Presented at the Basin Focal Project workshop 'Clarifying the global picture of water, food and poverty' from 18-20th September in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

1. Indo-Ganges: A Basin under
Extreme Pressure
Targeting Double Dividends:
Improving Water Productivity
and Alleviating Poverty
Bharat Sharma
On behalf of
BFP-IGB Team
http://bfp-indogangetic.iwmi.org:8080/

2. Nexus- Paradoxon
Indus- Gangetic
Basin Hydrology Socio-Ecology
Pakistan
India
Nepal
Bangladesh
Water Availability,
Cost of Water,
Poverty
Water Development,
Holding size
Energy,
Productivity

3. Socio-economic and Water Status of
IG Basin Countries
Parameters Bangla. India Nepal Pakistan
Acc. to improved water
resources,%
74 86 90 91
Acc.to improved sanitation, % 39 33 35 59
Per cap. Electricity consumption,
kWh
145 594 91 493
Popu. Below national poverty 49.8 28.6 30.9 32.6
line
Agriculture, % of GDP 20.1 18.3 38.2 21.6
Per capita GDP (USD) 406 640 252 632
IRWR (m3/cap./yr) 688 1149 7539 325

4. Freshwater under Threat
Parameter Indus GBM
Resource Stress 0.49 0.39
(scarcity, variation)
Development Pressure 0.51 0.17
(exploitation, DW inaccessibility)
Ecological Insecurity 0.80 0.57
( water pollution, ecosystem deterioration)
Management Challenges 0.57 0.65
(WU inefficiency, Sani. inaccess., Conflict manage)
Vulnerability Index 0.59 0.45
GDP/m3 of water use 3.34* 3.47*
*Global average:$8.6/m3; Avg five top food producers(Bra,Chi,Fra,Mex,US):$ 23.8/m3
Source: Babel and Wahid(2008)( Freshwater under Threat: South Asia)

5. Biomass and Water Dynamics in Indus and Ganges
(Basin level scale using AVHRR Mega Dataset, IWMI-GIAM)
GRACE satellite remote
sensing a 2000-km Scaled
swath running from DVI
eastern Pakistan-
northern India-
Bangladesh showed
January, 1984 that the region is fast September, 1984
(Rabi crop) depleting its (Kharif crop- wettest period)
groundwater: 54 km3
lost per year in the
world’s most intensively
irrigated area hosting
600 m people, GW
levels fall ~ 10
January, 2000 cm/year averaged September, 2000
(Rabi crop)
over the entire region. (kharif crop- wettest period)
(Science, 2009: 325, 798)

6. Flooding in the Ganges Basin
250
Eastern Asia
SouthEast Asia
South Asia
200
West Asia Damages Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan
umber of flood events
Deaths 52,033 55,656 5,637 8,877
150
Population
304.63 763.99 2.98 37.69
100
affected (million)
Homeless 4219724 13210000 84925 4234415
50
Injured 102390 1561 1072 1981
Estimated Cost
0 12038.4 29417.2 0.977 2865.2
60-69 70-79 80-89 90-99 00-08 (US$ M)
Period

7. Logic and Structure of BFP-IGB
Background
Demography Rural poverty
Economic overview Agriculture
What is the overall situation?
Water
Water availability :WP2 productivity:WP3
Climate water account Crop water productivity, kg/m3
Water allocation water hazards Water value-adding $/m3
What is the water balance? How well is the water used?
et value/costs
Policies and Institutions:WP4
Farming
Water
Water rights Water policies Land rights
Governance Power Infrastructure
Supply chains
Who ‘handles’ the water? Who enables farmer to improve productivity?
What links water, food and poverty?
What are foreseeable risks and opportunities for change?
Knowledge, Impact and Change Management.

8. Approach of Analysis:
Basin to Sub-Basin to Household
• Macro or basin level analysis of
poverty/ water poverty, water
resources, water productivity,
water laws and potential
interventions.
•Sub-basin wise HH level
detailed analysis of poverty,
water resources, water
institutions/ policies,
interventions.
•Strong linkages with GGA,
NRLP, RWC, Climate Change
impact projects

9. Ganga Basin Focal Project: Water Availability
and Access , Levels of Analysis
• Basin Scale Analysis
– Monthly water balance
using WEAP
• Sub-basin Scale
– Detailed water balance
calculations using
SWAT
Data access is the main challenge

