Qualitative narrative analysis reveals how climate-induced water scarcity exacerbates mental trauma and suicide risks in rural Indian farmers, highlighting the need for agroecology and policy support.
Climate change and water scarcity are major issues faced by farmers in India. This affects the local farmers who are caught in a web of economic hardship, psychological toll, and agricultural vulnerability. This article aims to show how water scarcity affects farmers’ livelihoods in the marginalized community of India. It takes a toll not only on the socioeconomic inequality but also on the overall mental health. By employing a critical qualitative close reading of the narrative, the objective of the article is to show the harsh reality faced by the rural indigenous societies, and how water as a resource is critical in mending and shaping the culture and society we live in. This study reveals that Kadvi Hawa (2017) exemplifies hydro-dependency and the hydrosocial cycle, intertwining water scarcity with farmers’ agricultural vulnerability, intergenerational trauma, and elevated suicide risks amid climate-induced droughts. The findings of this study highlight the significance of Entertainment-Education (EE) as a pedagogical tool; recommend government schemes such as PM-KISAN and Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) that aid the farmers; and agroecology as a sustainable form of farming.
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S. et al. (2026) studied this question.
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