Photo: David Brazier/IWMI Photo :Tom van Cakenberghe/IWMI Water for a food-secure world Governing groundwater for sustainable irrigation in Asia and Africa

Water for a food-secure world How big is groundwater irrigation? Groundwater constitutes by far the major share of the world’s freshwater resources (Gleick, 1996) Over the last 50 years, it has also emerged as a main source of irrigation, dubbed as silent revolution by Llamas et al. But yet to take off in Africa, and only started in SE Asia and Central Asia Globally, almost 40% (114 M ha) of all irrigated area gets serviced by 545 km 3 groundwater In India 60% of India’s net irrigated area of 60 million ha is served by groundwater; in North China, 70% area is served by groundwater, in Bangladesh 88%

Water for a food-secure world Intensive use of GW is now a global phenomena with some areas making more intensive use than others

Water for a food-secure world Irrigated area in India by source: 1950 to 2010 Since 1970s, groundwater irrigated area has increased, as has number of wells and tubewells….

Water for a food-secure world

Water for a food-secure world

Water for a food-secure world

Water for a food-secure world

Water for a food-secure world Global approaches to GW Governance Laws, permits, bans, cropping pattern regulations Rate of success is low due to implementation problems Direct approaches Electricity and agricultural subsidies and taxes Works better than direct approaches Indirect approaches Supply augmentation (WH) and demand management with community involvement Community based solutions Adapt to groundwater stresses in myriad ways, including out migration Adaptive approaches

Water for a food-secure world Lessons from past research There are two distinct groundwater socio- ecologies (and these can be further subdivided) –Groundwater governance in regions of physical stress and over-exploitation –Groundwater governance in regions of under- utilization Solutions have to be very different

Water for a food-secure world What do we know about the solutions? In areas of over-exploitation: –Indirect approaches and second best solutions work better, e.g. energy-irrigation nexus solutions –Farmers respond to scarcity when scarcity signals are not dulled by other policy distortions –Informal institutions, like water markets are prolific –Supply augmentation is easier to implement than demand management –Strong farmers lobbies are formed to protect interests –Solutions are inherently political So good science needs to be backed up with policy dialogues

Water for a food-secure world What do we know about the solutions? cont… In areas of underutilization –Discourses from areas of over-exploitation often hamper development, eastern India, SSA –Inappropriate policies like tariff and restrictions impede development, e.g. eastern India, SS Africa –Constraints often lie outside of groundwater potential, in markets, seeds and fertilizers, e.g SS Africa –Informal institutions and norms are prolific –Unlocking groundwater potential in these regions can have a huge welfare impact –But needs concerted efforts: both science and policy dialogues

Water for a food-secure world What do we not know, or know with lesser clarity Impact of climate change on groundwater reserves Or, the potential role of groundwater storage in CC scenarios While conjunctive management of surface and groundwater is desirable, it does not happen anywhere? Why? Issue of groundwater quality and the way it affects agricultural production, e.g. impact on arsenic on crops Role of formal groundwater agencies in managing groundwater and how their interests can be aligned better

Water for a food-secure world Potential target areas Areas facing problems of intensive groundwater development: North, West and south India, Pakistan, north Africa and the Middle East Areas of under utilization: large parts of sub- Saharan Africa, eastern India, Nepal and Bangladesh, Central Asia, and SE Asia.

Water for a food-secure world Problem tree: Over and under exploited areas Over-exploited aquifers of South Asia, MENA Over-exploited resources; Declining water tables Increasing carbon footprint How to sustain groundwater use by minimizing negative impacts? Problem statement Proposed solutions MAR Demand management Under-exploited aquifers of eastern India, SE Asia and Africa Under-utilized resources High recharge potential Low agricultural productivity How to accelerate groundwater use for agricultural growth? Problem statement Proposed solutions Realigning policies and institutions Water plus solutions

Water for a food-secure world A framework for groundwater research Policies and institutions Resource characteristics Technologies and socio-economics Scope of CRP 5 research

Water for a food-secure world Research Issue 1: Assessing potential and challenges of groundwater and water lifting in SSA What? Africa’s irrigated area is slated to triple in next 5-10 years. What role will GW play in this expansion? Where? All major countries in SSA where IFPRI study shows potential of water lifting and small scale irrigation How? Taking stock of physical resources (aquifer mapping) Socio-economic surveys and policy dialogues With IFPRI, National groundwater agencies and BGS (?) National universities

Water for a food-secure world Research Issue 2: Testing the Ganges Water Machine Hypothesis in Eastern India and Bangladesh What? Drawing down water tables before monsoon leads to additional recharge in the post monsoon season Where Eastern Indian states of West Bengal and Bihar; Nepal and Bangladesh How Groundwater flow modeling (Basin SRP?) With India’s CGWB, Bangladesh’s BWDB, Nepal’s DOI, state GW agencies, Indian Institute of Science, Institute of Water Modeling, Dhaka

Water for a food-secure world What? Anecdotal evidence of early stages of groundwater and pump boom in SE Asia and Central Asia. But what do we know about it? Where Selected SE Asian countries: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philipinnes Selected Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan How Taking stock of groundwater potential Socio-economic surveys With India’s CGWB, Bangladesh’s BWDB, Nepal’s DOI, state GW agencies, Indian Institute of Science, Institute of Water Modeling, Dhaka Research Issue 3: Capturing the incipient growth in GW in SE and Central Asia

Water for a food-secure world What? A large body of work exists on the role of electricity policies on groundwater management. But new developments are happening Where 8 major Indian states which account for 80% of over-exploited blocks in the country How Taking stock of all agricultural electricity related policies and their impact through a number of ways: surveys, interviews, impact evaluations and policy dialogues With Electricity utilities and Planning Commission of India Research Issue 4: Managing the energy- irrigation nexus in Indian states

Water for a food-secure world What?WhereHowWith Research Issue 5: GW and Climate Change/ Conjunctive Management/Quality aspects/MAR studies??

Water for a food-secure world Thank you for this opportunity