10. Water Resources in Indus-Gangetic Basin
Generation of sub-basin networks for
Ganges (and Indus)
BCM

11. Groundwater Recharge in Indus- Gangetic Basin

12. Groundwater availability and its use in the Indus-Gangetic Basin
Basin ame Groundwater Annual Groundwater Draft Stage of GW
Available (BCM) Development
(BCM) (%)
Irrigation Domestic, Total
Industrial
& others
Ganga Basin
India 168.7 94.4 8.2 102.4 61
epal 11.5 0.8 0.3 1.1 10
Bangladesh 64.6 25.2 4.1 29.3 45
Total 244.8 120.4 12.6 132.8 54
Indus Basin
India 30.2 36.4 1.6 38.0 126
Pakistan* 55.1 46.2 5.1 51.3 93
Total 85.3 82.6 6.7 89.3 105

13. Simulation of Glaciers' Contribution to
Streamflow
WEAP glaciers module under development in collaboration with by
the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)/ IRD, France,

14. Starting with the Kosi basin
In WEAP
Time series of streamflows in Nepal are
available,
Glaciers' contribution is significant,
BFP IGB is developing a SWAT application in
this basin,
=> start calibrating WEAP in the Kosi sub-basin
and use this setting for sub-basins where
observed time series are not available.

15. Calibration / Validation
Calibration / validation against observed
streamflows.
Good results upstream, in high elevated
sub-basins.
Calibration Validation
3,000 3,000
WEAP WEAP
Observed Observed
2,500 Nash = 0.90 2,500 Nash = 0.78
Cumulated flow observed = 68.1 km3 Cumulated flow observed = 67.5 km3
Cumulated flow WEAP = 67.7 km3 Cumulated flow WEAP = 64.1 km3
Streamflow (Mm3/month)
Streamflow (Mm3/month)
2,000 2,000
1,500 1,500
1,000 1,000
500 500
0 0
11/78 04/80 08/81 01/83 05/84 09/85 02/87 06/88 11/89 11/89 04/91 08/92 01/94 05/95 09/96 02/98 06/99 11/00

16. Example of Simulated Glaciers'
Behaviour
Evolution of glacier coverage in
Rabuwa sub-basin with time
500
450
400
350 Glaciers contribution to
Glacier total area (km2)
annual streamflow: about 40%
300 8,000
Glaciers
250 Rainfall-runoff
7,000
200
Reduction of 20% in 20 years 6,000
Streamflow (Mm3 / year)
150
5,000
100
4,000
50
3,000
0
80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00
2,000
No chronological data from the region to
validate these simulations. 1,000
But in accordance with the literature. 0
80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00
Year

17. Gorai-River Catchment, Bangladesh
(SWAT Analysis)
Study the effect of
upstream water resource
development and as well
as the influence of land use
change on the hydrology
and water balance of the
Gorai River Catchment
500
1965-75 1990-99
400
Flow (MCM)
300
200
Average monthly inflow to the Gorai
100
Catchment measured at Gorai
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec railway-bridge at two time periods
Month

18. Land Use Change
Comparison of both land use map shows:
• 2% reduction in water bodies from
1977 to 1997
• Settlement area remains constant
• Agriculture area including rice has
increased from 52% to 80% from the
total basin land extent
• Forest area has decreased from 29%
to 4% from 1977 to 1997

19. Water Balance Results
4000
2000
Input/output (mm)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
-2000
-4000
Average annual RF (mm) Average annual ET (mm) Average annual RO (mm) Balance closer (mm)
Water balance at each sub basin during 1965 to 1975 (1 to 22 are sub
4000
basin numbers)
2000
Input/Output (mm)
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
-2000
-4000
Average annual RF (mm) Average annual ET (mm) Average annual RO (mm) Balance closer (mm)
Water balance at each sub basin during 1990 to 1997

20. 500
1965-75 1990-99
400
Flow (MCM)
300
200
•The Upstream part of the 100
basin is extremely effected 0
by the Farakka barrage Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
discharges as flow in the
Average monthly inflow to the Gorai Catchment
monsoon is reduced and 500
flow in the dry season 400
1965-75 _obs
1990-1999_sim_97LU
approaches zero. 1965-75 _sim_77LU
Flow (MCM)
300
200
•Simulations from the 100
downstream or the outlet of 0
the basin shows that flows Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Month
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
are reduced during the Average monthly out flow from the sub basin 4
monsoon season, 500
1965-75_sim_77LU
however, flows in the dry 400
1990-1999_sim_97LU
Flow (MCM)
season, esp. March-May 300
has not changed in the two 200
periods and is effected by 100
the land use in the whole 0
basin Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
Average monthly out flow from the Catchment outlet (sub basin 22)

