World Bank Signs $115 Program to Increase Farmers' Resilience to Climate Change

New Delhi: The Government of India, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha and the World Bank have signed a $115 million Program that will help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.
 
The $115 million Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience Through Innovative Development Project will introduce modern watershed practices in the Department of Land Resources in the Ministry of Rural Development and in the two states of Karnataka and Odisha. The Program will help strengthen the states and central institutions improve their technical capacity and drive significant improvements in the quality of services delivered to farmers to help them practice resilient agriculture.
 
The Government of India has committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and doubling farmers’ income by 2023. Effective watershed management can help enhance livelihoods in rainfed areas, while building a more resilient food system.

The agreement was signed by Shri Rajat Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India; Shri S.R. Umashankar, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department on behalf of the Government of Karnataka; Shri Sanjeev Chopra, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and FE Department on behalf of the Government of Odisha; and Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank.
 
"The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated the need for sustainable and risk-averse agriculture in India which both protects farmers from climate uncertainties and strengthens their livelihood. While a robust institutional architecture for watershed development already exists in India, renewed focus on science-based, data-driven approaches implemented through this project can offer new opportunities for farmers in the face of climate change,” said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India, in a press release on Monday.
 
"The project will help the Government of India to continue to ensure food security for the nation and for the states of Karnataka and Odisha, in particular, to build their resilience to climate change," Ahmad said.
 
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) financing will support Karnataka with $60 million, Odisha with $49 million, and the remaining $6 million will be for the central government’s Department of Land Resources.  The $115 million loan has a maturity of 15 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.
 
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