Your search found 5 records
1 Atapattu, Sithara S.; Kodituwakku, Dekshika Charmini. 2009. Agriculture in South Asia and its implications on downstream health and sustainability: a review. Agricultural Water Management, 96(3):361-373.
River basins ; Land degradation ; Erosion ; Farming systems ; Tillage ; Irrigation systems ; Water pollution ; Pesticide residues ; Mangroves ; Biodiversity ; Ecosystems ; Wetlands ; Environmental flows ; Fisheries / South Asia / Bangladesh / Pakistan / India / Nepal / Maldives / Bhutan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H041676)
(0.48 MB)
Agriculture, a century old practice, has rarely been questioned as it is a necessity for feeding the world’s population. With the increase in food requirement, the sustainability of upland agriculture has posed threats to downstream and coastal areas of river basins. In South Asia, the coastal population depends on the lower part of the river basin for their livelihood such as agriculture and aquaculture. There have been numerous occasions where downstream areas have suffered as a consequence of ad hoc agricultural development activities upstream. Problems encountered in the downstream coastal areas include river desiccation, groundwater depletion, water pollution and sedimentation, salinization and salt water intrusion, soil erosion and nutrient depletion, and dynamic changes in the coastal wetland systems. The objective of this paper is to evaluate current agricultural practices, existing problems, and their implications downstream. This would facilitate the adoption of the river basin approach in managing water resources focusing on the South Asian region.
2 2009. Water works: a project in Africa and South Asia identifies promising agricultural water management solutions to unlock the potential of smallholder farming. CGIAR News, September 2009:33.
Irrigation management ; Development projects ; Food security ; Water security ; Rural poverty / Africa / South Asia / Africa / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042459)
http://www.cgiar.org/enews/september2009/story_12.html
http://www.cgiar.org/pdf/enews_september2009.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042459.mht
http://www.cgiar.org/pdf/enews_september2009.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042459.mht
(0.21 MB)
3 Chartres, Colin. 2008. Using waste water safely and profitably. [Abstract only]. In Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Conference abstract volume - World Water Week in Stockholm on Progress and Prospects on Water: For a Clean and Healthy World with Special Focus on Sanitation, 17-23 August 2008. Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). pp.22-23.
Water scarcity ; Water use ; Water pollution ; Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetables ; Fodder ; Health hazards ; Public health ; Developing countries ; Water governance ; Water reuse ; Guidelines / West Africa / India / Pakistan / Sri Lanka
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042947)
http://www.worldwaterweek.org/documents/Resources/Synthesis/2008_Abstract_Volume.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042947.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H042947.pdf
(0.02 MB) (2.95MB)
The world currently faces food, water and energy crisis. All are interlinked, in that water underpins food production and water is also under competition for use in the energy sector including hydropower generation and biofuels production. However, until recently, we have continued to use water as if it is an infinite resource and we squander millions of litres through inefficient management practices in many sectors of the economy. Furthermore, once used in agriculture, industry and domestically, water is returned to the environment frequently contaminated with salts, pesticides, persistent organic compounds, sewage and heavy metals. Elsewhere, literally cubic kilometers of untreated effluent are dumped in the oceans, polluting fisheries and the environment alike. Storm water runoff is often similarly discharge straight into rivers, and lakes, or the ocean rather than being seen as a valuable resource. Whilst many developed countries have done much to clean up their act with respect to sewage treatment, there are many developing countries that have few, if any, operational sewage treatment plants. Where sewage is discharged into rivers, it is often reused almost immediately in its untreated form by poor farmers. Whilst the nutrients in the water can be regarded as useful fertilizer, other contaminants including fecal coliform bacteria, helminths, viruses and chemical and metal contaminants pose immediate health risks for those using the water for irrigation and for those who consume their produce. This paper addresses some of the key issues associated with the utilization of waste water in agriculture in terms of viewing waste water as an important resource that can assist in fighting the water and food crises. It examines the major contaminants in waste water being used in agriculture and considers these from risks that they pose to human health and the environment. It also considers the types of responses that are required from government to ensure that management, regulation and policy actions are introduced to ensure that risks are adequately minimized. The paper is focused around work in developing countries and will use examples from West Africa, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Wastewater use is already a common reality on some 20 million hectares, where inadequate local sanitation facilities mean that farmers often have no alternative to the use of heavily polluted irrigation water. In many cases farmers have to stand in the polluted water to extract it and the water is then irrigated directly onto the leaves of green vegetables and fodder crops. Furthermore, little may be done between the field and the point of sale to wash off biological contaminants. In other cases, heavy metals and persistent organic compounds may also be found in the irrigation water and these may accumulate in the soil and the edible leaves and tubers of food crops causing long term damage to consumers. Whilst immediate effects of contamination are usually most noticeable in terms of hospital admissions with diarrhea and parasites, long term exposure to other compounds may cause damage to internal organs and/or be carcinogenic. Where fruits and vegetables, or the meat of animals fed on polluted water is then exported to developed countries, the presence of contaminants in such products can do untold damage to future market opportunities for the country of origin. To address these concerns, in 2006 WHO-FAO-UNEP released waste water use guidelines. IWMI was a major contributor to the development of these guidelines. The guidelines show that even in conditions where wastewater treatment is limited or negligible, risks for farmers and consumers can be significantly reduced. They aim at location specific measures for the locally best impact rather than at meeting international thresholds. The guidelines are now being translated into fact sheets for farmers, policy makers and researchers that will be launched later this year. Still there are many challenges for research and development. These include: 1. lack of health risk assessments for consumers especially in developing countries where local adaptation levels can be very different from thresholds defined elsewhere 2. limited studies on alternative options for health risk reduction including on-farm water treatment, enhanced natural systems, and combined treatment and non-treatment (multiple barrier) options 3. lack of low-cost concepts for situations where pathogens and heavy metals pose a combined threat 4. slow progress in participatory wastewater governance where ‘planning for reuse’ is shifted from wastewater suppliers to wastewater users.
4 International Water Management Institute (IWMI). IWMI TATA Water Policy Research Program. 2008. IWMI TATA Water Policy Research Program selected papers 2002-2007 and Proceedings of the 7th Annual Partners Meet, IWMI TATA Water Policy Research Program, ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad, India, 2-4 April 2008. Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 1 CD.
Water productivity ; Water use efficiency ; Multiple use ; Irrigation methods ; Farming systems ; Water reuse ; Wastewater ; Water policy ; Water law ; Irrigation management / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: CD Col Record No: H042969)
5 Shah, Tushaar. 2011. The last frontier: the groundwater revolution in South Asia. In Cornwall, A.; Scoones, I. (Eds.). Revolutionizing development: reflections on the work of Robert Chambers. London, UK: Earthscan. pp.135-140.
Groundwater irrigation ; Water market ; Farmers ; Rural areas ; Villages ; Social aspects ; Wells ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Pumping / South Asia / India
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044055)
(1.58 MB)
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