21. Completed/ Planned Outputs for WP 2
1. Energy supply and expansion of irrigation in the Indus-Gangetic basin: Published
(C A Scott, Bharat Sharma, JRBM,2009, 7(1): 1-6)
2. Hydro-geology and Water Resources of Indus-Gangetic Basin: Comparative
Analysis of Issues and Opportunities" ( Bharat R Sharma and G. Ambili )- Accepted
as a Review Paper
3. Setting of a Decision Support Tool for Assessment and Allocation of the Water
Resource in the Indo-Ganges Basin (WEAP Modelling):
(Dev D Condappa, Luna Bharati, Bharat Sharma)
4. Challenges and Prospects of Sustainable Groundwater Management in the Indus
Basin, Pakistan: ( Asad Qureshi and .)
5. Water, Climate Change, and Adaptation: Focus on the Gages River Basin : (H R
Hostermann, PG McCornick, EJ Kistin, A Pant, B R Sharma, L Bharati, Working Paper
published in collaboration with Nicholas Institute, Duke University, USA)
6. Water Availability and Access Analysis in Selected Sub-basins of the Ganges
basin ( Luna Bharati, V. Smakhtin, Bharat Sharma, Priyantha)

22. Estimating Water Productivity in the
Indus-Gangetic Basin
• Magnitude – What’s the current status?
• Spatial Variation – How does it vary within and among
regions?
• Causes – Why is WP varying (both high and low)?
• Scope for improvement – How much potential for, where?
• Irrigated vs. rainfed – What’s the option for sustainable
development under water scarcity and food deficit condition?
• Crop vs. livestock and fisheries – How is livestock and
fisheries contributing to water use outputs?
http://bfp-indogangetic.iwmi.org:8080/

23. Data collection
A ground truth mission was conducted in India from 8th -17th Oct, 2008
• Across Indus and
Gangetic river basin
• >2700km covered
• 175 samples
– LULC
– Cropping pattern
– Agricultural productivity
(cut and farmer survey)
Introd. – Water use (rainfed,
Data surface/GW)
LULC – Social-economic survey
Prod.
Water
Results
Plan

24. Crop Dominance Map
Introd.
Data A “crop dominance map” of namely year
LULC
2008 shows major crops rice and wheat
area, and other mixed croplands. Watering
Prod.
sources are also given for IGB map.
Water
Results
Plan

25. Crop Productivity
Step 2. Pixel wise rice productivity map interpolation using MODIS data
NDVI composition
Paddy rice yield map of 2005 of 29 Aug – 5 Sept 2005 for rice area
MODIS 250m NDVI at rice
heading stage was used to
interpolate yield from
district average to pixel
Introd. wise employing rice yield ~
NDVI linear relationship.
Data
LULC
Prod.
Water
Results
Plan

26. Actual ET Estimation
Actual ET Calculation by Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEB)
Approach
SSEB
TH − Tx
ETf =
TH − TC
ETa = ETp ∗ ET f MODIS LST 2005 Sept 21
ETa – the actual Evapotranspiration, mm.
ETf – the evaporative fraction, 0-1, unitless.
ET0 – Potential ET, mm.
Tx – the Land Surface Temperature (LST)
of pixel x from thermal data.
TH/TC – the LST of hottest/coldest pixels.
potential ET map (2005 Sept 21) ET fraction map (2005 Sept 21)
Introd.
Data
LULC
Prod. Seasonal actual ET map
(2005 Jun 10 – Oct 15)
Water
Results
Plan

27. Water Productivity Maps
Rice productivity (kg/m3)
Introd.
Data
LULC
Prod.
Water
Mean AVG SDV Min Max
Results
0.618 0.618 0.306 0.09 2.5
Plan

28. Water Productivity Maps
Paddy productivity (kg/m3)
Rice water productivity for 4 major IGB countries (unit: kg/m3)
Country ADMIN_NAME WP_MEAN Country ADMIN_NAME WP_MEAN
Bangladesh Chittagong 0.445 Pakistan North-west Frontier 0.451
Bangladesh Dhaka 0.496 Pakistan FAT 0.525
Bangladesh Barisal 0.533 Pakistan Azad Kashmir 0.580
Bangladesh Khulna 0.796 Pakistan Baluchistan 0.657
Bangladesh Rajshahi 0.856 Pakistan Sind 0.732
Pakistan Punjab 0.755
Average 0.625 Average 0.617
Nepal Lumbini 0.542 India Madhya Pradesh 0.393
Nepal Sagarmatha 0.556 India Himachal Pradesh 0.407
Nepal Janakpur 0.578 India Bihar 0.408
Nepal Bagmati 0.583 India Jammu & Kashmir 0.430
Nepal Gandaki 0.607 India Uttar Pradesh 0.560
Introd.
Nepal Seti 0.699 India West Bengal 0.718
Data Nepal Bheri 0.713 India Rajasthan 0.720
LULC Nepal Rapti 0.715 India Haryana 0.746
Prod. Nepal Narayani 0.754 India Delhi 0.818
Nepal Mahakali 0.792 India Punjab 0.833
Water
Nepal Kosi 0.904
Results Nepal Mechi 0.964
Plan Average 0.701 Average 0.603

