Water Node: RRA Year 1: REVIEW

Rainfall – ET plot for drylands

Groundwater exploitation: long-term desaturation of aquifers…

Overview of project Objectives Document – practices and gaps Significance of supply and demand side measures wrt rainfed productivity Strategise protective irrigation across diverse settings – drought buffering Improving access for all – SM + PI – collectives Research – data, analysis and synthesis (documentation) Advocacy – water, agriculture and rural development Location and resources Locations: mainly in areas (but not limited to) where CPs are on Geographies: Mainly drylands; diverse geology; one arid location Time: 3 years (present contract for one year) Resources: EUR HR: staff + student intern

Moisture management Protective irrigation

Moisture management/water balance in root zone

Rationale for water management under RRA Current water crisis is mired in the race to the pumphouse – for irrigated crops. The importance of water in RFA is not even recognised as a challenge. Moisture management and critical ‘protective’ irrigation are important to improving RFA. These two aspects emerge as priorities in the use of water as a common pool resource – THE BASIS FOR WATER MANAGEMENT PILOTS IN RRA EFFORTS…

Principle and operation Rainfall use efficiency Soil moisture management Protective irrigation (for all) Water management in RFAs as water for protection versus water for exploitation Water management in RFAs as water for protection versus water for exploitation ACWADAM, Pune

Progress – activities (year 1) Design of work and integrating RRA work with ACWADAM’s core work on hydrogeology and groundwater management Understanding the macro-picture through a situation analysis in a few locations Instrumentation and data Kharif planning – in at least three locations

Progress - results Water: controls – establishing arguments regarding soils, aquifers and water sources Data collection, including data on weather parameters Synthesis of data into a GIS frame Diversity in controls – geology, soil, water inputs, degree of water use Inequitous water access even on local scales Scales – watersheds, aquifers, land- parcels

Soil moisture variability in adjoining villages tapping one watershed and one aquifer…

Improving soil moisture and prioritizing areas for protective irrigation

Risks & assumptions Data collection Interface with CPs and other nodes Sufficiency and capacities of available Human Resources Steady but clearly evolving Good progress in about 4 CPs, need to pick up in the others Some limitation due to stretched HR but filling gaps with available resources possible

Shorter term…first year+ Basic parameters Completed/ongoing activities Reconnaissance visits to all the CP sites completed, with emphasis on understanding argo-hydro-geological setting Hydrogeological understanding in terms of the access to irrigation and soil-moisture status plus some understanding between soil – cropping pattern –water utilization understood in case of 3-4 sites Developing protocols for polling of water resources/grouping water – users to facilitate protective irrigation in upcoming kharif – under process Materials and models being compiled to conduct training and capacity building sessions specifically on water in RFA Characterising agro-eco-hydro elements of core CP area Situation analysis wrt to some CPs where implementing the interventions regarding protective irrigation are possible Developing action plan to facilitate protective irrigation for the maximum coverage of area which area more prone to droughts

Institutional arrangement and support systems Inputs Key results (achieved/expected) Integration of inputs by water node and kharif planning – 2-3 locations Key inputs to analysis of groundwater and weather- related data, including installation of weather stations in 4 CP locations Support in co-ordination of meetings, skypes and in interface with other nodes Strong interface in data collections, field support and in development of the framework for baselines, including interface with ResRA Project Organisation Network (Secretariat) Other nodes/CPs

Analysis and reflections - 1 Strengthening the argument of water as protection in RFA Layering at a certain scale achieved; convergence easier on some counts

Jawadhu hills – topography & watershed drainage

Rainfall Analysis

Drainage & Groundwater Analysis

Is groundwater only about mainstream irrigation??

Analysis and reflections - 2 Given the complex, but compelling nature of the collaborative framework of RRA, things are moving, albeit slower than expected. Key takeaway: development of a specialised pool of HR must be taken up for RRA on a priority basis.

Way forward Water node Proposed activities to continue, into 2 nd year with strong interface of research and application component (including data synthesis) Rebudgeting for second year, using balance of budget from 1 st year HR, including interns, will be mobilised to cover more locations – possibly all the 9-10 locations by the end of year 2 Network Need a plan for conducting comprehensive capacity building – cutting across thematic nodes and CPs and including a research component

Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management Website: Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management Website: