Drought-Proofing through Groundwater Recharge : Lessons from Chief Ministers’ Initiatives in Four Indian States
Indian agricultural communities are facing a crisis driven by, among other things, skewed terms of trade and farmers’ inability to deal with increasingly adverse climatic conditions. Because agriculture continues to be the primary source of livelih...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Brief |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/281991579881831723/Drought-Proofing-through-Groundwater-Recharge-Lessons-from-Chief-Ministers-Initiatives-in-Four-Indian-States http://hdl.handle.net/10986/33240 |
| Summary: | Indian agricultural communities are
facing a crisis driven by, among other things, skewed terms
of trade and farmers’ inability to deal with increasingly
adverse climatic conditions. Because agriculture continues
to be the primary source of livelihood for most of India’s
population, governments at all levels are under pressure to
find ways to help farmers. In western and peninsular India,
where droughts are common, several state governments have
vowed to make farming “droughtproof” through ambitious
flagship programs. This case study reviews the experience of
four such programs in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, and
Rajasthan. Although the programs differ in approach,
implementation style, and duration, all of them aim to
shield farmers, particularly smallholders, from the misery
imposed by droughts. Among these states, efforts in Gujarat
appear to be the most mature; however, concerns regarding
sustaining momentum, capacity building of communities,
demand management, and establishing functional local
governance remain. We use evidence gathered through field
studies to draw lessons for designing effective drought
mitigation strategies through improved management of
groundwater resources. |
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