agricultural practice. Although farmers in the study region are already adapting to the changing climate, the study finds that while lack of access to water and irrigation, information on climate change adaptation and early warning systems are major barriers to adaptation at the household level lack of government intervention, lack of knowledge on drought resistant crops and varieties and lack of renovation of water bodies and irrigation were mentioned as the major barriers at the community level. Findings from the paper argue for better adaptation planning at the local level incorporating local level perceptions and barriers to adaptation. In such areas local level planning can be crucial in enhancing the adaptive capacity of the farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adds another dimension of challenges to the growth and sustainability of Indian agriculture. The growing exposure to livelihood shocks from climate variability/change and limited resource base of the rural community to adapt has reinforced the need to mainstream climate adaptation planning into developmental landscape. However, a better understanding of micro-level perceptions is imperative for effective and informed planning at the macro-level. In this paper, the grass-root level perspectives on climate change impacts and adaptation decisions were elicited at farm level in the Moga district of Punjab and Mahbubnagar district of Telangana, India. The farmers opined that the climatic variability impacts more than the long-term climate change. They observed change in the quantum, onset and distribution of rainfall, rise in minimum as well as maximum temperature levels, decline in crop yield and ground water depletion. The key socio-economic effects of climate change included decline in farm income, farm unemployment, rural migration and increased indebtedness among farmers. In order to cope with climate variability and change thereon, farmers resorted to adaptation strategies such as use of crop varieties of suitable duration, water conservation techniques, crop insurance and participation in non-farm activities and employment guarantee schemes. Farmers’ adaptation to changing climate was constrained by several technological, socio-economic and institutional barriers. These include limited knowledge on the costs-benefits of adaptation, lack of access to and knowledge of adaptation technologies, lack of financial resources and limited information on weather. Besides, lack of access to input markets, inadequate farm labour and smaller farm size were the other constraints. Further, on the basis of the grass-root elicitation a ‘Need-Based Adaptation’ planning incorporating farmers’ perceptions on climate change impacts, constraints in the adoption of adaptation strategies and plausible adaptation options were linked with the most suitable ongoing programmatic interventions of the Government of India. The study concluded that micro-level needs and constraints for various adaptation strategies and interventions should be an integral part of the programme development, implementation and evaluation in the entire developmental paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal districts of India being diverse in nature are under constant vulnerability to hazards. The article analyzes vulnerability as a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation capacity. We selected site-specific factors of exposure, sensitivity and adaptation for constructing the composite vulnerability index. Findings revealed very high and high vulnerability in the eastern coastal districts while western coastal districts experienced moderate and low vulnerability. High frequency of cyclone and storm surge, low socio-economic status and lack of basic amenities and facilities were found significant stressors for increasing vulnerability in coastal districts. Composite vulnerability index not only helped in analyzing causative factors of vulnerability but also proved to be an effective tool in identifying priority districts where efforts could be made to lessen vulnerability. The study calls for policy measures to reduce vulnerability and safeguard the coastal communities from the risk of disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exponents of transformation in the context of climate change strongly articulate the challenges associated with switching from current, potentially maladaptive development trajectories, onto future pathways that are climate responsive. Although scholarship on maladaptation highlights the dangers of path dependency, the concept is under-applied for understanding the potential outcomes of development trajectories that result in what we call an adaptation-constrained space. By conducting case-study analysis based on secondary review, we trace implications of particular development trajectories, in urban and rural India. The first case examines how urbanization in Bangalore city has decreased the capacity to respond to concurrent risks of flooding and water scarcity while the second charts how agricultural policies in India have narrowed local capacity to deal with climatic and non-climatic uncertainties. Using a historical perspective, we identify triggers of change in local and regional development, which have led to an adaptation-constrained space. We find that both pathways display irreversible lock-ins and inherent trade-offs which entrench inequities (through differential capacity and agency to access resources and influence future development). We argue that such development pathways are potentially maladaptive. Whether they are expected to deal with climate impacts or to meet development goals, the fact that they constrain current and future adaptive capacity at multiple levels, is why we consider them maladaptive. As India undertakes large investments in development and climate change adaptation, this paper adds to the relatively low policy debate on how development trajectories, physically and socially, limit the possibilities for future adaptation. We propose that policy-makers and planners first acknowledge how development trajectories acquire dominance, and then begin empowering normative alternatives that open future adaptation options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are among the most productive of all aquatic ecosystems. In developing countries, millions of marginal fishers rely solely on wetlands for security of both nutrition and livelihood. The decline in wetland fisheries owing to anthropogenic