29. Wheat Water Productivity in the Indus- Gangetic Basin

30. Water Productivity Maps
Preliminary findings:
1. Basin average evapo-transpiration (328mm) is close
to long term average precipitation (323mm) for the
rice growing period;
2. Water productivity in Indo-Gangetic river basin is
generally low, meaning great scope for improvement;
3. Significant variability exists across fields and regions.
General decline from North-west to South-east could
be observed;
4. The variability shows no direct relationship with
Introd.
climate conditions, implying the significance of
irrigation;
Data
LULC
5. Sugarcane, pulses and millet make significant
contributions to the overall productivity of water.
Prod.
Water
Results
Plan

31. Differences in Paddy and Wheat Yield due to Source of
Irrigation in Punjab
Source: Kumar et al (2008)
Region District Main source of Crop yield (tons/ ha)
irrigation Paddy Wheat
Lower Bist Jallandhar Tubewell 6.26 4.68
Doab Kapurthala Tubewell 5.98 4.73
Sub- Hoshiarpur Conjunctive Use 4.46 3.82
Mountainous Canal irrigation 3.47 2.80

32. SWAP—Soil-Water-Atmosphere-Plant
relationship model for part of Rechna Doab
sub-basin
rain/irrigation 1. Water
productivity
Atmosphere
determinatio
interception transpiration ns at the
Plant soil evaporation plot level.
surface runoff
Unsaturated
zone 2. Water
drainage/ productivity
issues on
infiltration
Flow / transport of: sub-basin
Saturated soil water, heat, solutes level based
zone
Influenced by: on salt and
hysteresis water
seepage/ balance
soil spatial variability
percolation studies.
Deep Groundwater water repellency
32

33. Fisheries Water Productivity in Lower Ganges Basin,
Bangladesh
• Assess Fisheries-water Productivity
• Evaluate fisheries & aquaculture potential
• Identify the issues that hinder the productivity potential
• Identify high potential and low cost options/interventions for fisheries
productivity
• Evaluate policy and institutional issues to address fisheries potential
• Identify present level economic use of land and water from different
agricultural land-use systems including aquaculture and intergrated
farming systems
• Suggest innovative use of land and water to maximize productivity –
with high potential and value added outputs

34. Fish Productivity
Analyze present Analyze historical
data then spatial data then temporal
variation variation
Analysis of Sub-basin Potential
Area (situation Identification and
analysis) Evaluation
Identification of Those hinder the
Issues productivity potential
-Inst. Strength Capture Aquaculture
-Co-management institutions Fisheries
- Habitat loss/degradation
- Seasonality, depth, connectivity Technology
Institutional efficiency
Evaluate policy and Access to water
Identify the low cost
Institutional issues to address
and high potential
fisheries potential
intervention
Recommended
Interventions

35. HH Sample Distribution
Capture Fishery systems
A total 132, 27 and 42 HHs were
selected for River, Beel and
canal system respectively from 3
selected districts
Culture Fishery systems
A total 33, 284, 17, 52, 16, 52, 1 and
67 HHs were selected for Intensive,
semi-intensive, IAA, Rice-fish,
Shrimp, fresh-water prawn, nursery
and others system respectively from
3 selected districts

36. Capture Fisheries
Variation in productivity between the
habitat
-Baors have higher overall productivity.
-These habitats are semi-closed systems and more manageable than beels,
and therefore better production.
- North-Eastern part of sub-basin (Faridpur) is the only area where productivity in
both habitat types is reasonably high, and this may be related to the proximity of
the water bodies and connected through tributaries and distributaries to the river
Padma.

