Indian Drought Management: From Vulnerability to Resilience

Numerous strategies have evolved in India to cope with droughts over the years. The characteristics of drought management have evolved from the relief approach of the pre-independence era to the scarcity relief approach after independence. In the 1970s, the scarcity relief approach was replaced by a drought relief approach and, more recently, the drought management approach. These changes in management approaches have increased the country’s resilience to droughts. Although India has a comprehensive drought management strategy directed toward preserving the quality of life in communities even in the face of severe and multiyear droughts, vulnerability to droughts at the household level in the dry regions of the country still persists. Hence, evolutionary trends of drought management must continue. It is possible for India to replace its current approach to drought management, which considers drought to be a transitory phenomenon, with a monsoon management approach, which considers drought to be a normal part of climatic variations. This chapter emphasizes the need to evolve appropriate development strategies, keeping in mind the importance of insulating the people of drought-prone areas from the impact of seasonal rainfall fluctuations.