Page 46 - GIZ CAFRI Report

NAFCC

Kerala

Name of the Project: Promotion of Integrated Farming System of Kaipad
and Pokkali in Coastal Wetlands of Kerala
Project Focus: Coastal Wetland Management
Location: Pokkali and Kaipad Coastal Wetlands in Kannur, Ernakulam,
rissur and Alappuzha Districts, Kerala
Project Finance: Rs. 25 Crore (USD 3.75 million)
Duration: 3 Years (2016-2019); Extended upto 2021; Completed

Name of Executing Entity: Agency for Development of Aquaculture,
Kerala (ADAK)
Project Beneciaries: 250 households of the project areas

Project Area: Atmospheric temperature across Kerala is projected to rise 2°C by 2050 and sea level is estimated to rise
by 1 m inundating 169 km2 coastal region surrounding Cochin. e paddy production in the state is projected to drop
by 6 % with each degree rise in temperature. Due to climate change, the sea level rise is projected to be 3.5 to 34.6
inches between 1990 and 2100 and would result in salinity ingress to coastal groundwater, endangering agriculture,
wetlands, sheries, and inundating valuable land and coastal communities.

Pressing need was felt to revive the traditional brackish water
paddy-shrimp farming system called integrated Pokkali-Kaipad
farming in the context of Climate Change. e term Pokkali of
Central Kerala refers to a salt tolerant rice cultivar grown in the coastal
saline soils of Kerala. Kaipad system of North Kerala refers to
sustainable rice cultivation with aquaculture in brackish water marshes.

e traditional rotational farming
system of paddy and shrimps, has
reduced from 25,000 ha to about
2,200 ha in the last 3 decades. About
5,765 ha. of Pokkali land has become
un-utilisable or is partially utilised
due to broken bunds and insucient
bund height in many places as a
result of increase in high tide level.
To address the above coastal ecosys-
tem vulnerabilities, the given project
envisions to promote integrated
farming system of Pokkali and Destruction of Kaipad
Kaipad where saline tolerant paddy is Wetlands of North Kerala
cultivated along with integration of
shery as an opportunity to upscale
climate resilient farming practice,
ensure food security, and promote
livelihood generation. Invasion of exotic weed,
Eichhornia crassipes in Pokkali Wetlands

46
Climate Change Interventions of
NABARD – A Glimpse