and climatic changes has made fishers increasingly vulnerable. Pen culture can be an effective climate-resilient technology for enhancing fish production in shallow, macrophyte-choked, and multi-stake floodplain wetlands, especially in eastern and north-eastern India. In this context, pen culture was implemented as an adaptive measure in a tropical Gangetic wetland (Mathura) to enhance fish production and increase the adaptive capacity of fishers. Indian Major Carps, Gibelion catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala of initial size 10.4±.21g, 8.2±0.48g, and 6.5±0.23g respectively, were stocked at the ratio of 4:4:2 and at the rate of 30 fish m-2 each in pens of 100 m2 in duplicate. For purposes of conservation, Labeo bata and Gudusia chapra, 4.3±0.18g and 3.8±.34g initial size, respectively, were stocked at the rate of 20 Nos.m-2 each at the ratio of 1:1. The fish were fed with commercial feed at the rate of 4% of body weight. A net survival of 82%, 87%, and 75% was recorded in Indian Major Carps, L. bata and G. chapra. A production of 380 kg IMC was achieved during 120 days of the culture period. L. bata achieved an average weight of 21.40±0.34g during the 90-day culture period, with a survival rate of 87%. G. chapra attained an average weight of 16.5±0.42g during the culture period, with a recorded survival rate of 75%. G. chapra was observed to spawn in the pen. The water quality inside pens and reference sites did not differ significantly (p>0.05). The produced fish were released in the wetland for fisheries enhancement. The present communication discusses the technological suitability and economic feasibility of adopting climate-resilient pen culture as an adaptation measure for enhancing the adaptive capacity of wetland fishers in the face of a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to current knowledge of climate change impacts on Indian agriculture by accounting for spatial features that may influence the climate sensitivity of agriculture. Using panel data over a 20-year period and on 271 districts, this study estimates the impact of climate change on farm level net revenue in India. The key findings reveal that there is a significant positive spatial autocorrelation and that accounting for this can improve the accuracy of climate impact studies. Furthermore, the paper argues that better dissemination of knowledge among farmers through both market forces and local leadership will help popularize effective adaptation strategies to address climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing countries share many common challenges in addressing current and future climate risks. A key barrier to managing these risks is the limited availability of accessible, reliable and relevant weather and climate information. Despite continued investments in Earth System Modelling, and the growing provision of climate services across Africa and India, there often remains a mismatch between available information and what is needed to support on-the-ground decision-making. In this paper, we outline the range of currently available information and present examples from Africa and India to demonstrate the challenges in meeting information needs in different contexts. A review of literature supplemented by interviews with experts suggests that externally provided weather and climate information has an important role in building on local knowledge to shape understanding of climate risks and guide decision-making across scales. Moreover, case studies demonstrate that successful decision-making can be achieved with currently available information. However, these successful examples predominantly use daily, weekly and seasonal climate information for decision-making over short time horizons. Despite an increasing volume of global and regional climate model simulations, there are very few clear examples of long-term climate information being used to inform decisions at sub-national scales. We argue that this is largely because the information produced and disseminated is often ill-suited to inform decision-making at the local scale, particularly for farmers, pastoralists and sub-national governments. Even decision-makers involved in long-term planning, such as national government officials, find it difficult to plan using decadal and multi-decadal climate projections because of issues around uncertainty, risk averseness and constraints in justifying funding allocations on prospective risks. Drawing on lessons learnt from recent successes and failures, a framework is proposed to help increase the utility and uptake of both current and future climate information across Africa and India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, climate change is one of the most challenging environmental issues as it poses potential threat to different sectors of economy at global level. Agriculture being an open activity is primarily dependent on climatic factors and change in climatic conditions affects the production, quality and quantity of crop production in an area. This paper attempts to study effects of only two parameters of climate i.e. temperature and rainfall on agricultural production in northwest region of India. Northwest region comprising of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu Kashmir states is the greatest food bowl of India contributing to its food security. The analysis of mean monthly rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures (1901-2006) shows no significant change in temperature and rainfall conditions from 1901 to 1960; but afterward the change is more pronounced. On the whole any significant change in climatic conditions will not only challenge the food production of the region but also challenge the country's food security situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biggest challenge in the world is population growth and determining how society and the state adapt to it as it directly affects the fundamental human rights such as food, clothing, housing, education, medical care, etc. The population estimates of any country play an important role in making the right decision about socio-economic and population development projects. Unpredictable population growth can be a curse. The purpose of this research article is to compare the accuracy process and proximity of three mathematical model such as Malthusian or exponential growth model, Logistic growth model and Least Square model to make predictions about the population growth of