Building climate resilience in degraded agricultural landscapes through water management: A case study of Bundelkhand region, Central India

Abstract

Rainfall variability and water scarcity continue to hamper the food and income security of smallholder farming systems in poverty-affected regions. Innovations in soil and water management, especially in the drylands, are critical for meeting food security and water productivity targets of Agenda 2030. This study analyzes how rainfed agriculture can be intensified with marginal impact on the landscape water balance. The impact of rainwater harvesting structures on landscape hydrology and associated agricultural services was analyzed in the semi-arid Jhansi district of Bundelkhand region in central India. The Parasai-Sindh pilot watershed was subjected to a 5-year (2012-2016) monitoring of rainfed system improvements in water availability and crop intensification due to surface water storage (haveli system), check dams, and field infiltration structures. Hydrological processes were monitored intensively to analyze the landscape's water balance components. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures altered the landscape's hydrology, limiting average surface runoff from 250 mm/year to 150 mm/year over the study period. Groundwater levels increased by 2-5 m (m), alleviating water scarcity issues of the communities in recurring dry years. Nearly 20% of fallow lands were brought under cultivation. Crop yields increased by 10-70% and average household income increased from US$ 960/year to US $ 2700/year compared to that in the non-intervention landscape. The combined soil-water-vegetation efforts strengthened water resilience and environmental systems in agricultural landscape.

Keywords

Water scarcity; Groundwater resilience; Livelihood development; Semi-arid tropics

Published in

Journal of Hydrology
2020, Volume: 591, article number: 125592

SLU Authors

• Barron, Jennie

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG1 No poverty
SDG2 Zero hunger
SDG6 Clean water and sanitation
SDG13 Climate action


UKÄ Subject classification

Soil Science
Agricultural Science
Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125592

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/107957