Efficient Irrigation and Water Conservation : Evidence from South India
Widespread adoption of efficient irrigation technologies, including drip irrigation, has been proposed as a means of limiting groundwater over-exploitation, especially in the intensively farmed and water-stressed South Asia region. This paper repor...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/335251621613682951/Efficient-Irrigation-and-Water-Conservation-Evidence-from-South-India http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35662 |
| Summary: | Widespread adoption of efficient
irrigation technologies, including drip irrigation, has been
proposed as a means of limiting groundwater
over-exploitation, especially in the intensively farmed and
water-stressed South Asia region. This paper reports on a
randomized control trial conducted in the Indian state of
Andhra Pradesh to evaluate the potential productivity and
water-savings benefits of small-holder drip irrigation. A
group of well-owners was encouraged to adopt drip irrigation
through a subsidy scheme, whereas a control group was left
to its own devices. The results indicate that, after 3
years, the drip group shifted into more remunerative and
irrigation reliant crops, enjoyed higher agricultural
revenue, and transferred (primarily through cash sales) more
of its groundwater to adjacent plots. In terms of
groundwater pumping, which has zero marginal price in this
setting, there is precisely zero difference between drip and
control groups. The evidence thus suggests that drip
adoption in South India, while increasing irrigation
efficiency, will not save groundwater. |
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