I delivered a presentation today in one of my classes called "Planning for Water Resource Management". My groupmate and I specifically discussed a participatory groundwater management project in the state of Andhra Pradesh located in South-Eastern India. I'll post a summary of our topic along with our presentation shortly. The video below discusses the contemporary challenges around groundwater overuse in the state of Punjab, India.
Farmers in Punjab are pumping groundwater beyond levels that are sustainable levels for their economic livelihood and for posterity. Farmers pump groundwater at profligate rates because they receive very generous water and electricity subsidies from the government. These subsidies do not give the farmers the proper signals of the value and true cost of these goods. While Punjab faces such challenges, states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat have also seen water tables drop due to excessive overpumping.
Our case study of Andhra Pradesh offers a contrast to the aforementioned through the utilization of a number of participatory methods that have engaged farmers to better understand the science of groundwater dynamics and strives toward behavioural change through groundwater conservation. More to come on this. In the meantime, please see the video below and understand that India's water challenges have several implications for the world including the international food market.
For more, see here.
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