Parliamentarians involved with clean energy are concerned that there is no firm Government commitment yet for achieving the target of 15 per cent renewable energy in the total electricity mix of the country by 2020. The target was spelled out in the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC).

The Climate Parliament Group, a multi-party forum of Parliamentarians, will soon meet the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to suggest adequate financial, fiscal and policy measures for achieving the NAPCC recommendation and the 12th Plan targets for renewable energy.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/parliamentarians-seek-adequate-measures-to-achieve-climate-change-targets/article5041693.ece

Climate change is predicted to negatively impact millions of farmers across the globe, with some studies predicting up to a 40% decline in crop yields over the upcoming decades. For my dissertation, I travel to Gujarat, India, to understand how farmers are affected by and are responding to climate change. I have created this photostream to share what I have learned from the wonderful farmers who have shared their stories with me over the past four years.

Smallholder Farmers. Smallholder farmers comprise the majority of farmers across India. Despite the fact that agriculture is typically their primary source of livelihood, smallholder farmers have very small landholding sizes (< 2 hectares), little access to technology, and insecure access to irrigation, making them one of the most vulnerable groups to future climate change.

 http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/08/19/indian-farmers-cope-with-climate-change-and-falling-water-tables/

Excess rainfall in key coffee growing areas of Karnataka has hit plantations badly and growers expect the output to shrink by 10-30 per cent over initial crop estimates.

Production Hit

Heavy and continuous rainfall in coffee growing regions of Coorg, Chikmagalur and Hassan districts has triggered berry droppings and fungal disease black rot of coffee, which is seen affecting the production.

These three districts accounted for over 72 per cent of the country’s coffee output of 3.18 lakh tonnes last year.

The Coffee Board in its post-blossom forecast for 2013-14 had projected an output of 3.47 lakh tonnes, a nine per cent increase over last year’s 3.18 lakh tonnes.

The output of arabica, a milder and premium variety was projected to increase by 13 per cent to 1.11 lakh tonnes, while robusta was expected to grow 7.5 per cent at 2.36 lakh tonnes.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/excess-rains-may-lead-to-lower-coffee-output-this-year/article5035269.ece?ref=relatedNews

On a day dedicated to them, farmers in Kerala are counting losses in two months of unusually heavy rains accompanied by spiralling cost of labour and fertilisers.

Farmers still claim the take-home from farming is peanuts.

P.S. Anas, who is Karimaloor panchayat’s best farmer (mixed crop category), said farming was still not remunerative.

His claim might seem at odds with the prices of bananas and vegetables that have shot through the roof of markets following the rains. The best of bananas (nendran) fetch more than Rs. 50 a kg for farmers. Vegetable cow pea of even inferior quality fetches what a farmer commands.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/kerala-farmers-take-home-losses/article5029778.ece

Inside her mud and brick hut in the village of Purva in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sukhrani is making a pot of lentils for dinner – in complete darkness.

The glow of a candle and the flame from a wood fire are the only sources of light for the woman who is in her 60s.

Her village has no electricity – it has never had any.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23613878

SRINAGAR, India, Aug 16 2013 (IPS) – Zareena Bano has had to skip school 17 times this year to help out on her family’s farm in Tangchekh village in the northern Indian state of Kashmir.

Her teachers say she has the potential to be a brilliant student, but warn that if she keeps missing school she will not go far.

Never before has the 15-year-old had to sacrifice her education in order to support her family, but an acute water crisis in this Himalayan state has made irrigation a constant worry and severely disrupted the way of life for thousands of farming families like her own.

Troubled though they are by the toll the extra labour is taking on their daughter’s schoolwork, Zareena’s parents are in no position to order her to stay away from the fields.

http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/08/kashmiri-farmers-unprepared-for-drought/

Being a women farmer in India isn’t easy at the best of times, due to unequal land rights, a lack of training and limited access to affordable credit. Now changing climate patterns are making it even harder.

Inequality deepens climate challenge for India’s women farmers

Hurricane Sandy could be an answer to many who’ve wondered when America would smell the climate change. Hitting the USA’s northeastern coast with incredible force – ironically, one week before the country votes for its next president – Sandy is no ordinary storm.

Frankenstorms can get worse as global warming intensify

Expressing concern over the increasing impact of disasters and climate change in the Asia and the Pacific, high-level delegations from 50 countries of the region have called for drawing up an international agreement on disaster risk reduction to follow on the Hyogo Framework for Action (2005-2015).

Call for Global Pact on Disaster Risk Reduction

Ahmedabad based Cluster Pulse, an economic development agency for educating SMEs, has signed an MoU with Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the economic development agency of government of Germany on” impact of climate change on businesses & economy “.

Ahmedabad based Cluster Pulse inks MoU with GIZ of Germany