37. Access to Aquatic Resources
100.00%
80.00% Chuadanga
60.00%
Narail
40.00%
20.00% Bagerhat
0.00%
-- Poor fishermen are deprived
of leasing right to the open water
No
s
e
Ye
ns
bodies
s po
Re
n
No
Leasing rights of the fishers in different parts of the basin
District Fisheries office
Lease holder -- Fishers told that, adjacent villagers,
10.53 6.58 land owners and local influential
Muslim fisher's
barred them illegally from fishing.
26.32 No barrier
22.37
Police --They have complained to the
People/fishers of
concerned department but failed
7.89 adjacent village almost all the time.
9.21
Ow ner of adjacent
1.32
10.53 ponds/pagars/ gher
5.26 Local influential
Chairman
Barriers imposed by different actors (%)

38. Culture Fisheries
Variations in Fish Productivity
Between Habitat
Cultured pond Culturable pond Derelict pond
Exceptionally high aquaculture productivity is linked mainly to the strong
presence of Govt. agencies/institutions and NGOs, and to a well established
seed production and supply system (e.g. highly density of Hatchery, Nursery
and grow out ponds). The marketing facilities of the products also well
dynamic (e.g. processing plants, depots etc.)
Lower productivity in aquaculture systems is due to mostly to weak
institutional links and multiple-ownership of the ponds

39. Culture Fisheries
Water productivity
for aquaculture based on HH survey
Average Productivity (kg/m3) Remarks
System Chuadanga Narail Bagerhat
Low-input pond 0.046 (67) Value in
Semi-intensive 0.22 (111) 0.15 (126) 0.074 (47) parenthesis
Intensive 0.24 (26) 0.18 (7) - indicate the HH
sample number
Rice-Fish 0.31 (11) 0.095 (7) 0.051 (34)
Duck-checken-Fish - 0.093 (1) 0.072 (16)
Bagda Culture - 0.068 (1) 0.034 (15)
Galda Culture - 0.073 (38) 0.037 (14)
Nursery - - 0.051 (1)
-The most productive use of water was found to be achieved in rice-fish system
(in Chuadanga) in terms of economic output.
- Water productivity of intensive fish culture was found to be the highest in some
ponds but it was considered not yet to be an ideally valued efficiency as the
standard deviation was high and not conclusive.

40. Open Water System (Capture fisheries): Govt. and Private Capture Fisheries
Constrains Opportunity Probable solutions Remarks
- Land type changes (changes of -Water availability - Develop more fish Sum up of the
water body types) and cultivate period also longer sanctuaries followed by technical,
cereal crop then upper part habitat restoration, which social and
- Leasing system is not productive have wider beneficial impact institutional
friendly and complex -Separation of of fisheries productivity based on:
Insufficient capital, coordination, Judiciary from - Conservation of natural
and management instruments executive has breeding place/sanctuary Secondary
- Conflict for Property right in facilitating to development and doc HH
floodplain area implement legal management survey, FGD,
- Illegal fishing in non-leased area aspects - Leasing system of pubic Farm visit,
- Environmental degradation and water need to change for Professional
and Expert
destructive fishing -New “Jomohal” productive and sustainability
judgments
- Lack of sustainable policy need to be consideration.
management technology pro-poor - On-field training
- Insufficient training and - Agriculture policy need be
extension services due -Existing integrated and made
- Manpower deficiency management synchronized with the other
- Communication/roads and practice with natural resource policies e.g.
transportation facilities Community based water policy, fisheries policy,
- Lack of policy regarding management environment policy those
sustainable environmental friendly advocate for mechanisms for
culture management enhanced ecosystem
productivity; as the

41. Closed and Semi-closed Water System (Culture fisheries)
Opportunity Probable Remarks
Constrains solutions
-Multi-ownership pond (pond - Almost every HH Community based fish Sum up of
getting from ancestor) unit has a pond in culture and the technical,
-Conflicts – middle stream management in large social and
-Cash Capital; credit support - Educated youth open and semi closed institutional
-Sustainable marketing system are engaging with water-bodies based on:
-Wrong leasing system in case this farming system Hatchery, nursery,
of Govt. ponds - Young feed mills, Fish-dipo, Secondary
-Lack of policy regarding professional are processing plant, doc HH
sustainable environmental like to take Decentralized fish survey, FGD,
friendly culture management challenges for seed technology Farm visit,
-Quality seed, feed, fertilizer future betterment extension can help Professional
and other materials for fish (personal/society/politi and Expert
culture cal) judgments
-Lack of Environment friendly Extension services
sustainable technology strengthen upto union
-Lack of required level by increasing
Trained/skilled manpower for sufficient skilled
training and extension services manpower
-Communication/roads and
transportation facilities

