Jeremy Bird, Director General of IWMI, discusses the huge water management challenges facing India and shows how IWMI’s research can contribute to effective and sustainable solutions.

1. From Water Problems
to Water Solutions
Photo: Prue Loney/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

2. Humanity’s greatest challenge
• To feed 9 billion people in
2050, we need to produce
70% more food and raise
nutrition levels without
destroying the environment
• Rising demands are already
contributing to:
– Water scarcity
– Land degradation
– Loss of ecosystem
services
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

3. Global Demography, GDP and Water
Withdrawals 1900 - 2000
• Population increase about 3.6 times
• Water withdrawals increased 6.8 times
• GDP increased 19 times , about 3% per year (constant prices, IMF)
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

4. Poverty and Population
Population growth,
dietary change and
poverty and
malnutrition will be
key drivers with
respect to Pop. m Pop. m Growth
agriculture 2009 2050
Africa 1010 1998 98%
Asia 4121 5231 27%
Europe 732 691 - 5%
LA and 582 729 25%
Caribbean
Water for a food-secure world
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5. Land and water availability are reducing
0.80 100
Thousands
90 Myanmar
0.70 Cambodia
80 Indonesia
Malaysia
0.60
70 Lao PDR
Philippines
Watger availability (000m3/cap)
0.50 Vietnam
60
50
0.40
40
0.30
30
0.20
20
0.10 10
0
0.00 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Land area (ha) per person Water availability 1000m3 per
person

6. Water scarcity
Physical scarcity:
Water resources
development
approaching or
exceeding
sustainable limits
Economic Scarcity:
Water resources can
meet needs; but
human, institutional
and financial capital
lacking to actually
harness and use
these resources
Source: Water for Food, Water for Life,
IWMI, 2007

7. Consumption and income 1961-2000
These trends are continuing
120
100
meat consumption
Meat
(kg/cap/yr)
80
60
China USA
40
20
0
India
10 100 1000 10000 100000
GDP per capita (2000 constant dollars per year)
120
100
India USA
milk consumption
(kg/cap/yr)
80
60
Milk
40
20
0
China
10 100 1000 10000 100000
GDP per capita (2000 constant dollars per year)
Water for a food-secure world
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8. Wheat in South Asia will be strongly affected
by climate change
• 2025: USD 15-20 billion losses pa (12–16%)
• 2050: USD 32-48 billion losses pa (20–30%)
• 10% Yield potential loss for every C0 increase
Courtesy Dr M Banziger, CIMMYT
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

9. …problems are more than just scarcity
0.80
6,000
0.70
5,000
0.60
4,000
0.50
0.40 Water & Slow
3,000
0.30 land growth of
2,000
0.20
scarcity productivity
1,000
0.10
0
0.00
1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Unequal Unequal
sharing of sharing of
benefits risks
INDIA NEWS CTOBER 1, 2009
India's Drought
Worst Since 1972

10. Impressive growth, but unsustainable trends in
resource use
GW pumps in Indus-
Ganges basin
Map: Sharma et al,
2009
Photos: Fred Pearce
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

11. Sanitation – Water – Food Challenge in India
• About 128 million septic tanks and
latrines in India contribute to 80%
of the pollution of India’s surface
waters due to the lack of septage
treatment facilities.
• Inadequate sanitation costs India
Rs. 2.4 trillion (US$ 53.8 million)
per year or 6.4 percent of India’s
2006 GDP.

12. Food safety and health at risk
Can we turn a threat into an opportunity?

13. The Challenge
It is not so much
that water is
scarce…
but more about how
it is managed and
accessed by the
most vulnerable
Water for a food-secure world
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14. Looking forward …..
some reasons for
optimism?
Photo: Prue Loney/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
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15. Food security and water scarcity
• We can produce enough food for 9 billion – it is
about access to food and improved nutrition
• Feeding more people is not simply a question of
bio-physical innovation
• Water is as much a social issue as a physical
one and therefore we have to look to governance
and institutional solutions
• A critical aspect is scaling up R&D outcomes
Water for a food-secure world
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16. Global Water Withdrawals:
historical and projected (after Peter Gleick)

