Arabinda Mishra

Climate change and waterborne diarrhoea in northern India: Impacts and adaptation strategies

Although several studies show the vulnerability of human health to climate change, a clear comprehensive quantification of the increased health risks attributable to climate change is lacking. Even more complicated are assessments of adaptation measures for this sector. We discuss the impact of climate change on diarrhoea as a representative of a waterborne infectious disease affecting human health in the Ganges basin of northern India. A conceptual framework is presented for climate exposure response relationships based on studies from different countries, as empirical studies and appropriate epidemiological data sets for India are lacking. Four climate variables are included: temperature, increased/extreme precipitation, decreased precipitation/droughts and relative humidity. Applying the conceptual framework to the latest regional climate projections for northern India shows increases between present and future (2040s), varying spatially from no change to an increase of 21% in diarrhoea incidences, with 13.1% increase on average for the Ganges basin. We discuss three types of measures against diarrhoeal disease: reactive actions, preventive actions and national policy options. Preventive actions have the potential to counterbalance this expected increase. However, given the limited progress in reducing incidences over the past decade consorted actions and effective implementation and integration of existing policies are needed.

Adaptation policy and practice in densely populated glacier-fed river basins of South Asia: a systematic review

Rivers are the cultural, social and economic backbone of South Asia, and therefore, the focus of public, political and scientific debate. Himalayan glaciers are the source of numerous large Asian river systems, which support rich ecosystems and irrigate millions of hectares of fields, thereby supporting about a billion people who live in their catchments. Impacts of climate change in river systems are likely to have considerable social, economic, ecological and political implications. This paper reviews literature for three major glacier-fed river systems of South Asia—Brahmaputra, Ganga and Indus—to understand governance mechanisms for climate adaptation in the region. A systematic review methodology is applied to examine adaptation responses in the riparian countries of these Himalayan river basins in three different levels—policy objectives, institutions and practice. Using the “fit for purpose” governance framework, we try to examine how far or near is the region for operationalizing principles of adaptive governance.

Conceptualizing and contextualizing research and policy for links between climate change and migration

Purpose – This paper aims to present a critical review of some literature on climate change and migration through conceptualizing and contextualizing the linkages between the two topics. Much literature on links between climate change and migration tends to downplay ambiguities in the terms and the limited empirical evidence. Conceptualizing refers to the knowledge gaps and the need to understand and detail (even if not agreeing on) conceptual issues such as terminology, definitions, linkages, drivers, thresholds, implications, data requirements and methodologies. Contextualizing refers to understanding the climate change and migration debate within wider topical and geographical contexts. Results identify major qualitative and quantitative gaps. Qualitatively, limited material exists on why people react differently to similar environmental stressors and why certain outcomes may arise. Quantitatively, credible and verifiable measures are not always available for assessing the climate change impacts on mig...

Contextualising typologies of environmentally induced population movement

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how typologies for environmentally induced population movement need to be understood in a contextualised manner in order to be useful. Design/methodology/approach – This study interrogates some academic discourses concerning environmentally induced population movement. By analysing key environmental factors said to contribute to population movement, in addition to considering time factors, this study uses the case of Tuvalu to demonstrate overlapping categories and the importance of contextualisation. Findings – Current typologies provide a basis for considering a wide variety of motives for environmentally induced population movement, in relation to different drivers, motivations, time scales, and space scales. Yet contextualisation is required for policy and practice relevance. Research limitations/implications – All typologies have limitations. Any typology should be taken as a possible tool to apply in a particular context, or to support decision making, ...

Poverty Amidst Plenty: Renewable Energy-Based Mini-Grid Electrification in Nepal

Providing access to electricity to a large section of rural population in Nepal has traditionally been a challenging exercise. This has been exacerbated by difficult geography, poor-socio-economic profile of rural Nepal and moreover by the on-going energy crisis. This chapter conducts an objective assessment of the renewable energy-based off-grid electricity sector in Nepal, with specific focus on micro-hydro-based mini-grid systems by applying a mixed method research design built on both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. While the country’s experiences of developing micro-hydro- and solar energy-based off-grid interventions are captured by qualitative analysis, a standard techno-economic analysis of a micro-hydro mini-grid project is conducted to explore the possibility of introducing additional productive loads and to examine the cost efficacy of generating energy from micro-hydro vis-a-vis solar. Assessment of off-grid electrification options reveals that despite visible progresses, there still exist multiple roadblocks to scale up. Absence of clearly spelt out policy goals, weak institutional designs, low load factors, and lack of adequate finance and overall regulatory concerns stand as major obstacles for off-grid electricity sector development in the country. In addition, project-specific analysis reveals that solar loses out as a cost-effective option compared to micro-hydro. But optimal use of energy generated from micro-hydro-based mini-grids requires creation of productive applications at the local scale on a sustainable basis.

