Posted by Upmanu Lall | Oct 27, 2009 | 3 Comments
In previous weeks, I began the story of declining groundwater tables in India. In the first post, I talked about the current system of subsidized energy, the need to change it, and the willingness of farmers to adapt to such changes. The second post talked about the possible benefits and methods of direct seeding for [...]
Posted by Upmanu Lall | Oct 20, 2009 | 3 Comments
Last week, I began the story of declining groundwater tables in India. I talked about the current system of subsidized energy, the need to change it, and the willingness of farmers to adapt to such changes.
Even before changing the irrigation in the crop’s lifecycle, however, an initial step that farmers can take starts with the [...]
Posted by Upmanu Lall | Oct 13, 2009 | 3 Comments
In an earlier blog, I highlighted the story of declining groundwater in many parts of India. This story is one of agricultural intensification and widespread groundwater pumping, facilitated by highly subsidized or free electricity. As the Government of India sought food security for the nation, it promoted the procurement of rice and wheat from the [...]
Posted by Daniel Stellar | Sep 21, 2009 | 3 Comments
Written in collaboration with Meghna Bhattacharjee.
Failed monsoon rains put a cloud over the Columbia Water Center’s journey to India this summer.
Soaring temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius with 100% humidity made for a hazy sweltering experience which begged for some precipitous relief. As we traveled around New Delhi from air-conditioned cars to air-conditioned rooms, furnished with [...]
Posted by Daniel Stellar | Sep 2, 2009 | 0 Comments
This article is the second in a series inspired by the recent Columbia Water Center trip to India
During our recent CWC trip to India (during the first three weeks of August) one news story dominated all others: this year’s near total failure of the monsoon. Many of us in the West don’t really understand what a [...]
Posted by Daniel Stellar | Aug 26, 2009 | 1 Comments
I recently returned from a CWC trip to India, where we have several projects underway. During this trip, we had the opportunity to talk with a range of water users - farmers, corporations, academic experts, and government officials. One thing became very clear to me: Although India’s water situation is precarious, there is a real [...]
Posted by Tobias Siegfried | Aug 18, 2009 | 0 Comments
Water resources management in the Central Asia region faces formidable challenges. The hydrological regimes of the two major rivers in the region, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya, are complex and vulnerable to climate change. Water diversions to agricultural, industrial and domestic users have reduced flows in downstream regions, resulting in severe ecological damages. [...]
Posted by Upmanu Lall | Jul 28, 2009 | 3 Comments
The state of Punjab, located in the northwest part of the country, is known as the breadbasket of India. Punjab produces 20% of the nation’s wheat, 11% of its rice, and 11% of its cotton, from only 1.5% of its geographical area. Punjab is in trouble, however; groundwater is rapidly decreasing. Water levels have dropped [...]
Posted by Ju Young Lee | May 22, 2009 | 0 Comments
The Chinese capital of Beijing will raise water prices this year as an attempt to conserve its scarce water supply. Cheng Jing, the head of Beijing’s water-resources bureau, announced on May 10th the city would raise water prices within the next two months. This price hike will be the fifth one since 2001 in a bid to promote conservation.
Posted by Robert Hsu | May 5, 2009 | 1 Comments
Decreased access to a safe, stable water supply in Asia “will have a profound impact on security throughout the region,” warns an Asia Society Leadership Group report released on April 17. In response to the cascading set of consequences reduced access to fresh water will trigger—including impaired food production, the loss of livelihood security, large-scale migration within and across borders, and increased economic and geopolitical tensions and instabilities—the report recommends a comprehensive strategy to avert a regional crisis.
