Assessment of climate change, water poverty and risk communities: some insights from Western Odisha.

Climate change is a geophysical reality, water deficit is a natural reality whereas risk community is a social reality. The interconnectivity between the three is intense with each variable having a chain reaction with the other two. Studies on climate change and water scarcity are abundant and are taking an escalating trend. But there is a dearth of literature relating to the interlinkage of the aforesaid variables. So, this has become the backdrop of the present article. The paper is fully backed by secondary literature and has taken its parameters to look at the individual phenomenon and establish its connectivity. The study areas selected are the Bolangir and Bargarh districts of Odisha, which encounter acute water stress for agricultural and domestic purposes. No such research study is found to date. Thus, the paper has tried to establish how climate change is rapidly taking place bringing water scarcity and stress is responsible for generating risk communities. Finally, the article culminates with certain ways forwards to bring solutions to such issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]