Natural Resource Management Under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS: Potential Impacts on Climate Change and Environmental Conservation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25175/jrd/2024/v43/i2/173507Keywords:
Natural Resources Management, Climate Adaptation, Climate Proofing.Abstract
Natural resource management is widely acknowledged for its crucial role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. It is achieved through sustainable use and conservation of resources by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through practices like afforestation, sustainable agriculture and water conservation. An attempt is made in this paper to evaluate the potential of natural resource-based activities under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme across the nation on achieving climate resilience together with co-benefits in terms of climate adaptation and mitigation. The success stories in different parts of India reveal the gross improvement in carbon sequestration and crop productivity. Most of the undertaken activities have significantly enhanced the adaptive capacity of rural communities to climate change risks, yielding various ecological and environmental benefits through an advanced response to changing rainfall patterns, drought and flooding to reach the ultimate goal of securing resilience and sustainability of livelihoods. However, there is a need for further examination and quantification of its potential while emphasising that the scheme holds promise for a more resilient future.
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