42. Outputs for Water Productivity Analysis of IG Basin
1. Dignosing irrigation performance and water productivity through satellite remote sesing and
secondary data in a large irrigation system in Pakistan: Published
( M D Ahmad, H Turral, A. Nazeer; Agril. Water Manage.-2008)
2. Integrating remote sensing, census and weather data for an assessment of rice yield, water
consumption and water productivity in the Indo-Gangetic river basin (CAI XueLiang1† & Bharat Sharma2
(Accepted for “Agricultural Water Management” Ref. MS. No. AGWAT2336R1, ISI Journal
3. Remote sensing and census based assessment and scope for improvement of rice and wheat water
productivity in the Indo-Gangetic basin (CAI XueLiang1† & Bharat Sharma2) to be presented at
International Conference in Wuhan, China and accepted for “Science in China”
4. A coupled approach for regional rice water use and productivity assessment in Indo-Gangetic river
basin, Cai Xueliang & B R Sharma ( Accepted for presentation during International FSES-2009, IIT,
Kharagpur, India)
5. Wheat Water Productivity in Indo-Gangetic River Basin Assessed from Remote Sensing and Census
Information ( B R Sharma & C Xueliang) ( Accepted for presentation during International FSES-2009, IIT,
Kharagpur, India)
6. Fisheries-Water productivity of the IGB/EGB: Bangladesh in the context of Gorai-Madhumati sub-basin :
Issues /Barriers and opportunities for improvement ( G. Mustafa, S H Avila, MG Khan, A Brroks)
7. An assessment of agricultural water productivity in the Indo-Gangetic River basin: Current status and
scope for improvement: X Cai, B R Sharma et al., : IWMI Research Report ( Proposed) ..

43. Water and Land Policies and Institutions
• Water and Energy Policies in the Indus-Gangetic Basin
•Governance of Informal Water Economies: Framework for
Study of Water Governance in the Indo-Gangetic Basin
•The Water Sector Policy and Legal Framework in the Indo-
Gangetic Basin: Trends, their Drivers and Implications
• Land and Water Bodies Leasing Policies in the Indus- Gangetic Basin

44. Components of Water Governance
Institutional
Environment
Legal and Regulatory
Framework
Institutional
Arrangements
e.g.
Water markets
WUAs
Water Policy Water Right
administration Implementation

45. Why are we doing this study?
• South Asian countries are known for their limited
state capacity and a huge mismatch between
state’s ambitions and capabilities.
• Society is in many ways powerful than the state.
• Laws are most often statement of intent and
most often not even that!

46. Orientation of Water Sector Legal Instruments between Water
Resource Development, Management & Governance in the IGB
Definitions (Subject to interpretation)
Water resource Water resource Water resource governance
development management
An orientation Recognition of the need Expansion of rules and institutional
towards increasing to regulate exploitation structures from resource regulation
resource and establishment of to also address social issues. E.g.
exploitation. E.g. rules and institutions for decentralization & participation in
expanding irrigation this purpose. planning; equitable access amongst
and hydropower Laws to promote and different sectors and marginalised
generation. regulate groups; adoption of integrated
Laws to manage resource planning approaches.
Public Production

47. Most irrigation
investments in
1960s to 1980s, and
laws in 1990s and
2000?
WHY?

48. Orientation of Water Sector Legal Instruments between Water
Resource Development, Management & Governance in the IGB

49. Focus of Water Sector Legal Instruments in the IGB
(By Decade)
GW India
30
28
26
24
22
Instruments
20 Irrigation & IWRM India
18 Drainage Pakistan
16
14
12
10 Water Quality
8 India
6
4
2
0
1900 to 1910 to 1920 to 1930 to 1940 to 1950 to 1960 to 1970 to 1980 to 1990 to 2000 to
1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1999 2009
Decade
Irrigation & Drainage Bangladesh Irrigation & Drainage India Irrigation & Drainage Nepal Irrigation & Drainage Pakistan
Hydropower Bangladesh Hydropower India Hydropower Nepal Hydropower Pakistan
Watershed Mgt Bangladesh Watershed Mgt India Watershed Mgt Nepal Watershed Mgt Pakistan
Environmental Mgt Bangladesh Environmental Mgt India Environmental Mgt Nepal Environmental Mgt Pakistan
Flood Mgt Bangladesh Flood Mgt India Flood Mgt Nepal Flood Mgt Pakistan
Water Quality Bangladesh Water Quality India Water Quality Nepal Water Quality Pakistan
Drinking water supply Bangladesh Drinking water supply India Drinking water supply Nepal Drinking water supply Pakistan
Municipal Water Bangladesh Municipal Water India Municipal Water Nepal Municipal Water Pakistan
Water Use Efficiency Bangladesh Water Use Efficiency India Water Use Efficiency Nepal Water Use Efficiency Pakistan
IWRM Bangladesh IWRM India IWRM Nepal IWRM Pakistan
Dispute Resolution Bangladesh Dispute Resolution India Dispute Resolution Nepal Dispute Resolution Pakistan
Groundwater Bangladesh Groundwater India Groundwater Nepal Groundwater Pakistan
Cost Recovery Bangladesh Cost Recovery India Cost Recovery Nepal Cost Recovery Pakistan

