Rural Development in India
AKRSP first began working in three areas of Gujarat: the “tribal” areas in the south where some of the poorest communities live and where natural resources have been poorly managed; the coastal region and the area surrounding the Gir Forest, which now suffers from increasing groundwater salinity due to over-pumping; and Surendranagar District, which is one of the most drought-prone regions in Gujarat.
In 2004, AKRSP expanded to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, which had a high degree of food insecurity.
In 2008, AKRSP was asked to contribute to rural development in Bihar. Today, AKRSP’s programmes in India have four main components:
Economic development: agricultural and non-agricultural interventions that help improve food security, increase agricultural incomes and reduce risks of the landed farmers and provide livelihood options for the poor and landless farmers.
Social development: programmes that address social inequities and integrate everyone regardless of gender, caste or “tribal” origins in the decision-making process, providing a “voice” to the marginalized.
Basic services: to fill the perennial need for water, energy and fodder, AKRSP works to provide infrastructure for drinking water, technical know-how as well as infrastructure for generating alternative energy and fodder growth for cattle.
Improved governance: AKRSP encourages the formation of a range of organisations at the village, sub-village and multi-village level that are responsive to the needs of their communities and influence local governance structures; it also works at the state level to influence government policies regarding the rights of such groups.