at Istanbul,Turkey

16-22 March 2009

Theme 1 : Global Change & Risk Management

Topic 1.1 : Adapting to Climate Change

Traditional Irrigation Tanks Renovation in India to Mitigate

Climate Change

A.GurunathanChief ExecutiveDHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation, Madurai, INDIA

Presented by

Title:

Session 1.1.3

5th World Water Forum Organised by

Session : 1.1.3

Mission of DHAN Foundation

”Building People and Institutions for

development innovations and

upscaling to enable the poor

communities for poverty reduction

and self reliance”.

Session : 1.1.3

DHAN Foundation and its Purpose

Mothering of Development Innovations• Promote and Nurture new ideas on different

development themes.

• Senior colleagues anchor new themes for longer period

Promoting institutions to reach scale• Exclusive thematic organisations as subsidiaries

for promotional role to upscale

Human Resource Development• Building socially concerned professionals

for the development sector

Session : 1.1.3

Climate Change: Facts & Figures (FEARS)

• Global Climate warmer by 0.7 deg. C – Anthropogenic effect• Increased Intensity and frequency of intense rainfall - causing

floods• In India, mean annual surface temperature rose by 0.5 deg. C• Sea level rise has been 1.0 to 1.75 mm per year• Projected increase of 20% rise in all India summer monsoon• Per capita fresh water availability would come down to 1000 cu.m

from 1800 cu.m by 2025.• Every 1 deg. C rise in temperature lead to production loss of

wheat by 4.5 million MT and poses threat to food self sufficiency of India

• Human Health Implications– Increase in malnutrition– Spatial distribution of Infections’ vectors.– Exacerbation of cholera.

Session : 1.1.3

Vulnerability of Climate Change

• Endemic poverty

• Limited access to capital

• Degradation of ecosystem

• Disasters and conflicts

• Failure of government system

Session : 1.1.3

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Adaption

Step 1

Assessment of Impacts and Vulnerability

Step 2

Capacity Building

Step 3

Adaptation Measures

Session : 1.1.3

Performance of the Agricultural Sector

Share of

Agriculture in

GDP (%)

Share of Agricultural

Growth in overall

Growth (%)

US$ a Day

poverty (%)

Region /

Country1975 2005 1975-1985 1995-2005 1981-1983 2004

East Asia and

the pacific

32 13 20 7 58 9

China 32 13 21 6 64 10

South Asia 40 10 18 10 50 31

India 41 18 17 9 48 34

Source: World Bank Development 2008 Report

Session : 1.1.3

"These are the monuments of real

Kings, who were the fathers of their

people; testators to a posterity which

they embraced as their own. These are

the grand sepulchres built by

ambition; but by the ambition of an

insatiable benevolence, which, not

contented with reigning in the

dispensation of happiness during the

contracted term of human life, had

strained, with all the reachings and

graspings of vivacious mind, to extend

the dominion of their bounty beyond

the limits of nature, and to perpetuate

themselves through generations, the

guardians, the protectors, the

nourishers of mankind".

Edmund Burke, (1785) on minor

irrigation tanks in South India

Session : 1.1.3

Tanks in India : Potential

• There are about 1.2 to 1.5 million tanks still in use and sustaining

everyday life in the 0.66 million Villages in India (Source: Deep Narayan Pandey,

IASCP, Indiana 2000)

• National Water Mission under National Action Plan on Climate

Change proposed infrastructural development of minor irrigation

schemes in situations sensitive to climate change (Source: Comprehensive

Mission documents, Government of India, December 2008)

• DHAN Foundation has organised about 170,000 farmers and

landless in 2300 villages in South India and renovated more than

1800 traditional water bodies since 1992. (Source: Annual Reports of DHAN

Foundation)

• Tanks have been the most important source of irrigation in India

and many of them date as far back as the Rig vedic period, around

1500 BC (source: Historical Research on Tank Irrigation, DHAN, 2007)

Session : 1.1.3

Toposheet showing the Tank population

388 Tanks in an Area of 104.66 sq.km

There exist about 1,40,000 tanks in South India

Session : 1.1.3

Lifelines for Livelihoods…

Session : 1.1.3

Source: NRSA

Panaromic Remote Sensing Map of

Cascades of

Irrigation Tanks in

India

Session : 1.1.3

Source: Tank of South Asia, CSE, New Delhi

Session : 1.1.3

Source: Tank of South Asia, CSE, New Delhi

Session : 1.1.3

StateNumber of tanks

Above 40 ha Below 40 ha

Maharastra 1,348 27,857

Andhra Pradesh 7,395 66,114

Tamil Nadu 7,395 30,907

Karnataka 22,765 13,743

Number of Tanks in the Southern States of India

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

BENEFITS FROM A COMPREHENSIVE TANK SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Benefits from a Healthy Tank System

