Giving Compass' Take:

• Saahil Kejriwal discusses research that reveals the extent to which Indian farmers are able to adapt (or not adapt) to water loss.

• How can funders use this information to guide effective interventions to support farmers coping with climate change? 

• Read about tackling water and agriculture challenges through impact investing. 

Over the last few decades, groundwater has become the major source of irrigation for Indian agriculture. Pumped by millions of privately-owned tube-wells, it contributes 60 percent of the water used for irrigation, having grown by 105 percent since the 1970s. However, India is now facing a severe crisis of groundwater depletion, and the most vulnerable are the hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers who crucially depend on irrigation water for their livelihoods.

The manner in which these farmers will cope with and adapt to these changes will have dramatic implications for global food security, social stability, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

There are broadly two views on how farmers might adapt to depletion in groundwater. According to optimists, they may adopt new agricultural practices or technologies, such as rainwater harvesting or drip irrigation, that can enable them to manage with less water and maintain their agricultural income. Pessimists however warn that as water runs out, farmers may adapt by shifting labour to non-agricultural sources of income generation, or by migrating to areas with better employment opportunities, creating massive waves of ‘water refugees’.

A recent study on adaptation strategies taken post long-term water loss in rural Karnataka helps inform this debate.

The study collected detailed data from 1,500 farmers in 100 villages across Karnataka—a state that is reeling under the pressure of persistent drought and depletion of groundwater resources. It was found that the drying up of wells was extremely widespread: over 60 percent of farmers in the sample have had their wells dry up.

Here are four key findings from the study:

  • There was a decline in agricultural income and not enough adaptation
  • Households were able to offset the loss in agricultural income through increased off-farm income
  • There were negative impacts on school enrolment and assets held by the farmers
  • Areas with higher industrial development were more likely to maintain incomes

Read the full article about Indian farmers adapting to water loss by Saahil Kejriwal at India Development Review.