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ABSTRACT: The world’s surface temperature has increased at an unprecedented rate due to global warming. This has impacted the hydrological cycle
and rainfall pattern. The Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall season (ISMR), which plays a very important role in regulating the floods and
droughts, regulates the crop yield, well being of the society, employment generation, and food insecurity. Food insecurity is the limited or
uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially
acceptable ways. Availability, access, and assimilation are broadly the three main dimensions of food security. All this is related to the
economy of the state and consequently of the country. Thus, the paper studies and identifies drought variability pattern; consequential
impact on food availability and thereby suggesting ‘No-regret’ adaptive strategies to improve food insecurity across the state of Orissa. The
rainfall data for the scientific analysis was obtained from Climatic Research Unit, U.K., for time period of 1901-2002. Univariate analysis
and bivariate analysis were carried out. Univariate analysis revealed that the months of June- September (ISMR) contributes 79% of the
annual rainfall in the state, with maximum rainfall in the month of August. Cuttack was the least vulnerable district as it experienced the
least number of droughts, while Rayagada was the most vulnerable district. To improve the economic conditions and food insecurity in
Orissa few adaptive strategies were suggested - Need for linkage with employment generation schemes, skill up-gradation programmes,
and promotion of available untapped resource-based livelihoods were highlighted.
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XXXVIII-8/W3. 01/2009;