Bangladesh and India at the end of 21st century. Based on the results, it has been observed that the population is expected to be 429.32(in million) in Bangladesh and 3768.53 (in million) in India by exponential model, 211.70(in million) in Bangladesh and 1712.94 (in million) in India by logistic model and 309.28 (in million) in Bangladesh and 2686.30 (in million) in India by least square method at the end of 2100. It was found that the projection data from 2000 to 2020 using the Logistic Growth Model was very close to the actual data. From that point of view, it can be predicted that the population will be 212 million in Bangladesh and 1713 million in India at the end of the 21st century. Although transgender people are recognized as the third sex but their accurate statistics data is not available. The work also provides a comparative scenario of how the state has adapted to the growing population in the past and how they will adapt in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat waves are expected to intensify around the globe in the future, with potential increase in heat stress and heat-induced mortality in the absence of adaptation measures. India has a high current exposure to heat waves, and with limited adaptive capacity, impacts of increased heat waves might be quite severe. This paper presents the first projections of future heat waves in India based on multiple climate models and scenarios for CMIP5 data. We find that heat waves are projected to be more intense, have longer durations and occur at a higher frequency and earlier in the year. Southern India, currently not influenced by heat waves, is expected to be severely affected by the end of the twenty-first century. Projections indicate that a sizable part of India will experience heat stress conditions in the future. In northern India, the average number of days with extreme heat stress condition during pre-monsoon hot season will reach 30. The intensification of heat waves might lead to severe heat stress and increased mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores climate change induced hydro hazards and its impact on tribal communities in Majuli (largest river island of Brahmaputra River Basin). The island has been experiencing recurrent floods, erosion, and siltation, which has distressed the socio-economic foundation and livelihood of the Mishing—a indigenous community on Northeast India, leading to out migration from the island. The indicators selected to capture the vulnerability of the island to climate change are dependency ratio; occurrence of natural hazards (floods) and coping methods; income of the household; and livelihood diversification. To gather the quantitative and qualitative data on these parameters the methods was designed to conduct both sample survey of households and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that in the selected villages, the dependency ratio is 4 (dependents): 1 (earning member); average income of the household is low i.e. $ 40/month and is declining as compared to last few years because of frequent floods, erosion and siltation that has decreased farm productivity which is the main source of income. The impact of changing climate and heightened flood and erosion risk to farmlands has been forced migration to cities and neighboring urban centers like Jorhar for stable livelihood. Therefore, we propose that a possible way to enhance social resilience to changing climate and vagaries of monsoon (tropical disturbances) is to promote alternative occupation like eco-tourism as (Majuli is the center of Vaisnavism and Satras in Northeast India) and invest in adaptive strategies to mitigate flood by incorporating lay and place-based knowledge of the Mishing community in flood management. Also facilitate community's participation and awareness towards hydro hazards based on flood proof housing focusing on indigenous knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents findings from a process aimed at identifying the climate linkages of non-climate focused environment and development projects in India. Findings from four case studies based on workshops using participatory systems thinking are summarized. These climate adjacencies are documented as systems stories using the tools of systems thinking—behavior over time graphs and causal loop diagrams. These place-based stories highlight how the environment and development projects have linkages with climate change mitigation and adaptation. An attempt has been made to convert one of the systems stories into a computable simulation model using system dynamics modelling. A small concept model has been created thus and used to perform simulation runs. Four scenarios have been generated and the results discussed. Our learning from converting feedback maps into stock-flow models is presented. The insights generated from interpreting the feedback maps and simulation results are also presented. These insights are then compared and the benefits of simulation evaluated. The paper highlights the need to document climate linkages of non-climate-focused development projects and the benefit of converting systems stories into simulation models for developing operational insights. The important role such methods can play in developing capacities for enhancing climate action is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has good reasons to be concerned about climate change as it could adversely affect the achievement of vital national development goals related to socio-economic development, human welfare, health, energy availability and use, and infrastructure. The paper attempts to develop a framework for integrated impact assessment and adaptation responses, using a recently built railroad coastal infrastructure asset in India as an example. The framework links climate change variables — temperature, rainfall, sea level rise, extreme events, and other secondary variables — and sustainable development variables — technology, institutions, economic, and other policies. The study indicates that sustainable development variables generally reduce the adverse impacts on the system due to climate change alone, except when they are inadequately applied. The paper concludes that development is a vital variable for integrated impact assessment. Well crafted developmental policies could result in a less-GHG intensive future, enhanced adaptive capacities of communities and systems, and lower impacts due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck