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Water and food security are crucial parts of India’s development and sustainability agenda, particularly given the diverse environmental conditions, social contexts and impacts of climate change. Ensuring consistent availability of and access to safe, nutritious food without depleting water resources remains a pressing challenge vital for ecological stability, economic growth and social well-being. Water scarcity affects millions, while land degradation and shifting rainfall patterns threaten food production. Addressing these interconnected issues necessitates sustainable management of natural resources, resilient agricultural practices and equitable distribution.
Our Water and Food Security initiative tackles challenges like water scarcity, climate change, land degradation and unsustainable agricultural practices through interdisciplinary knowledge generation, policy engagement, capacity building and partnerships. By focusing on responsible land and water management strategies and action plans and promoting nature-based and ecosystem-based approaches, we aim to create resilient food systems and sustainable water management that prioritise ecological health and social equity for long-term human well-being and sustainable development.
A transition from chemical-intensive farming to agroecological approaches is a pressing need in the Indian context to counter environmental degradation and stagnating farmer incomes. Our work looks at the drivers, processes, behaviour changes and outcomes, besides innovative sources of finance, that promote such a transition for smallholder farmers in semi-arid contexts in India.
The Water Programme seeks to enhance water security and flood resilience in cities, leveraging technology, data-driven solutions and collaborative efforts among governments and civil society. It also focuses on improving water infrastructure, service delivery and urban governance while tackling urban flooding and water scarcity and promoting nature-based solutions through a participatory approach that integrates technology, governance, and social dynamics beyond traditional infrastructure planning.
Our work focuses on strengthening water governance, promoting community-led water management and enhancing irrigation management within large-scale centralised systems, emphasising equity and sustainability. Through cutting-edge technologies, we hope to develop water management strategies that are inclusive, fair and responsive to the needs of marginalised and vulnerable communities.
Changing rainfall patterns and increasing temperatures exacerbate water scarcity leading to depleting groundwater levels. ATREE aims to increase accessibility and awareness of local food species among consumers to help sustain markets for farmers and nutrition uptake among communities. We also work with communities to bring back use of traditional crops, knowledge systems to improve climate resilience and ensure farmer livelihoods. We also address challenges in climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable water management, land conservation practices, and promoting farmer welfare programs.
Healthy soils deliver enormous benefits to people and nature – they can better retain water during droughts, reduce erosion during heavy rainfall events, and support more robust plant growth. Carbon-rich soils also play a significant role in the global carbon cycle by acting as a carbon sink. ATREE undertakes research to better understand soil carbon stocks and fluxes in natural and human-dominated ecosystems across India. Our efforts are crucial to develop and deploy effective land management strategies which promote healthy soils and enhance carbon sequestration through undertaking pilots, supporting soil monitoring campaigns and evaluating environmental policies, therefore building climate resilience.