Employment Generation

Food Security

Crop yield doubled (2 assured crops a

year)

Dairy development Improved nutrition (more food, more milk)

Cultural life improved

Increased green and dry and fodder

Fertility of the dry-lands improved

Ground water situation improves electricity will be saved

Increased tree cover

Migration of birds stopped & immigration encouraged

Fisheries development

Sustained availability of water for drinking and agriculture

Effective Soil Conservation

Session : 1.1.3

TANK FILLING DETAILS: A Sample Case from Karnataka State (out of 10 years)

Watershed Tank Name No FlowFlow

< 50%No.of

MonthsFlow > 50%

No. of Months

Years of Surplussing

Herur Herur - 6 2.3 4 3 2

Kaliceri - 6 2.3 4 1 1

Byagawada - 3 3.4 7 18 4

Dommel - 5 2 5 3 3

Uppanar 3 3 2 1 8 1

Guddamathihalli - 8 2 2 8 2

Multhahalli - 8 2 2 3 2

Somsagar - 6 3.4 4 8 4

Hiribasur 3 6 2 1 6 1

Tumbadi Tumbai - 6 3 4 8 3

Mallekavu - 5 3 5 8 3

C.N. Durga - 4 7 6 10 3

Bendone - 4 10 6 12 6

Sedol Hunsgera - 4 4 6 5 5

Sedol - 4 4 6 5 1

Jalsingi - 4 3 6 4 0

Chinkhera 9 1 2 0 0 0

Source: JSYS document, Govt. of Karnataka.

Session : 1.1.3

Problems affecting the tanks

• Large scale infestation of weeds

• Encroachments by the government and public

• Siltation in waterspreads and channels

• Choked or leaky sluices and damaged weirs

• Sluices with missing shutters

• Dilapidated and weak or cut down tank bunds

• Urbanization without consideration for ecology and

environment

Session : 1.1.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

6019

50-5

1

1953

-54

1956

-57

1959

-60

1962

-63

1965

-66

1968

-69

1971

-72

1974

-75

1977

-78

1980

-81

1983

-84

1986

-87

1989

-90

1992

-93

1995

-96

1998

-99

Net Tank Irrigated Area in Lakh ha.

Percent of Tank Irrigated Area to NIA

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Tank Irrigated Area in India, 1950-51 to 1999-2000

Session : 1.1.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

7019

50-5

1

1953

-54

1956

-57

1959

-60

1962

-63

1965

-66

1968

-69

1971

-72

1974

-75

1977

-78

1980

-81

1983

-84

1986

-87

1989

-90

1992

-93

1995

-96

1998

-99

Per

cent

Percent Tank Area to NIA

Percent of Well Area to NIA

Share of Tank and Well Irrigated Area to Net Irrigated Area, India

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80

AP

GUJ

KER

ORI

TN

WB

Percent

Statewise Percentage Change in Tank Irrigated Area: 1999-2000 over 1962-63

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Area under Tank Irrigation by Farm Size, 1970 -71 to 1990-91- India

(Area in ‘000 ha)

Size Class

Tank irrigated area Percent of Tank Area to NIA

1970-1971

1976-1977

1980-1981

1985-1986

1990-1991

ACGR

(%)

1970-1971

1976-

1977

1980-1981

1985-1986

1990-1991

Reduction in % (1990-1

over 1970-1)

Marginal (<1 ha)

737(21.00)

742(23.25)

941(28.24)

805(28.92)

940(31.79)

1.22 16.7813.24

13.69 9.99 9.94 -40.75

Small(1-2 ha)

668(19.03)

627(19.64)

742(22.27)

636(22.84)

682(23.06)

0.10 14.0911.56

11.21 8.31 7.51 -46.72

Semi-Medium (2-4 ha)

800(22.79)

730(22.87)

753(22.60)

638(22.92)

654(22.12)

-1.00 12.1110.23

8.64 6.59 5.96 -50.79

Medium (4 -10 ha)

828(23.59)

732(22.93)

636(19.09)

509(18.28)

503(17.01)

-2.46 9.94 9.17 6.44 4.91 4.46 -55.15

Large ( >10 ha)

477(13.59)

361(11.31)

260(7.80)

196(7.04)

178(6.02)

-4.81 9.47 9.78 5.50 4.17 3.63 -61.68

All Total3510(100)

