1. General information
2. Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
The project aimed toward four interlinked objectives:
- To develop a climate resilience strategy to reduce flood risks for Gorakhpur city.
- To develop models of climate resiliency and integrated agriculture-horticulture-aquaculture-livestock systems in small, marginal landholdings in the peri-urban context, employing a diversity of water systems.
- To enhance the income and food security of poor and vulnerable populations.
- To ensure the sustainability of peri-urban agricultural lands through different regulatory and incentive mechanisms
- To enhance the flood buffering capacity of the city as it expands through the institutionalization and replication of sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems (Ref 1).
- To develop a climate resilience strategy to reduce flood risks for Gorakhpur city.
- To develop models of climate resiliency and integrated agriculture-horticulture-aquaculture-livestock systems in small, marginal landholdings in the peri-urban context, employing a diversity of water systems.
- To enhance the income and food security of poor and vulnerable populations.
- To ensure the sustainability of peri-urban agricultural lands through different regulatory and incentive mechanisms
- To enhance the flood buffering capacity of the city as it expands through the institutionalization and replication of sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems (Ref 1).
Quantitative targets
- Implement community gardens in eight villages, with outreach plans for over 50 surrounding villages located in the Gorakhpur Development Area and targeted 30 model farmers (Ref 1,2).
- Work with eight villages located in two clusters of two river catchments, one in the north and one in the south of Gorakhpur, covering an area of approximately 450 hectares, and involvement of almost 1000 small land-holding farmers (Ref 1, 2, 5).
- Installation of two decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) for farmers in two project villages to access clean irrigation water (Ref 1).
- Work with eight villages located in two clusters of two river catchments, one in the north and one in the south of Gorakhpur, covering an area of approximately 450 hectares, and involvement of almost 1000 small land-holding farmers (Ref 1, 2, 5).
- Installation of two decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) for farmers in two project villages to access clean irrigation water (Ref 1).
Monitoring indicators defined
- The percentage of farmers in the project villages who adopted low external input and sustainable agriculture (LEISA) and climate-resilient agricultural practices.
- The percentage increase in agricultural income of farmers in the project villages.
- The percentage of the population in the project villages with increased food and nutrition security.
- The total area of conserved peri-urban land, conserved open space and protected water bodies.
- The number of decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) that are installed.
- The percentage of farmers who report an increase in their resourcefulness, services, access to information and responsiveness. (Ref 1)
- The percentage increase in agricultural income of farmers in the project villages.
- The percentage of the population in the project villages with increased food and nutrition security.
- The total area of conserved peri-urban land, conserved open space and protected water bodies.
- The number of decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DEWATS) that are installed.
- The percentage of farmers who report an increase in their resourcefulness, services, access to information and responsiveness. (Ref 1)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implementation activities
GEAG concluded that to reduce flood risk in Gorakhpur city, promoting the maintenance of open spaces in the form of peri-urban agriculture would be an ideal strategy. It presented a practical mechanism for diversifying urban livelihoods and ensuring the availability of local food supplies while maintaining open areas that can serve as flood buffers. It would also maintain the land-use pattern and ecosystem services in these areas, promoting climate-resilient peri-urban agriculture that uses innovative methods (Ref 1, 2).
The project was categorized initially into eight components under implemented activities or also called “work packages”:
1. Farm models
2. Institution building
3. Weather and agro-services
4. Common property resource management
5. Market linkages
6. Awareness and cross-learning visits
7. Research and documentation
8. Advocacy (Ref 1).
Later two more components were added as the project put a lot of effort into it:
9. Establishing linkages and networking with government departments
10. Documentation (Ref 1).
The typology of the peri-urban interventions (implementation activities) at the farmers’ level has four major components:
1. Farm models with low external input and sustainable agriculture (LEISA) and climate-resilient practices
- The project introduced a host of low external input and sustainable agriculture (LEISA) and climate-resilient practices which primarily increased farmer's income including:
composting, Trichoderma fungus, bio-pesticides, oil cake, plantation, mixed farming, seed production, integrated pest management (IPM), kitchen gardening, loft farming, bag or “thermocol” farming, low tunnel polyhouse, permanent raised beds, and relay cropping.
- The practice of composting, with or without adding Trichoderma to improve the soil, followed by mixed or relay farming with a variety of vegetables and fruits, and the application of bio-pesticides in case of diseases and pests, proved very successful, allowing farmers to harvest three crops a year instead of one or two.
- Practices such as thermocol farming and loft farming have helped farmers grow saplings during the flood season that can be planted in the fields once the water recedes. Marginal farmers are now able to rent needed equipment from the agro-service centers to irrigate their fields during water shortages (Ref 1, 2).
2. Local institutions that were formed, such as farmer clubs, farmer field schools, and Laghu Seemant Krishak Morcha (LSKMs) which are farmers' unions that are part of a national LSKM network
- The implementation of the LEISA and climate-resilient practices has been further supported by the farmer
clubs, farmer field schools, agro-service centers, and LSKMs formed by the GEAG project (Ref 1, 2).
3. The weather and agro-services provided by SMS
- Providing weather and agro-services through SMS and using notice boards supported farmers in making informed decisions about their agricultural practices (Ref 1, 2).
