This study was conducted in two Indian states of Punjab (in the north) and Karnataka (in the south). An analysis of long term trends in groundwater development and agricultural growth in Karnataka shows two things. First, the growth in irrigation was largely contributed by expansion of…

This Working Paper summarizes research conducted as part of the AgWater Solutions Project in the State of Madhya Pradesh, India, from 2009 to 2012. Agriculture accounts for 21% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Madhya Pradesh and state agriculture contributes substantially to India?s total…

This Working Paper summarizes research conducted as part of the AgWater Solutions Project in West Bengal between 2009 and 2012. Researchers from the AgWater Solutions Project conducted studies on rainwater harvesting with small ponds (known locally as hapas), improving Access to groundwater…

The AgWater Solutions Project, carried out between 2009 and 2012, focused on resolving water issues faced by smallholder farmers. The project examined existing Agricultural Water Management (AWM) solutions, together with factors that influence their adoption and scaling up. The project aimed to…

This Highlight reviews 34 papers that deal with interventions aimed at reducing negative impacts of irrigating with Arsenic (As) rich water. These studies show that there are six broad groups of interventions: deficit irrigation, soil fertilization, growing crops other than paddy, switching to…

In this Highlight, historical antecedents of energy-irrigation nexus in India are examined and it has been found that its genesis lies in policy decision taken over two decades ago to supply unmetered electricity to farmers. This has led to a number of problems, most important of which is lack…

Total Factor Productivity (TFP) measures the growth in output which is not accounted for by inputs. Data Envelopment Analysis which forms the basis for the computation of Malmquist TFP index is used in this paper to study the performance of different river basins in Andhra Pradesh state, India.…

The rural populations of southern Bangladesh are some of the most vulnerable communities in the world to the future impacts of climate change. They are particularly at risk from floods, waterlogged soils, and increasing salinity of both land and water. The objective of this project was to…

This highlight compares data on wells and tube wells, diesel and electric pumps from four sources, namely, Minor Irrigation Census (MIC), Agricultural Census (Ag), Input Survey (InS) and statistics from State Electricity Boards (SEBs) and/ or the State Statistical Bureaus for four time periods…

Studies from nine states indicate that adoption of micro-irrigation (MI) technologies - drip and sprinkler systems - has a positive impact in terms of water saving, yield and income enhancement at farm level. However, the overall impression among the farmers is that MI is capital intensive and…

Indian Himalayan basins are earmarked for widespread dam building, but aggregate effects of these dams on terrestrial ecosystems are unknown. We mapped distribution of 292 dams (under construction and proposed) and projected effects of these dams on terrestrial ecosystems under different…

High population growth, increasing urbanization and rapid economic development are exerting pressure on the already scarce water resources in India. Treatment and reuse of wastewater can play an important role in addressing some of the urban water challenges. Conventional treatment plants have…