Sustainable groundwater management in India needs a water-energy-food nexus approach

Aditi Mukherji

Papers published in Journals (Open Access), 2022, 44(1):394-410. (Special issue: CWAE 40th Anniversary)

Abstract: Groundwater depletion in India is a result of water, energy, and food policies that have given rise to a nexus where growth in agriculture has been supported by unsustainable trends in water and energy use. This nexus emanates from India’s policy of providing affordable calories to its large population. This requires that input prices are kept low, leading to perverse incentives that encourage groundwater overexploitation. The paper argues that solutions to India’s groundwater problems need to be embedded within the current context of its water-energy-food nexus. Examples are provided of changes underway in some water-energy-food policies that may halt further groundwater depletion.

Keywords: Groundwater management; Sustainability; Water policy; Energy policies; Food policies; Nexus; Green revolution; Public investment; Private investment; Subsidies; Groundwater depletion; Groundwater irrigation; Electricity supplies; Tariffs; Solar energy; Pumps; Pumping; Canals; Tube wells; Water use; Food prices; Agriculture; Food production; Nutrition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iwt:jounls:h050121

DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13123

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