Panel Discussion on "Valuing Variability: New Perspectives on Climate Resilient Drylands Development" on 21 August at SSS-I, JNU

 Valuing Variability:

New Perspectives on Climate Resilient Drylands Development

21^st August 2015, at 3:00 – 5:30 PM

Venue: Committee Room, SSS-I, Jawaharlal Nehru University

(Organized by CSSP-JNU, CSIR-NISTADS, RRA Network and RLN)

 

We invite you to a panel discussion on the implications of variability, for India's drylands.

This is based on a book published by IIED, London, a joint effort by academics, civil society organizations, environmental and social activists working on rainfed/dryland agriculture, livestock and pastoral systems in India, China and Kenya. Drawing upon the knowledge of herders, farmers, traders, policy makers and researchers from across the globe, the book, funded by the Ford Foundation, poses questions about the 'theory of lack' that defines the drylands, the conceptualization and design of development policies and programmes, the framing of scientific research problems, and the pedagogy of variability, ecosystems, and livelihoods.

An eminent panel presents their analysis and views on valuing variability in India's rainfed and dryland crop-livestock-agroforestry systems, which account for more than 2/3^rd of the arable land in the country. They discuss how climate resilient, productive and sustainable drylands development is possible; if only we will learn to work with and not to control and standardize the variability and diversity of the drylands.

 

Panel Discussion                                                                    3 to 5.30 PM

Chair – Abhijit Sen ( Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, JNU)

Pranav Desai (Professor, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, JNU) Introductory remarks and welcome

Wen Jun (S&T Counselor, Chinese Embassy) Towards collaborative research

Anshu Bhartia (Revitalisation of Rainfed Agriculture (RRA) Network) Rainfed Farming – academic/civil society networks

The Panel:                                                                                       3.15-4.45 PM                         

Navroz Dubash (Senior Fellow, Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi) on Climate resilience – planning and mainstreaming

Sanjay Bhoosreddy (Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, New Delhi) on Livestock Development – variability and diversity issues         

P S Vijayshankar (Research Director, Samaj Pragati Sahyog, Dewas) on Rainfed Farming and resilience - research constraints/opportunities

Anushree Singh (PhD student, Centre for Studies in Science Policy, JNU, New Delhi) on community knowledge systems and mobilisation-STS

Sabyasachi Das (Theme Leader, Livestock Node, RRA Network, Bhuj) on Pastoral systems, variability and development programmes.

Q&A:                                                                                                4.45-5.25 PM 

Rajeswari S. Raina (Principal Scientist, CSIR-NISTADS, New Delhi).

Ways forward and vote of thanks:                                                    5.25-5.30 PM

High Tea at 5.30 PM.

 

Madhav Govind (Chairperson, CSSP-JNU), Rajeswari S. Raina (CSIR-NISTADS), Nitya Ghotge (RLN, and ANTHRA, Pune), Anshu Bhartia (RRA Network, New Delhi)

Reference: Valuing variability: New perspectives on climate resilient drylands development