50. Water Sector Legal Instruments in the IGB Countries
(By Primary Focus)
I&D dominant in BD over last 50
12
2000 to 2009 years & in PK in 1990s
11
IWRM emerging in
GW a key
1990 to 1999 2000s across IGB 10
priority for India
in 1990s
9
1980 to 1989
8
1970 to 1979 7
Instruments
Expansion from
I&D to IWRM in 6
1960 to 1969
BD in last 20 yrs
5
1950 to 1959
4
1940 to 1949 3
2
1930 to 1939
1
1920 to 1929 0
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
India
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Nepal
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
1910 to 1919
1900 to 1909 Irrigation Hydropow er atershed
W Environmental
Flood Mgt Water Drinking Municipal Water Use IWRM Dispute Groundw ater Cost
& Mgt Mgt Quality w ater Water Ef f iciency Resolution Recovery
Drainage supply
Primary Focus

51. Energy Divide in South Asia’s
groundwater irrigation economy
Bangladesh and Pakistan
have metered out electric
tubewells. West Bengal is
following suit.
Eastern India has de-
electrified its country-side
In Indian Indus basin,
farmers have held the
political Class to ransom and
kept meters out.

52. Distribution of GW structures in India and
the Indus-Gangetic basin

53. In 1990, buying a liter of diesel required selling less
than a kg of rice or wheat; today, it requires 3-5
times more.
kg
rice/litre Diesel Rice
of diesel (Rs/l) (Rs/kg)
India 5.67 34.00 6.00
Pakistan 3.20 37.80 11.80
Bangladesh 3.89 35.00 9.00
Nepal terai 5.70 57.00 10.00

54. Desperate Strategies:
Small-holder/Water Buyer
Responses to Diesel Price Increase
Diesel-saving crop substitution: boro rice on a decline
Among diesel pump buyers; Return to rainfed farming
West Bengal: Chinese diesel/keroseneis common for
It pumps to
the aid of India’s agrarian poorfarmers in
eastern India to
Energy substitution: PDS kerosene for diesel;Rs 80-120 for
pay
Electricity preferred but connections hard to come by water.
Pump irrigation 50 m3 of
price is downwardly
Forced exit from unviable farming-for landless who
Cultivated does not
sticky; it leased land with rented diesel pumps
fall when diesel
Energy saving price falls.practices: alternate furrow;
irrigation Pump irrigation price
Rubber pipes; adjacent fields leased to use drainage
for water buyers is
Gambler’s response: shift to high value, high30-40%
rising input,
High risk crops-summer onion in North Bihar diesel
faster than
price
Large increases in monopoly rents and power of electric tubewell owners:
Uttar Pradesh

55. Outputs from Policy and Institutions Studies
1. Is irrigation water free ? A reality check in the Indo-Gangetic basin :
T shah, M U Hasan, M Z Khattak, P S Banerjee, OP Singh, SU Rehman;
World Development (2008)- Published
2. An inventory of national, sub-national and transboundary water-
related legal instruments in Indus- Gangetic basin :
( A Mukherji, S de Silva)
3. Evolution of water sector policies and laws in the Indus-Gangetic
Basin – Drivers and Trends: ( A Mukherji, S de Silva)
4. Institutional dynamics of culture fishery economy in the Indo-
Gangetic basin: ( T Shah , R Indu)
3. Governance of Informal Water Economies: A Preliminary Framework
for Study of Water Governance in the Indo-Gangetic Basin :
( T Shah, RPS Malik) ?

56. Potential interventions
Definition of interventions and
development of intervention matrices
Intervention analysis
Identification of potential intervention

57. Identification of WP Interventions
Resource Climate
Water and Multiple Use
Conservation Farming Change and Institutional
Watershed Water Scheme Land Use
Techniques System Environment Interventions
Management (MUS)
(RCT) al Flow
Precision Agri- Climate
Mulching Canal lining farming aquaculture change Subsidy Urbanization
Water Special
Water use
Land Levelling harvesting Organic Hydroponic Loan waivers economic
pattern
structures farming horticulture zones (SEZ)
Pressurized Environment Extent of
Surface Support
irrigation Reuse of al flow land
Seeding price
system Hybrid seeds urban effluent requirement degradation
System of Other
Rice Surge Horticultural governmenta
Intensification irrigation systems l policies
Irrigation Crop diversi-
Bed Planting
scheduling fication
Deficit Livestock
Zero Tillage
irrigation system
Reduced Rain-water
Tillage harvesting
Groundwater
recharge
methods

