The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins

Groundwater has played an increasing role in irrigated farming, livelihood support, poverty alleviation, and national food security in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal since the advent of the green revolution in the 1960s. This paper presents a synthesis of the results of a cross-region...

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Main Authors: Villholth, Karen G., Mukherji, Aditi, Sharma, Bharat R., Wang, J.
Format: Conference Paper
Language:Inglés
Published: 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38723
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author Villholth, Karen G.
Mukherji, Aditi
Sharma, Bharat R.
Wang, J.
author_browse Mukherji, Aditi
Sharma, Bharat R.
Villholth, Karen G.
Wang, J.
author_facet Villholth, Karen G.
Mukherji, Aditi
Sharma, Bharat R.
Wang, J.
author_sort Villholth, Karen G.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Groundwater has played an increasing role in irrigated farming, livelihood support, poverty alleviation, and national food security in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal since the advent of the green revolution in the 1960s. This paper presents a synthesis of the results of a cross-regional research effort, based on surveys in more than 60 villages, to map the contemporary realities and constraints of groundwater use and adaptation in irrigated agriculture within smallholder farmer communities across the alluvial plains of the major Indus, Ganges and Yellow river basins in Asia. The results show a general over-exploitation of groundwater resources in Pakistan, western India, and China and relative under-utilization in eastern India and Bangladesh. But more interestingly, and despite its great significance, practically nowhere is groundwater managed in an integrated manner. As a result, its use is sub-optimal where smallholders today employ a range of adaptation and coping strategies to uphold groundwater benefits. The research findings point to various axes along which to identify solutions and focus equitable and sustainable policies and management interventions.
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spelling CGSpace387232023-09-23T17:44:55Z The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins Villholth, Karen G. Mukherji, Aditi Sharma, Bharat R. Wang, J. groundwater irrigation pipes energy consumption wells costs crop production farmers attitudes poverty water market Groundwater has played an increasing role in irrigated farming, livelihood support, poverty alleviation, and national food security in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal since the advent of the green revolution in the 1960s. This paper presents a synthesis of the results of a cross-regional research effort, based on surveys in more than 60 villages, to map the contemporary realities and constraints of groundwater use and adaptation in irrigated agriculture within smallholder farmer communities across the alluvial plains of the major Indus, Ganges and Yellow river basins in Asia. The results show a general over-exploitation of groundwater resources in Pakistan, western India, and China and relative under-utilization in eastern India and Bangladesh. But more interestingly, and despite its great significance, practically nowhere is groundwater managed in an integrated manner. As a result, its use is sub-optimal where smallholders today employ a range of adaptation and coping strategies to uphold groundwater benefits. The research findings point to various axes along which to identify solutions and focus equitable and sustainable policies and management interventions. 2009 2014-06-13T11:42:45Z 2014-06-13T11:42:45Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38723 en Limited Access Villholth, K. G.; Mukherji, Aditi; Sharma, Bharat R.; Wang, J. 2009. The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins. In Taniguchi, M.; Dausman, A.; Howard, K.; Polemio, M.; Lakshmanan, E. (Eds.). Trends and sustainability of groundwater in highly stressed aquifers: proceedings of Symposium JS.2 at the Joint Convention of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Hyderabad, India, 6-12 September 2009. Wallingford, UK: International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS). pp.89-102. (IAHS Publication 329)
spellingShingle groundwater irrigation
pipes
energy consumption
wells
costs
crop production
farmers attitudes
poverty
water market
Villholth, Karen G.
Mukherji, Aditi
Sharma, Bharat R.
Wang, J.
The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title_full The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title_fullStr The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title_full_unstemmed The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title_short The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins
title_sort realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater based smallholder irrigated farming across the indus ganges and yellow river basins
topic groundwater irrigation
pipes
energy consumption
wells
costs
crop production
farmers attitudes
poverty
water market
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/38723
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