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  • Improving Livelihood for the Rural Poor in India: Addressing the “First Mile” problem through EO

    Paper number

    IAC-07-B1.I.11

    Author

    Dr. V. Jayaraman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India

    Coauthor

    Dr. S.K. Srivastava, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India

    Year

    2007

    Abstract
    India’s rural households primarily derive their livelihoods from natural resources. Agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries continue to drive the rural livelihoods. Thus, building natural resources assets, enhancing productivity and the carrying capacity of natural resources has a major bearing on rural livelihoods. Improving the livelihood security of the large rural population is not anymore the last-mile problem for the country and it has emerged as the ‘First Mile’ problem for the decision-makers. In pursuit of responding to such fundamental needs, Indian Earth Observation (EO) programme is envisioned as a strategic means for building rural livelihoods under the aegis of National Natural Resources Management System (NNRMS). India’s EO satellite missions with multiple platforms and sensors are tailored as thematic series for land and water resources management; large scale mapping applications; and weather and climate applications mainly addressing the diverse themes under natural resources and environment management. 
    
    Using the data from the Indian EO missions, NNRMS has played a major role in the natural resources management. It has been part and parcel of the country’s endeavor to sustain the productivity gains in irrigated plains and deltas. The real challenge, however, lies in the rain-fed regions with nearly two-thirds of the country’s cultivated land, which lagged far behind due to various historical reasons.  It has been equally challenging for EO to deliver products and services, which could be helpful in bringing about rapid and systematic development of these regions to remove mass poverty, reduce regional disparities and increase present and future carrying capacity of the resource base. Some of the notable highlights include how EO inputs are put to use for building the physical and social infrastructure in support of expanding the scope of rural livelihoods, creation of natural assets and preserving their diversity. 
    
    One of the major lessons has been the recognition to have a paradigm shift towards a livelihoods perspective driven by participatory approaches, requiring the natural resources management programmes to clearly spell out goals and benchmarks in terms of enhanced potential to create livelihoods and income. The learning has also driven EO products and services in India from prescriptive to participatory and ‘actionable’ in support of building rural livelihoods. The EO applications graduated from mapping to theme integration, followed by the development of decision support tools and finally leading towards developing the products and services where stakeholders have their own voices and ownership. The present paper intends to illustrate how India learnt to innovate such developmental applications in response to the emerging paradigms in a more inclusive and participatory manner.
    
    Abstract document

    IAC-07-B1.I.11.pdf

    Manuscript document

    IAC-07-B1.I.11.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

    To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.