Governing Groundwater in Asia

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Governing Groundwater in Asia
IWMI Theme on Sustainable Groundwater Management

• Taming a Colossal Anarchy

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• International Water Management Institute, Colombo
• Institute of Social and Environmental Transition,
  Denver
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Center for Chinese Agriculture Policy, Beijing
• Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Kathmandu
• Ministry of Water Resources, Govt of India, New
  Delhi
• Saurashtra Lok Manch, Rajkot
• Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Mumbai
• Welcome to the WWF 3 Session on
• Groundwater Governance in Asia
• Taming a Colossal Anarchy

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Outline

• The Groundwater Opportunity
• The Emerging Challenge
• Approaches to Meeting the Challenge
• Need for New Thinking

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Groundwater wells in South Asia have proliferated
_at_ 1 million/year since 1990. They have followed
population density rather than resource
availability. They are poor peoples only hope
for improved livelihoods.

• Over 50 of farm-gate water deliveries in
  Pakistan Punjab
• Over 60 of irrigated area in India
• Over 70 of irrigated area in Bangladesh
• 3.5 m tubewells in NCP
• GW development has igored availability and
  followed rural population density
• Socio-economic safety walve for South Asian
  agriculture

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Groundwater irrigation is a large and growing
economy in India, Pakistan, China. The estimated
market value of the 325 km3 of groundwater used
is US 10 b the Productive value of groundwater
use in Asian agriculture is more, very likely
over US 18-20 b annually.
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Variations in Asias Groundwater Socio-ecology
and the Resource Management Challenge

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Thank You!