How does one understand the nexus between energy and water? By taking the case of ground water exploitation of north Gujarat, this paper published in the National Geographic spells out the key issues that intertwine water and energy. Thanks to the subsidies and price support policies of governments that farmers especially the rich one are able to have their private wells to pump water for agricultural purpose.
However the dark side of the story remains the same- the inability of poor farmers to invest on irrigation, falling ground water tables due to over-pumping, over-consumption of power leaving little electricity for other productive uses. What can be done to address this problem? Some of the recommendations and advices given by the International Water Management Institute and the Columbia Water Center are elaborated in the paper.
Clicke here to read the full article.
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