virus enteritis (DVE) is an acute, contagious herpes viral disease of ducks, geese and swans and members of the family Anatidae under the order Anseriformes. As per the recent taxonomic classification by ICTV, DEV has been classified into the genus Mardivirus, subfamily Alpha-herpesvirinae of the family Herpesviridae. Vaccination is the only option for the prevention and control of Duck plague. In India vaccination is done with chicken embryo adapted live virus which has many shortcomings. So, in this present situation a safe and potent vaccine development is the need of the hour. The use of chicken embryo fibroblast and a certified cell line may, probably, be the best option to achieve this. Therefore, the present study was undertaken for adaptation and propagation of local strain of duck plague virus in various cell culture systems. During the study a wild strain of DPV (DP/As-Km/0019) which was isolated in Duck Embryo Fibroblast, available in the Department of Microbiology was selected. The selected wild strain was used for adaptation in various cell culture systems viz. Chicken embryo fibroblast cell culture (CEF), Vero cell line and QT-35 cell line. The virus was passaged up to 12th passage levels and the presence of viral antigen was demonstrated by appearance of cytopathic effect (CPE), by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and by Sandwich ELISA. PCR was able to detect virus from all the cell cultures from 5th passage onwards and virus titre was detected at 10th and 12th passage level by S-ELISA. It was observed that various cell culture systems can be a good candidate for propagation of DPV and further study is required to study its immunogenicity and its feasibility as a vaccine candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries like India, unilateral transfemoral amputees encounter with the challenge to select and evaluate the knee joint performance. This study aims to evaluate the response of knee joint on vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs), walking speed, range of motion (ROM) of joints like hip, knee and ankle joints in first two weeks and enhanced response. Movements of different joints were recorded through VICON motion analysis system. Vertical ground reaction forces were captured through AMTI strain gauzed force plate. It has been observed that in two weeks normalized speed increases 0.41 to 0.49 with 3R20. Range of motion of joints was observed with interesting fact that in general with 3R20, joints angle their respective ROM were more than Jaipur Knee but in same cases in second half of gait cycle Jaipur Knee responded better than 3R20 knee joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboriginal communities of Northeast (NE) India remained in isolation from the mainland and lived in a distinct cultural milieu with the environment. Due to the high degree of exposure and better insight of ground realities, they may have rich traditional knowledge of perception, prediction, and adaptation to climate change. We accessed and illustrated the traditional knowledge on fish and fisheries from the region through participatory rural appraisal (PRA). Our study revealed that ecological and climatic circumstances are maintained through the traditional system of governance and local self-government. Local skills, tools, techniques, wisdom, beliefs and costumes of the aboriginal people act as a shock absorber during disasters and successfully build resilience to climatic hazards. Most of this knowledge was transmitted over successive generations and became a part of living, cultural and religion sustenance. Adaptation strategies at community level fisheries helps in reducing vulnerabilities to extreme weather such as drought, flood and erratic rainfall pattern. Adaptation to climate change in fisheries can decipher through strategies available from fine-scale spatial and grassroots levels. Mainstreaming of climate change adaptation efforts can only be achieved through extensive assessment, research, recognition and promotion of local skills, culture, indigenous knowledge as well as community-based fisheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for the development of ‘network political ecology’, drawing on the insights from regional political ecology and recent advancements in network theories of scale, to meet the challenges of investigating the meso-scale problem of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change. ‘Network political ecology’, attentive to scale as socio-ecologically produced and grounded in a regional resource use system, is one such approach that fills this gap in middle-range theory necessary to understand the complex processes through which vulnerability manifests and adaptive capacity is produced. This method is exemplified through the case of groundwater-dependent irrigating farmers in Rajasthan, India. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Climate change is projected to lead to shift of forest types leading to irreversible damage to forests by rendering several species extinct and potentially affecting the livelihoods of local communities and the economy. Approximately 47% and 42% of tropical dry deciduous grids are projected to undergo shifts under A2 and B2 SRES scenarios respectively, as opposed to less than 16% grids comprising of tropical wet evergreen forests. Similarly, the tropical thorny scrub forest is projected to undergo shifts in majority of forested grids under A2 (more than 80%) as well as B2 scenarios (50% of grids). Thus the forest managers and policymakers need to adapt to the ecological as well as the socio-economic impacts of climate change. This requires formulation of effective forest management policies and practices, incorporating climate concerns into long-term forest policy and management plans. India has formulated a large number of innovative and progressive forest policies but a mechanism to ensure effective implementation of these policies is needed. Additional policies and practices may be needed to address the impacts of climate change. This paper discusses an approach and steps involved in the development of an adaptation framework as well as policies, strategies and practices needed for mainstreaming adaptation to cope with projected climate change. Further, the existing barriers which may affect proactive adaptation planning given the scale, accuracy and uncertainty associated with assessing climate change impacts are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]