From health to climate change: These 5 stories hold out hope for India

Over the course of 10 months, India Governance Reported has highlighted successful initiatives on issues including health, gender parity, climate change, education.

Business Standard : In February 2018, IndiaSpend launched India Governance Report (IGR), a monthly newsletter that brings together stories of good governance and policy-making from across India.

Over the course of 10 months, IGR has highlighted successful initiatives on issues including health, gender parity, climate change, education, and Kerala’s post-flood rehabilitation. Here is a selection of five stories, each covering one of our focus areas, that made an impact in 2018 and hold out hope for India’s future.

As the country braces for the 2019 general elections, the impact of good governance, or the lack of it, will be under the spotlight. We aim to increase our coverage of governance issues, and welcome your suggestions and feedback.

Climate Change

Farmer Couple Learn To Cope With Climate Change And Flourish

Challenge: Climate change can lower the standard of living of nearly half of India’s population by 2050, the World Bank warned in a June 2018 study. Particularly vulnerable are farmers who are dependent on rainfall for a good harvest, especially in regions such as Karnataka that are prone to drought. In the 15 years to 2015, only three years--2005, 2007 and 2010--witnessed no drought, as per a 2017 assessment report by the Karnataka State Disaster Management Monitoring Centre. In 2018, 77% of the 30 districts were declared drought-hit, The Times of India reported on September 14, 2018.

Action: A farmer couple, Shyamrao and Laximibai Patil, in water-scarce Kalaburagi in north Karnataka, have shown that a combination of state and NGO support, supported by grassroots innovation, can help farmers combat the effects of climate change. The Patils practice organic farming, run a dairy and poultry farm, and are helping their fellow farmers experiment with new methods.

The couple have set up their own self-help group to sell produce such as pulses. From their mixed-crop farming and livestock produce, they make an annual income of Rs 5 lakh and a profit of around Rs 2.5 lakh, at a time when 70% of the country’s agricultural households spend more than they earn on average every month.... Read More