Assessing needs, constraints and livelihood opportunities in coastal saline environments: a case in Orissa, India.

Abstract

Abstract The coastal saline ecosystem in Orissa State, eastern India extends from the shore of the Bay of Bengal to about 15 km inland. Salinity occurs because of the intrusion of seawater during high tides through surface channels, creeks and rivers, particularly during the dry season, but decreases with freshwater flushing in the wet season. Salinity reaches its highest during April-May due to the increase in temperature from February onward, with a consequent increase in evapotranspiration and salt accumulation on surface soils. Because of poor pre-monsoon showers during April-May in some years, soil salinity still persists and can affect crop establishment seriously in early June. Moreover, a shortage of irrigation water limits the cultivation of dryseason rice and other non-rice crops. This study develops a systematic understanding of target environments and the livelihoods of the people in these areas as a basis for exploring opportunities to improve land and water productivity, as well as farmers' livelihoods through varietal improvement and proper crop management practices. Baseline social (including gender analysis) and economic surveys using a pre-tested structured questionnaire of 50 households were conducted in six villages in Jagatsinghpur District to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of the farming households, indigenous knowledge and farming practices, gender roles, use of rice varieties on different land types, share of rice and other sources of income in livelihood systems and the profitability of current rice cultivation practices and inputs. Through focus group discussions, farmers identified their problems, prioritized their needs and matched them with opportunities to improve their livelihood. Farmers gave positive feedback on participatory experiments involving salt-tolerant rice varieties and associated crop and water management technologies conducted in their fields, for both wet and dry seasons. Improved varieties had at least twice the yields of traditional varieties that yielded less than 1.5 t/ha. Sunflower is well accepted as a rotation crop after rice. With the new varieties, farmers felt more secure that they would have a continuous supply of rice for a year instead of 4-9 months, as was the case before the project began. Several lessons were learned from this research: (i) the need for a strong interaction between biological and social scientists in problem-oriented research; (ii) the use of community participatory approaches in the design, validation and dissemination of technologies; (iii) the need to enhance the capacities of both men and women farmers in rice production technologies and improved seed management; (iv) the need to anticipate and address constraints to the widespread adoption of rice and rice-based technologies; (v) inclusion of both men and women farmers in evaluating new salt-tolerant varieties; (vi) expansion of sunflower production as a suitable crop for saline areas, after rice; and (vii) the need to evaluate additional crops adapted to these saline areas and which have a high market value.