What are we doing?
The overall aim of the project is to improve the livelihood of woman, marginal and tenant farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains, through improved water use and increased dry season agricultural production.
An assessment is being made of available ground and surface water resources, potential demand for irrigation water, and water available for irrigation in selected districts. Qualitative and quantitative research is also being undertaken to identify livelihoods, land tenure, water management institutions, gender relations and different farmer groupings and their impact on water management in Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Social and technological interventions for improving agriculture through conjunctive use of pond and groundwater resources will be evaluated in the selected sites of Nepal and India using a participatory action research approach. The project will also focus on capacity building and scaled up engagement to broader villages and communities to deliver training and demonstration of successes.
Specific objectives are to:
- Determine existing water resources and sustainable utilisation for irrigation from tanks and groundwater.
- Determine the socio-economic, structural and institutional constraints to sustainable water use.
- Determine and evaluate approaches for access to water for irrigation focusing on using renewable technologies and alternate approaches to land tenure and their impact on livelihoods and resilience
- Facilitate long term up-scaling and out-scaling of approaches and alternative opportunities.