58. Intervention Matrix
G. Specific Impact
A. Location
i. Agricultural impact
Yield increase
B. Coverage
Quantity of water used (irrigation + rainfall)
Cropping intensity
C. Method Used
Diversification (new crop)
Fertiser, Herbicide use
D. Primary Purpose
ii. NR-Related impact
Available soil moisture
E. Financial Aspects
Organic carbon content
Groundwater recharge & quality
F. Stake-holder Linkages
Surface water replenishment & quality
Sustainability
iii. Livelihood-related impact
Food security, Employment opportunity
Poverty change, Drudgery for women,
Migration, Impact on less-fortunate
community

59. Intervention Ranking Using Analytical Hierarchy
Process (AHP)
• Questionnaire Development: Multiple
interventions selected
• Ranking by Experts: Experts ranked
interventions on a 10-point scale
• Weight Assignments: Assigned ranks
converted to weights by reversing order,
i.e., rank 1 reordered as weight 10, rank 2
reordered as weight 9 and so on….

60. Resource Conservation Technologies: Productivity gains through
efficient utilization of resources
Zero tillage Laser land levelling
Surface seeding
Furrow irrigated-Raised bed planting

61. Levels of adoption
3.2 million hectares
(24%) of 13.5 million
hectares of rice-wheat
area
RCT Area adopted (ha)
2001 2002 2003
Zero tillage 2,08,742 5,61,033 11,56,210
Bed planting 4,706 6,993 35,000
Surface seeding 10,723 11,117 20,000

62. The “Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act”, 2009
“Not to sow paddy before May 10” and “not to transplant before June 10”
Regulation to check falling groundwater tables
Groundwater storage varied in northwestern India between 2002 and 2008, relative to the mean for the
period. These deviations from the mean are expressed as the height of an equivalent layer of water,
ranging from -12 cm (deep red) to 12 cm (dark blue). Credit: NASA/Trent Schindler and Matt Rodell

63. ET gains by delaying transplanting date of Paddy
100
90
80
Gain in ET, mm
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
8-May 15-May 22-May 29-May 5-Jun 12-Jun
Date
Amritsar Bathinda Faridkot Fatehgarh Firozpur
Gurdaspur Hoshiarpur Jalandhar Kapurthala Ludhiana
Mansa Moga Muktsar Nawanshahr Patiala
Rupnagar Sangrur
ET demand reduced by 1.8, 2.4, 3.5, 6.1, 8.6 and 9.3% through shifting of
transplanting dates by 1 to 6 weeks.
Saving in GW draft: 7.2%; Total pumping hours saved: 31 M/ 175 M KWh

64. Outputs from Intervention Analysis
1. Identification and analysis of potential interventions for improving
water productivity in the Indus- Gangetic basin:
( R singh, NS Raghuvanshi….et al)
2. Challenges and Prospects of Sustainable Groundwater Management
in the Indus- Gangetic Basin: Review and Case Studies ( Bharat
Sharma)
3. Improving water productivity in the Indus basin: A review of
approaches and strategies: ( A S Qureshi, W Ahmad)
4. The Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act (2009): Impact of a
regulatory mechanism for saving water ( Bharat Sharma, G Ambili)

65. WP6: Knowledge Management, Impact
• Setting up of Project website, materials on
PBwiki
• Creation and management of databases
• Awareness among policy makers and farming
communities, participation in Conferences
• Number of publication completed and in
progress, Policy briefs planned

66. Summary: BFP IGB .till date
• IGB is a complex basin with poverty and water gradients towards east and
productivity towards west.
• Where water availability is not a constraint, poverty reduction is possible
through improvements in land productivity.
• Where water availability is a constraint, increasing value of productivity per
unit of water can reduce poverty.
• WP of wheat and rice is high in Indus but unsustainable; Ganges basin has
both water, inputs and infrastructure constraints. Climate change shall have
serious impacts for both basins and more so for Ganges due to higher
vulnerability.
• There are attractive physical interventions which need to be up scaled with
suitable policy and institutional support, water and energy policies are inter-
related; innovative fisheries and integrated farming models has good potential
for the poor eastern IGB.
NEED TO THINK AND PLAN FOR MUCH LARGER IMPACT THROUGH CONTINUED
ENGAGEMENT POSSIBLY THROUGH SECOND PHASE GANGES BASIN
PROJECT AND OTHER RELATED PROJECTS.