Proposed Plan for Disposal of Mercury- Bearing Lamps for India

The mercury-bearing lamps, towards the end-of-life, pose significant hazard potential due to the likely release of mercury. Though, these fluorescent lamps (FLs) release relatively less quantity of mercury when disposed as compared to other mercury-based products, they are still a concern due to the large and further growing number of FLs in service, particularly, in the domestic sector and their fragile nature.

Climate Change, Disasters and Development: Testing the Waters for Adaptive Governance in India

Amidst complex social-ecological dynamics of localities and future uncertainties posed by global environmental challenges like climate change, there is a need of practicing the principles of learning and flexibility in public policy process. In this study we illustrate the importance of adaptive governance paradigm as an approach for bringing coherence between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in India. We comment on the type and extent of integration between climate policy and disaster management in the evolving policy landscape of India and cite certain paradoxes in actual practice. We look towards Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) as a diagnostic tool for informing policy in place of the dominant donor–recipient models of knowledge generation and dissemination. In our diagnosis of urban and rural flooding in India, we found lack of transparency, coordination, local sensitivity and inclusivity in governance leading to a trust deficit among citizens and government institutions, compliance issues, struggle for change in power structures and access to more information while there is willingness for meaningful learning among different stakeholders given the opportunities for social learning. We suggest that pedagogy for ongoing capacity building programmes in India for climate policy and disaster management should incorporate such tools to enable an environment of social learning in consultations and facilitate cognitive abilities to comprehend knowledge from diverse sources. It is only through governance mechanisms for shared understanding which can usher the much desired fit between science, policy and practice.

Multilevel policy responses to mainstream climate adaptation through watershed development in rainfed farming systems of India

This paper reviews the latest policy responses towards mainstreaming climate adaptation through watershed development in rainfed farming systems of India, with reference to the multilevel governance structure from which they emerge. It employs a qualitative text review of the policy documents such as National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), relevant National Missions and selected State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCCs) and uses an illustrative case of action responses from the multilevel network of non-state actors. Through this exercise, it finds that the multilevel structure of these domains here offer facilitations as well as obstacles for proposed mainstreaming. The obstacles are in two forms. The first is yet an incomplete process of policy integration across different levels of governance. The second is the already existing set of challenges before watershed development in India, such as governance fragmentation, equity concerns in participation, and capacity-building and intercommunication between the levels. The facilitation comes through extra sources of knowledge and innovation from various state and non-state actors and their networks in multilevel systems, which need to be tapped in the current drive of mainstreaming for achieving the ends of climate adaptation in rainfed farming systems.

Analytical Frameworks and an Integrated Approach for Mini-Grid-Based Electrification

Although rural electrification using mini-grids has attracted recent global attention, the concept has been there for quite some time. Consequently, a number of analytical approaches exist to support the decision-making process. This chapter first provides a review of literature dealing with analytical frameworks for off-grid and mini-grid based electrification projects. The range of analytical options includes simple worksheet-based tools to more sophisticated optimisation tools for technology selection as well as assessments based on multi-criteria analysis. This is followed by an evaluation of mini-grid based off-grid electrification projects in India that allows the identification of critical factors for the success of such projects. Finally, the chapter proposes an integrated approach for analysing decentralised mini-grid projects in a holistic manner.

Competitive Mechanisms in Indian Power Sector

With the enactment of Electricity Act 2003, competition in the Indian power sector received a new nomenclature and is considered instrumental in driving the sector in a sustainable trajectory. An exploratory analysis of the development of the electricity market is carried out to understand the finer nuances of emerging competitive paradigm of the sector, its critical aspects, evolving trends and patterns and future outlooks. The analysis reveals that competition, as it has evolved over last decade or so, manifests a growing trend of an efficient, liquid and complete market phenomenon. The article also identifies key anomalies and distortions inhibiting the seamless growth of competition in the Indian power sector. More action is required in certain directions, such as enhancing liquidity of the market, addressing transmission congestion problems and dealing with open access constraints, controlling market power, giving teeth to the electricity regulatory commissions and importantly, addressing political economy concerns. It concludes that in order to carry forward the momentum, a cautious approach needs to be adopted and necessary ancillary measures are to be undertaken.