17. Increases in productivity
6000
 more crop per drop in
irrigated and rainfed
5000 systems
Cereal Production per Area (Kg/ha)
Arab World
4000
Sub-Saharan Africa (developing only)
Burkina Faso
Bangladesh
3000
India
Pakistan
2000 China
Vietnam
Thailand
1000 Brazil
Colombia
0
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200
Area (Km2) Thousands
Courtesy Simon Cook
Water for a food-secure world
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18. Sustainable intensification – the coming
challenge across many scales
• Closing the actual vs potential yield gap (on farm
issue)
• Twice the yield off half the area? (on-farm issue)
• Capitalizing on natural infrastructure (national
policy issue)
• Recognizing the value of ecosystem services
(river basin/regional level issue)
• The water-food-energy-environment nexus
(national-transboundary issue)
Water for a food-secure world
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19. Reasons for optimism #1: Upscaling the recovery
of groundwater tables and reduced electricity
usage
The problem in Gujarat
‘Free’ electricity encouraged
groundwater overuse
Resulted in groundwater
overdraft
Safe
Semi-critical
Critical
Over exploited
Saline

20. Jyotigram in Gujarat, India
• Issue was over-pumping
of groundwater because
of subsidized electricity
• Pragmatic solution
suggested by IWMI and
partners was separation
of electricity supply to
villages and pumps
• Outcome was reduced
electricity use, less
groundwater use,
improved power supply Similar schemes now proceeding in
to domestic users neighboring states
Water for a food-secure world
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21. Jyotigram: technical solutions
Separate reliable power feeds for farm and non-farm use
Gives villages 24 hour metered, three-phase power supply for
domestic uses, in schools, hospitals, village industries
Targets high-quality power supply on 30-50 days of peak irrigation
demand
Supports on-farm storage, rewards groundwater recharge,
subsidizes drip-irrigation

22. Result in Gujarat
Halved subsidy to agriculture
Reduced groundwater overdraft
Increased yields
Spurred rural non-farm enterprises
Now rolling out in other states

23. Reasons for optimism #2:
Ground Water Policy change
• Agricultural growth in West
Bengal had slumped by more
than half
• Research identified that a major
obstacle to agricultural
productivity was getting access
to groundwater
• New policies recommended by
IWMI were adopted to reduce
‘red-tape’ and improve
groundwater access for
smallholder farmers.
• The policy change could benefit
more than 5.6 million
smallholders
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

24. Why did we think of groundwater based solution for Bengal?
Groundwater use status in India
High
GW potential
Only 42% of its potential is used
and less than 10% blocks are
critical, none are over-exploited
80% of farmers depend on GW
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

25. Reasons for optimism #3: Renewed
commitment to irrigated agriculture
• Most countries are committed to revitalize
irrigation systems
• In Asia
– Modernization
– Capacity Building
– Policy Reforms underway
• In Africa,
– Investments in expansion
– Rehabilitation
– PPP Models
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

26. Realities of meeting future demand
 Limited new cultivable areas
 80 - 90% of increased production will come from
existing cultivated area
 higher yield per ha, double or triple cropping
 installation of irrigation and/or drainage systems in areas without
a system
 modernization of existing irrigation and drainage systems
 installation of drainage in irrigated areas
 installation of irrigation in rainfed areas with drainage
 10 - 20% from land reclamation
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

27. Why Irrigate?
• Area per capita is
decreasing
• Approximately 20%
irrigated
• It produces 45% of
cereals
• Irrigation increases
yield by about 300%
per unit of land
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

28. Reasons for optimism #4: Revitalizing
surface irrigation in areas of
groundwater over- exploitation
Water for a food-secure world
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29. Surface Storage and Conjunctive Use to Minimize Power
Subsidies and Carbon Footprint of Irrigation
Deep groundwater
areas are where large
canal systems operate
75-80 b kWh of power
valued at US $ 9.0
billion/year used for
groundwater pumping
Surface storages and
conjunctive use can reduce
power and carbon footprint
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

30. E.g. new approaches to rehabilitate and adapt
• For example, encourage
distributed storage to
improve system flexibility
and reliability e.g.
Rajasthan: farm-storages;
Gujarat, Tamilnadu, Andhra
Pradesh: village tanks
replenished by canal water
• Modernize irrigation
systems e.g. pressurized
systems
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