4. Established linkages with government line departments and GEAG.
- Establishing linkages to line departments and GEAG has helped farmers access better supportive information from experts and also provided access to government subsidy schemes (Ref 1, 2).
The project was categorized initially into eight components under implemented activities or also called “work packages”:
1. Farm models
2. Institution building
3. Weather and agro-services
4. Common property resource management
5. Market linkages
6. Awareness and cross-learning visits
7. Research and documentation
8. Advocacy (Ref 1).
Later two more components were added as the project put a lot of effort into it:
9. Establishing linkages and networking with government departments
10. Documentation (Ref 1).
The typology of the peri-urban interventions (implementation activities) at the farmers’ level has four major components:
1. Farm models with low external input and sustainable agriculture (LEISA) and climate-resilient practices
- The project introduced a host of low external input and sustainable agriculture (LEISA) and climate-resilient practices which primarily increased farmer's income including:
composting, Trichoderma fungus, bio-pesticides, oil cake, plantation, mixed farming, seed production, integrated pest management (IPM), kitchen gardening, loft farming, bag or “thermocol” farming, low tunnel polyhouse, permanent raised beds, and relay cropping.
- The practice of composting, with or without adding Trichoderma to improve the soil, followed by mixed or relay farming with a variety of vegetables and fruits, and the application of bio-pesticides in case of diseases and pests, proved very successful, allowing farmers to harvest three crops a year instead of one or two.
- Practices such as thermocol farming and loft farming have helped farmers grow saplings during the flood season that can be planted in the fields once the water recedes. Marginal farmers are now able to rent needed equipment from the agro-service centers to irrigate their fields during water shortages (Ref 1, 2).
2. Local institutions that were formed, such as farmer clubs, farmer field schools, and Laghu Seemant Krishak Morcha (LSKMs) which are farmers' unions that are part of a national LSKM network
- The implementation of the LEISA and climate-resilient practices has been further supported by the farmer
clubs, farmer field schools, agro-service centers, and LSKMs formed by the GEAG project (Ref 1, 2).
3. The weather and agro-services provided by SMS
- Providing weather and agro-services through SMS and using notice boards supported farmers in making informed decisions about their agricultural practices (Ref 1, 2).
4. Established linkages with government line departments and GEAG.
- Establishing linkages to line departments and GEAG has helped farmers access better supportive information from experts and also provided access to government subsidy schemes (Ref 1, 2).
3. NBS domains, ES and scale
4. Governance and financing
5. Innovation
Type of innovation
Please specify system innovation
The project in Gorakhpur can be considered a system innovation with elements of technological, process, infrastructural and social innovation. The project's social innovation lies in promoting sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural practices, creating social capital and empowering communities, and improving waste management in vulnerable communities. This is achieved through the formation of farmer clubs, farmer field schools, agro-service centers, and local institutions, and the implementation of policy and governance mechanisms such as a city-level policy for urban agriculture and the establishment of a City Agriculture Cell. (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Technological innovation in the project is seen in the use of text message-based early warning systems for weather advisories and the implementation of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The project also involves process innovations such as the use of participatory methods for planning and implementation. (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4)
Infrastructure innovation in the project is observed through the integration of nature-based solutions, which include preserving open areas for flood control and enhancing soil quality through organic inputs. (Ref 1, 2)
Overall, the project in Gorakhpur can be considered a system innovation, as it involves a combination of social, technological, process, and infrastructure innovations. The project is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and peri-urban land management, building social capital and empowering communities, improving access to expert knowledge and government subsidy schemes, and enhancing the resilience of the local community through a multi-stakeholder approach. Therefore, the project represents a systemic approach to addressing the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the region.
Technological innovation in the project is seen in the use of text message-based early warning systems for weather advisories and the implementation of decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The project also involves process innovations such as the use of participatory methods for planning and implementation. (Ref 1, 2, 3, 4)
Infrastructure innovation in the project is observed through the integration of nature-based solutions, which include preserving open areas for flood control and enhancing soil quality through organic inputs. (Ref 1, 2)
Overall, the project in Gorakhpur can be considered a system innovation, as it involves a combination of social, technological, process, and infrastructure innovations. The project is aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and peri-urban land management, building social capital and empowering communities, improving access to expert knowledge and government subsidy schemes, and enhancing the resilience of the local community through a multi-stakeholder approach. Therefore, the project represents a systemic approach to addressing the challenges facing the agricultural sector in the region.
Novelty level of the innovation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Based on the information provided, it is ambiguous whether the innovation is derived from previous initiatives or is completely new without connections to previous initiatives. While the initiative drew on existing technical and traditional knowledge of the farmers and leveraged existing government schemes, it is not clear if the specific approach and combination of interventions were adapted from previous initiatives or completely new. (Ref 1, 2)
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
According to the evaluation report (Ref 1), there is a huge scope for replicating the LEISA and climate-resilient practices in other villages in the peri-urban areas of Gorakhpur, and the described typology of LEISA and climate-resilient interventions provides an indicative approach for further out-scaling. Additionally, the report suggests that the project's scope for replication at the city and district level and beyond would require continued advocacy work. Therefore, it can be concluded that the innovation is transferred to new initiatives with substantial adaptation, as some adjustments and adaptations might be necessary to apply the intervention in new contexts or areas beyond the original scope of the project.
