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Irrigated Agriculture Sector in South Asia
Challenges and Potential Soft Solutions
Mani Manivasakan
Practice Leader Rural Water
South Asia Region
South Asia’s Key Water Challenges

Revitalizing irrigation
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Very complex integrated glacier
/mountain/river/land/ groundwater/coastal
ecosystems
Impacts of the massive changes, primarily in
the form of the irrigation system on ecosystem;
South Asia has the world’s highest
concentration of poor people living on less than
USD 2 per day,
The region’s underperforming irrigation sector
is in need of reform.
People Living in Poverty (%)
Number of Hungry People (2010)
South Asia’s Key Water Challenges

Improving agricultural water productivity
–
Agriculture uses nearly 70% of all available
developed freshwater resources. Given the
world’s projected population growth, Asia’s
small farmers must somehow learn to produce
more food with less water.
Water Withdrawal by Sector
India
Pakistan
761Million ML
183 Million ML
Water Withdrawal by Source
India
Pakistan
761Million ML
183 Million ML
India – Irrigation Techniques
India
Pakistan
»
No stats for Pakistan but a
similar trend to India
South Asia’s Key Water Challenges

Transboundary water issues
–
–
–
international
State
Information sharing among countries based on
mutual trust, transparency and to ensure the
optimal management of water.
South Asia’s Key Water Challenges

Groundwater
–
–
Overexploitation of groundwater resources is
leading to falling water tables
Properly managed, groundwater recharge
technologies could make small scale
agriculture productive and sustainable.
Environmental Flow

Not high priority
South Asia’s Key Water Challenges

Climate change and adaptation
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Climate change will intensify
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•
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existing problems, including reduced rainfall and
runoff and increased heat stress.
recurring droughts and floods increasingly result in
the loss of lives, loss of rural livelihoods and food
insecurity.
Need to plan adaptation technologies for
climate change now.
Implementation of these technologies requires
new approaches to policy and management.
A note on “reforms of service provision”
(applicable for both irrigation and water
supply services)


The current situation is not sustainable and
has resulted in a “build-neglect-rebuild” model
which constitutes a major constraint to growth
Bills have to be paid – the question is “how”
Financial
Requirements
National
Water Plans
Who pays
Taxpayers
Replacement
Users
O&M
(Efficient)
a. A healthy system
– (e.g. Australia)
Financial
Requirements
National
Water Plans
Financial
Requirements
Who pays
Taxpayers
Who pays
National
Water Plans
Taxpayers
Replacement
No one
Replacement
Users
O&M
(Inefficient)
Taxpayers
O&M
(Efficient)
Excess
workforce
a. A healthy system
– (e.g. Australia)
Users
Taxpayers
Users
b. An unhealthy system
Water Security
Potential Solutions


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

Reform governance of irrigation sector
Support on-farm water and land management
practices
Improve maintenance and operation of irrigation
canal system
Promote efficient and conservative use of
groundwater
construction of small and mini dams for water
storage and for better watershed management.
Private sector involvement
Soft solutions – knowledgebase driven DSS
Big picture conclusions
Solution
Areas
Major
infrastructure
Benefits
without
reforms
****
Agricultural
Productivity
**
Knowledge
base and
human
resources
***
Big picture conclusions
Solution
Areas
Benefits
without
reforms
Benefits
with
reforms
****
*****
Agricultural
Productivity
**
*****
Knowledge
base and
human
resources
***
*****
Major
infrastructure
Big picture conclusions
Solution
Areas
Benefits
with
reforms
Political
commitment
from
Governments?
Donor Role?
Comments
****
*****
Political and
financial support
Expensive – low
benefit cost ratio
Agricultural
Productivity
**
*****
Very high for project;
Mostly low for
necessary sector
reforms
High for technical
improvements;
mostly low for critical
reforms including
financing
Support for robust
investments (such
as OFWM, DSS);
Support for
innovation,
Partly linked to
Knowledgebase and
DSS
Knowledge
base and
human
resources
***
*****
Major for training,
study tours, seed
funding,
technology
transfer,
partnerships
Relatively low cost
but greater benefit
cost ratio
Major
infrastructure
Benefits
without
reforms
Usually low but
increasing support
with more
awareness
Conclusions



Increasing agricultural production with
decreasing water resource is possible
A need for new institutional arrangement
Need for political leadership and greater
involvement of farmers organizations and the
private sector – to explore new approaches.
Intelligent Water Management