Latest News | Need Tool to Recommend Practices for Water-use Efficiency Based on Farming Ecosystem: Report

New Delhi, Mar 27 (PTI) There is a need to develop a tool to recommend good practices for water-use efficiency based on farming ecosystems at a local level, DCM Shriram Foundation and Sattva Kowledge Institute said in a report.

The report titled, 'Transforming Crop Cultivation: Advancing Water Efficiency in Indian Agriculture' was released on Wednesday. DCM Shriram Foundation and Sattva Knowledge Institute have undertaken a comprehensive study to understand the complexities of water scarcity and the use of water in Indian agriculture.

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"India is the most populous and the most water-stressed agrarian economy in the world. Our food security demands the production of water-intensive crops, exerting pressure on our water resources.

"Driving on-farm water efficiency in agriculture is the need of the hour if we want to avert the impending water crisis in India," Sattva Knowledge Institute Principal and Head, Agriculture Practice Area Debaranjan Pujahari said in a statement.

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The report pointed out that India, with its burgeoning population and limited freshwater resources, faces an imminent water crisis, aggravated by its heavy reliance on water in agriculture.

"With only 4 per cent of the world's freshwater sources and 17 per cent of the global population, the situation demands urgent attention and innovative solutions," it said.

Agriculture accounts for 90 per cent of water withdrawals in India. Within the agriculture sector alone, irrigation uses 84 per cent of the country's precious water reserves, followed by domestic and industrial sectors, as per the report.

DCM Shriram Foundation President Aman Pannu said, "Our findings highlight the urgent need for collective action and innovation to safeguard our water resources while ensuring food security for all. We believe that by leveraging science, data, and strategic collaboration, we can drive transformative change and build a sustainable future for generations to come."

To address the issue, the report suggested "developing a tool to recommend water use efficiency practices based on Local Agriculture Ecosystems (LAE)".

It noted that multiple existing initiatives focusing on enabling on-farm water use efficiency driven by government, philanthropy as well as industry have demonstrated impact.

However, the report pointed out that these initiatives are still not able to cater to the specific nuances and localised contexts of regions, crops as well as varying farmer profiles.

"In agriculture, a tailored approach is paramount because one-size-fits-all strategies fall short in driving scale. Currently, there's a lack of collaboration and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders, resulting in small-scale, isolated efforts that struggle to support small farmers effectively," it said.

"By developing a tool that offers customised solutions for specific local contexts, we can seamlessly integrate it into ongoing initiatives that have shown impact," the report said.

Addressing these challenges will require catering to Local Agricultural Ecosystems (LAE), whilst also enabling the scale of these solutions and techniques across states, it said.

"Solutions that account for the LAE will not only foster localised insights to tailor water-efficient techniques for individual farmers and specific regions, but also mobilise effective government and industry involvement to enable scale.

"In the long term, addressing the water crisis from the agriculture sector will require diversifying funding sources, fostering partnerships with government and private sector actors, and promoting sustainable financing mechanisms," the report said.

It has also suggested introduction of the concept of a water vulnerability index, enabling science and data-led business and policy decisions.

The report also suggested developing a model for collaborative action among essential stakeholders in the ecosystem, including government entities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)