31. Reasons for optimism #5: Re-visit
Participatory Irrigation Management
Some results from research:
• Small sized schemes serving lesser number of farmers
(lower transaction costs)
• Schemes with simple distribution systems (easy to
operate)
• Non-paddy systems where accurate water control is very
important
• Schemes producing high value crops (higher capacity of
farmers to pay for professional help)
• Systems that have been rehabilitated before transfer
• In India, PIM succeeded where NGOs were involved
Water for a food-secure world
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32. Distribution of success/failure based on case study author’s
criteria
Region Success Failure
S Asia 18 20
E Asia 7 2
SE Asia 12 24
C Asia 4 14
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

33. Indicators of success that were considered for
creating a composite success score
– Outcome indicators (7)
• ISF collection;
• financial viability;
• maintenance;
• equity;
• reliability and adequacy;
• participation and reduction in disputes
– Impact indicators (2)
• Crop related (production, yields, cropping intensity)
• Livelihoods related (poverty, wages, employment)
Water for a food-secure world
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34. Reasons for optimism #6: Environmental Flows
– initial steps on the Ganga
• Iconic river – lots of cultural and religious angles never explored before
• Expert Panel approach – 10 different specialists representing various disciplines. First
time in India - large capacity building component
• Endorsed by newly formed National Ganga River Basin Authority and input to future
Basin plans
• RBMP).

35. Reasons for optimism #7: Policy influence - the example
of Urban Agriculture and Safe Wastewater Use in
Ghana
IWMI research results directly or indirectly influenced these
strategies and policies:
• Food & Agriculture Sector Development Policy II (2007)
• Strategic Agenda for Urban & Peri-urban Agriculture (2008)
• Ghana Buffer Zone Policy (2008)
• Agriculture Sector Investment Plan 2009-2015
• Ministry of Food and Agriculture MTP 2009-2013
• Vision statement on Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (Accra)
• National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan
(NESSAP) (2010) -input provided-
• Accra Agricultural Bye-law revision (still in progress)
• National Irrigation Policy, Strategy, and Regulations (2011)
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

36. Wastewater Reuse
Can we develop effective business
models that promote safe recycling
and reuse?
Courtesy Pay Drechsel
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

37. Farm based options for risk • Drip and furrow irrigation
reduction • Sedimentation ponds
• Cessation of irrigation
• Filter
• Limited soil splash
• Improved water fetching
• Increased retention time
• On-farm treatment ponds
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

38. Solutions
Assessing risks, developing and applying low-cost options
for risk reduction in line with WHO and FAO Guidelines.

39. Opportunities for urban poor
• Urban demand for perishable
vegetables is very high.
• Urban horticulture can be
effectively promoted through
intensified (vertical) urban
farming and business models
for waste resource recovery.
• Beneficiaries can be in
particular women.
Resource Recovery & Reuse
Water for a food-secure world
http://wle.cgiar.org/rrr;
www.iwmi.org
www.iwmi.org/Topics/RRR

40. Success story #8: Smallholder irrigation is
back on the agenda
A Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) sponsored project
assessed the potential of smallholder irrigation across Sub-Saharan
Africa and South Asia
A first set of impacts:
– on the ground policy and investment changes in Ghana,
Tanzania, Zambia, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh
– online tools for policymakers and investors (investment
visualizer, gender mapper, technology database)
– data and products for development agencies and national
policymakers (livelihood maps, participatory watershed mapping,
multi-stakeholder policy dialogues)
www.awm-solutions.iwmi.org
Water for a food-secure world
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41. Targeted Investment in Tanzania
• Research and dialogue at policy level result in increased funds
and visibility for agricultural water management (AWM).
Outcomes
• The Parliamentary Committee pledged to
support budgetary increase in the Ministry of
Agriculture around proposed AWM solutions.
• Ministry of Agriculture budget increased by Tsh
10 billion (USD 6 million). Additional support
possible.
• Permanent AWM discussion platform
established at Sokoine University.
Key partners: Eng. Mbogo Futakamba, Deputy
Permanent Secretary; Dr. Nuhu Hatibu, CEO,
Kilimo Trust; Prof. Mahoo, Sokoine University
Water for a food-secure world
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42. Potential Impact: Number of rural households
• Low Cost Motorized In-situ Rainwater Harvesting: 1.4 million
Pumps: 780,000
Terracing: 315,000
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

