Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 3. Water allocation for people sector, food sector (agriculture) and nature sector in respect of
Brahmani basin
Brahmani
River Basin,
India
(2000)
+
People
0.4%
R
iver Flow
35%
A
griculture
22.7%
N
ature
42.1%
These indicators have been considered more relevant to situations in developing
countries like China, India and Pakistan for the following reasons:
1.
A large amount of groundwater is used in India and Pakistan as well as China. One
needs indicators which reflect water uses from both surface and groundwater sources.
2.
The WSI, as defined based on 'withdrawals' by some authors earlier, does not account
for the 'substantial part of the withdrawal' which would return ( to surface or
underground sources). Either one needs to consider the returns as an additional resource,
adding to the natural runoff, or one needs to consider the 'net consumptive use' rather
than withdrawals.
3.
All use for terrestrial natural eco-systems, food or people is accounted-for on an equal
footing, as it is desirable to have a prima facie look at what each such sector is drawing
from the sources of water. For many basins that are water-deficit, or at a threshold level,
a competing situation between such sectors arises and tradeoffs have to be looked into
critically, and this approach is superior (to begin with such a review process in
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