Enhancing links between irrigation and agriculture: policy innovations and initiatives

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1 Enhancing links between irrigation and agriculture: policy innovations and initiatives Satya Priya, PhD National Programme Coordinator (Land and Water) FAO, India

2 Policy roots Agriculture Policy - supply-side approach to water management often inconsistent with principles of efficiency, equity and conservation Over time, pieces of water/irrigation policy - laws, institutions, agencies, politicians and special interests have merged into: perpetual motion machine with a goal to ensure water is available for agriculture (abundant and free) Therefore, contentious debate over future water demand can only be met through a paradigm shift in the management of WR 2

3 Some key facts Increasing gap between irrigation potential created (IPC) and irrigation potential utilized (IPU) is substantial and growing lack of capacities, low water discharge, insufficient water distribution, incorrect recording of irrigated area Agriculture consumes ~80% of water resources Agriculture Water Use Efficiency ~38% (India) ~45% in Malaysia and Morocco ~50-60% in Israel, Japan and Taiwan 3

4 Gaps between IPC-IPU 4

5 Paradigm shift getting right signals? India's goal to increase water use efficiency by 20% through: higher efficiency ratios, equitability; sufficiency and reliability in distribution, increased productivity; and rationalized use aligned with basin water balance Bridging the gap between principles and practice: increased reliance on demand-side management; conjunctive use, crop switching and practices for improving efficiency Review polices legal status of environmental baselines of: minimum in-stream flows, water quality and supplies water uses and management to ease out pressures on agri. users 5

6 Signs of change: Irrigation WUE Objective of improving WUE Stakeholders involvement essential before taking up WUE improvement projects In the project context, irrigation WUE relates to project command alone (conveyance + distribution + on-farm systems); Volumetric water supply is the only means to ensure equitable distribution? Command irrigation should include all sources of water such as canal, groundwater, tanks, etc. Performance of system management according to demands at field and Performance of drainage to speedily remove surplus water from the farms are essential 6

7 Signs of change: Integrated operation Surface water projects: planned, developed, operated and managed in standalone mode despite being in basin context Dynamic nature of base and return flows in streams and losses from canals/farms can only be assessed if projects are operated in an integrated manner in real time mode Integrated operation and management increases WUE and productivity Better understanding of the agronomic factors affecting crop growth (climate, soils, soil moisture, fertilizers, plant population) Increasing WUE requires continuous research on crop management (Shift to Micro Irrigation, System of Rice Intensification etc) Soil Nutrient management approaches (field management, evaluation of soil fertility status) 7

8 Fertilizer policy Agricultural productivity and balanced fertilization Fertilizer subsidy Indigenous production and overall supply of fertilizers 8

9 Priority Areas Requiring Specific Attention STORAGE Enhance performance by improving availability of flows at canal head(s) CONVEYANCE Volumetric water deliver, Improved conveyance in engineering R&D Water Auditing, Bench-marking and M&E WUE - requires to cover 6 distinct areas ON-FARM APPLICATION Improved on-farm practices, quality inputs leading to better productivity and production CROP MANAGEMENT Diversification, better Management and micro irrigation systems PARTICIPATORY EFFORTS Promoting the role of beneficiaries in management and accountability

10 Policy innovations and initiatives Increase irrigated area by investing in command area development - the micro distribution network Catalyze, support and incentivize irrigation departments Strengthening HR, capacitating WRM knowledge institutions, training and research institutes Move from water tax to Irrigation Service Fee Rationalizing ISF with accountability and responsiveness to farmers service fees, volumetric water supply, water user associations (WUAs).. Irrigation departments need to evolve from construction based institutions to water management institutions Setting up a National Irrigation Mgmt. Fund (NIMF) to catalyze demand of irrigation management & institutional reform E.g., State govt. Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) acts 10

11 Policy innovations and initiatives Govt. of India will establish NIMF matching farmer collected ISF on a 1:1 ratio, To promote PIM, the NIMF will provide a bonus if State ISF has been collected through WUAs To promote volumetric water delivery NIMF will provide additional incentives to WUAs As such NIMF is meant to catalyze policy reforms: Improving WUE, revamping irrigation sector and water resources dept. 11

12 Lessons learned from India Performance based planning and management of irrigation systems Enhance resources and capacity of MMI sector Improve ISF collection ratio Demand based volumetric water supply for delivery Generate more accurate data on irrigation Foster partnerships and incentives between irrigation agency, PIM, WUAs for increased productivity Speed up CAD&WM Promote rationalization of ISF In turn, reduce the gap between IPC and IPU 12

13 Thank you! 13