43. Potential Impact: Number of rural households
River Diversions: 500,000
Water for a food-secure world
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44. CGIAR Research Agenda

45. CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and
Ecosystems (WLE)
Our vision
A world in which agriculture thrives
within vibrant ecosystems and where
rural communities enjoy a decent
living and have access to everything
they need to continually improve their
livelihoods..
Photo: David Brazier/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

46. What the Water,
Land and
Ecosystems
program document
says:
Water for a food-secure world
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47. 5 Strategic Research Programs
(SRPs)
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

48. SRP 1 : Irrigated Systems
Solutions:
• Enhancing Success of Irrigation
in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
• Revitalizing public irrigation
systems
• Expanding water management
in the Eastern Gangetic Basin
• Managing salt–water balance in
Indus and Central Asian
irrigation systems
• Encouraging peri-urban
Agricultural Water Management
Photo: Tom Van Cakenberghe/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

49. SRP 2: Rainfed Systems
Solutions:
• Sustainable intensification of
rainfed landscapes
• Recapitalizing soils and reducing
degradation of landscapes
• Diversifying and increasing
resilience of farming systems
• Enhancing access to water and
Photo :Akica Bahri/IWMI
land for pastoralists
• Improving agricultural water
management
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

50. Continuum of rainfed to irrigated
Water for a food-secure world
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51. SRP 3: Resource, Recovery and Reuse
Solutions:
• Exploiting business
opportunities for resource
recovery and reuse of waste
and wastewater
• Safer wastewater and excreta
Photo: Andrea Silverman/IWMI
reuse – improved health
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

52. SRP 4 : Basins
Solutions:
Photo: Bioversity International
(IWMI)
• Managing water resources’
variability and re-thinking
storage in basins
• Resource allocation and
sharing for the benefit of all
• Considering both water and
energy for food (WE4FOOD)
• Water data and accounting
in basins
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

53. SRP5 : Information and Decision Making
Solutions:
• Decision Analysis —
forecasting interventions’
impacts on development
outcomes
• Agro-ecosystem health
Photo: CIMMYT
metrics and monitoring to
support intervention
decisions
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

54. Ecosystems approach
• Integrated resource
management solutions
delivering multiple ecosystem
services (provisioning,
regulating, cultural and
supporting services)
• Modelling multiple ecosystem
services (linked to water) and
trade-offs at landscape scales to
address multidimensional
poverty issues in a more
targeted manner.
• Incorporating “ecosystem
services” into resource
management decisions, using
trade-off analysis and using
spatial modelling tools.
Photo: Tom Van Cakenberghe/IWMI
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

55. WLE’s focus on gender…
WLE aims to achieve gender equitable
outcomes by:
• Analyzing data from a gender and
equity perspective
• Understanding gender-specific
barriers for adoption
• Developing gender-sensitive policies
Photo: Faseeh Shams/IWMI
• Identifying ways to improve women’s
access to, and involvement in land
and water management
Water for a food-secure world
www.iwmi.org

56. Communication & Knowledge Management
1. Communication linked to
outcome pathways: Ensure
communication is linked to
change processes
2. Build upon knowledge/capacity
of partners: Not reinventing the
wheel
3. Repackaging knowledge for
different target groups
4. Innovation and ICTs: Many
ICTs/Comms processes can
Photo: Sajjad Ali Qureshi/IWMI
support innovation.
5. Effective face to face
interaction is essential: Ways to
improve interactions at all levels
Water for a food-secure world
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57. India is taking up the challenge
• “Resilience of ecosystems to become a central plank of policy”
• “20% increase in water use efficiency of irrigation”
• “National Aquifer Management Programme”
• “ cut energy losses and stabilise groundwater”
• “convert watershed management programme into a productivity enhancing instrument”
• “management of liquid and solid waste promoted together with recycling and reuse”
• “Indian cities and industries have to reinvent their water trajectory”
• “paradigm shift in flood management away from building more embankments”
• State Water Regulatory Authorities – “autonomy and accountability”
• Model Bill for Protection, Conservation, Management and Regulation of Groundwater
Water for a food-secure world
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58. Visit our website
wle.cgiar.org
and
the Agriculture & Ecosystem Blog
wle.cgiar.org/blogs