The proposed project aims to tackle unsustainable water management practices impacting farming practices and address nutritional insecurity in Ratanpur in Bhojpur district, Bihar. The first part of the project focuses on addressing unsustainable water management through a comprehensive Aquifer Management Plan (AMP) field survey to monitor, manage, and maintain water resource utilization, identify key contributors in depleting the water level, including agricultural, domestic, and industrial water usage and the impact of climate change, along with future projections. The project will explore potential recharge options for borewells and rainwater harvesting in the existing ponds and conduct capacity-building sessions to help farmers adopt integrated climate-resilient (CR) cropping systems that consume less water and input resources. An awareness session will be held to encourage stakeholders to implement these systems. Monitoring irrigation water management and crop yields, along with providing sustainable income sources for farmers, will be used to assess the project’s impact. The output will be used to frame policy/scheme to support a climate-resilient farming system. This project simultaneously tackles nutritional insecurity in the community in Ratanpur by promoting kitchen gardening through behavioral changes and cultural initiatives. The outcome will also contribute to policy development for enhancing nutritional security.
Dr. Raji Pushpalatha; Dr. Krishnanandanan, Renjith Mohan
