1. Name your idea
Climate changes from global warming impacts rainfall, underground water, dams and canals. Increasing global food demand requires quantum jump in agriculture productivity, with reduced water for irrigation. Capital and strategic inputs are needed to spread micro irrigation techniques.
2. What country or region does this idea focus on?
Idea focuses on areas irrigated by snow-fed rivers and monsoon in India. It has universal application in similar local conditions.
3. Summarize your idea.
a. Governments play leading role in minimizing use of water for agriculture, water conservation, storage and distribution. Countrywide projects by following Departments have rigid bureaucratic approach and often ignore local variants:
i. Irrigation: dams and canals
ii. Micro-irrigation: tube well, small field works
iii. Agriculture: improved techniques to conserve water
iv. Horticulture: fruit bearing plantation
v. Forest: Conservation and environment protection.
vi. Rural Development: Drinking water and other local needs.
b. Programs of all departments should converge, for comprehensive strategy on water use. Transparency and public accountability is essential to prevent corruption and waste of public money.
c. Community participation is vital. Social audit of Government activities will promote democratic involvement and corrections at the grass roots.
4. How will your idea help people use less water for agriculture?
a. Three pronged approach is needed:
• Generate awareness about the problem of water scarcity.
• Implementation of R&D at field level.
• Sustained financing of local projects by cost benefit analysis of local projects, to develop private sector entrepreneurs.
b. Education and awareness for effective democratic participation and political will for commercial approach to agriculture.
c. Projects for water conservation cannot succeed without active participation of local communities. Centralized approach is inadequate.
5. How will you overcome barriers to your ideas succeeding?
a. Barriers to democratic participation in Government sponsored projects
Government projects by different departments need convergence in implementation, with focus on reduced use of water. Social Audit by the beneficiaries would promote public participation. Corruption and waste of public money can be eliminated by transparency and public accountability at grass-root level, leading to democratic involvement of beneficiaries.
b. Barriers to private capital inflow
Improved productivity by sound irrigation practices and other technological developments should attract private capital in commercially viable micro-projects.
c. Barriers to technological advances
i. Dissemination of results of R&D about increasing production with less use of water.
ii. Convincing farmers about these practices.
iii. Policy framework to develop entrepreneurship in farming
6. Who will help make this idea a reality? Who will help develop or implement this idea?
a. Government agencies, dealing with agriculture and irrigation related policies and projects.
b. Agriculture universities and other agencies involved in R&D in improved practices minimizing use of water in cultivation.
c. Financial institutions for studies of financial viability of capital-intensive micro-projects by farmers, in collaboration with private sector enterprises and financial institutions.
d. Private sector enterprises exploring business opportunities in agriculture.
e. Enterprising farmers, enabled by technological inputs.
f. Civil society / NGOs active in rural development, policy advocacy and citizen empowerment.
8. Link to a video that shows your idea.
a. Indian Economic Summit; Actions for modernizing India's agricultural Sector 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W3kD1xZnfo
b. Embracing irrigation to beat tough climate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K_IgWu1OQ4
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