Technologies for better climate adaptation - India's water and agriculture sector in focus

Water resources play a special role in economic development because they are of fundamental importance for many sectors, especially the water and agriculture sectors. In India, the availability and quality of water is already severely affected by seasonal fluctuations in precipitation, extreme weather events and salinisation. Faced with global climate change in addition, it is expected that such problems will become even more acute in India in the future. To what extent do existing technologies contribute to adequate climate change adaptation? Which areas are particularly in need of technological adaptation solutions?

As part of the second phase of the GIZ project "Climate Change Adaptation - Rural Areas of India (CCA-RAI)", adaptation technologies for the water and agricultural sector are thoroughly examined and evaluated, focusing on the situation in four federal states (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana). For this purpose, adelphi and the Development Alternative Group (DA) conduct "Technology Needs Assessments" (TNA) whereby sector-specific adaptation needs are identified for each state so that compatible technological solutions can be determined. By examining different technologies for their suitability, regional and sector-specific recommendations can be derived so that technologies are matched to the relevant areas, which would serve to narrow the adaptation gap.

Further components of the project include coordinating a study tour with representatives from different Indian authorities and dissemination of results in workshops. In addition, project concepts will be developed for each of the four states according to the guidelines of the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), which should aid the transfer of technologies prioritised in the TNAs to be actually implemented in respective projects.