3192(100)

3332(100)

2784(100)

2957(100)

-0.85 12.0610.70

9.05 6.88 6.47 -46.35

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Rainfall & Tank Irrigated Area- Tamil Nadu

PeriodSWM(mm)

NEM(mm)

Annual Rainfall

(mm)

Tank irrigated Area(m.ha)

1962-63 348.3 428.3 961.7 0.94

1972-73 315.4 505.5 995.0 0.93

1982-83 273.1 379.3 772.1 0.68

1992-93 296.2 443.6 877.4 0.57

1999-00 275.3 628.1 1043.1 0.65Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1960

-61

1963

-64

1966

-67

1969

-70

1972

-73

1975

-76

1978

-79

1981

-82

1984

-85

1987

-88

1990

-91

1993

-94

1996

-97

1999

-00

Rai

nfal

l & A

rea

SW+NE monsoon

Tank irrigated area

Southwest plus Northeast Rainfall and Tank Irrigated Area: Tamil Nadu

Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Tank storage levels over a 10 year period, Tamil Nadu

Tank storage Storage level (%) Probabilitya

Surplus > 100 0.2

Full 70-100 0.3

Deficit 50-70 0.4

Very low <50 0.1

a based on a 50 years' rainfall data.Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Pattern of Tank Improvement Benefits in a 10 Year Cycle, Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.

Year Tank Storage (%)a

Ground water supplementation (%)b

Benefits of tank modernisation

1 50-70 30-40 Total

2 50-70 30-40 Total

3 <50 No cultivation Zero

4 >100 0 Zero

5 70-100 5-10 Half

6 50-70 30-40 Total

7 <50 No cultivation Zero

8 70-100 5-10 Half

9 50-70 30-40 Total

10 50-70 30-40 Total

Source: Research of Water technology centre by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Rice yield and supplemental irrigations (Qtl/ha)

No. of irrigations

Non-system tanks System tanks

Deficit Normal Deficit Normal

0 3.20 2.40 - -

1 5.70 7.80 - 20.50

2 10.30 9.50 21.00 23.70

3 16.70 18.50 30.90 27.70

4 26.80 32.00 36.10 36.40

5 35.20 37.70 47.10 45.00

6 28.30 36.50 35.16 38.30

7 16.10 15.60 27.60 26.90Source: Tank Irrigation by Dr.K.Palanisami

Session : 1.1.3

Rural Community Innovations in Small Scale Water Resources Sector

• Creating Dead Storage in Minor Irrigation Tanks below Sill Level of Irrigation Sluice and integrate Fish Rearing

• Revive Traditional Water Distribution ( Plug and Rod Shutters and placing Water Managers (Neerkattis)

• Water Resources Development at Cascade Level (Leverage funds from SGRY, NREGA); Employment based Livelihoods

• Vulnerability Mapping for breaching and flooding and Establishing Early Warning System (Piloting at a sub basin level)

• Renovation of Traditional Drinking Water Ponds (Ooranis) in Scientific Way

Session : 1.1.3

Rural Community Innovations in Small Scale Water Resources Sector

• Conjunctive Use of Surface and Ground Water by utilizing tanks and community well

• Setting up Disaster Mitigation

Funds with exclusive focus

on providing interest free

loan to develop water

resources

• Endowment and Corpus grant for the preservation of water resources in future by Community Organizations

• Action Research on Micro Irrigation based Paddy Cultivation in Tank Irrigation Command

• Developing Rural Youth and train them to actively participate in rescue and provide first aid while disaster strikes.

Session : 1.1.3

Rural Community Innovations in House hold Water Treatment

• Sensitizing the People on the Quality of Water Consumed

• Orientation to Community on Cost Efficient and Effective household Water Treatment Products

• Training the Users on Installation of Bio sand Filters

• Periodic Quality Monitoring of Water

Session : 1.1.3

Suggestions for Climate Change Adaptation in Indian Context

• Tanks are Life lines of underprivileged poor and rural community

• Investment in Tank Infrastructure development by the Government with Bilateral assistance or World Bank/ADB credit should focus Community driven, tank cascade development at sub basin level.

• Roles for CBOs, NGOs and Government should be well defined with partnership principle

• Convergence of schemes – Single Window Approach should be given priority

• Adequate Resource Allocation for carrying out Action Research on Tank Irrigation Systems

• New Product development comprehensively to tackle risks through Mutual Insurance should be complemented.

Session : 1.1.3

GLOBAL THINKING

FOR

LOCAL ACTION

Alternative solution

Remains in the concept . .

Let us discuss . .

Thank You