Running out of water, walking away from farming

Groundwater tables are falling in India. What will happen when water actually runs out? This column analyses the impact of water scarcity on farmers in Gujarat. It finds that farmers are failing to or choosing not to adapt to the availability of less water. They are forced to shrink cultivation, leave farming or migrate to cities – thereby, reducing food production

Gross National Happiness - A Real Alternative or a Romantic Wish? Impressions From the Fourth International Conference on Gross National Happiness in Bhutan

Back in the 1970s, when discussion concerning economic development was monopolized by the concept of Gross National Product (GNP), King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan developed the term Gross National Hapiness (GNH) as an alternative approach to development. Though the last 25 years of his reign saw Bhutan’s economy grow at an average annual rate of 7% while maintaining environmental quality and social capital, the recent stepping down of the king and the transition to democracy have left Bhutanese policy with an aspiration to uphold his GNH legacy, but without his intuitive guidance on its practical pursuit. In its absence, there is a need to base the concept of GNH on a concrete, objective basis. As an effort to place the discussion on a quantitative and rigorous social scientific basis, Bhutan is inviting scholars from around the world through its annual international conference on GNH. This field note offers a discussion reflecting upon the conference and the concept of GNH

Is Sustainability A Fact?

I followed Matthew Ally’s bold invitation and in my mind, I joined him and the Apollo 8 astronauts as they were witnessing the 'Earthrise' for the first time. He was right – the mere imagination of this image brings up a feeling that we may all too often forget when we try to formulate the ethical foundations, the precise definition or the scientific basis of the pursuit of sustainability. That feeling was, perhaps, as Dr. Ally put it, an experience of sustainability, and historically, as he describes, it was a catalyst of our ethical reasoning that sustainability is a value and the scientific understanding that sustainability is a fact. We may not realize how much we need these experiences. Of course, we do not need to travel to space to have them, to realize with wonder that there is nothing inevitable or ordinary or obvious about the stability of the earth system, the living planet, Gaia - whatever you wish to call it. This prolonged and relatively stable period in its history has probably made possible the development of human civilization, and some version of the anthropic principle would suggest that it must be that way, because otherwise there would be no one to notice it. But that isn’t really the point. All around us, nature is full of the complex self-regulating interactions and feedbacks that help the earth system sustain herself, that show us that sustainability is a possible, yet difficult and precious feat. In that sense, this sustainability is indeed nothing short of a remarkable, wonderful and under-appreciated fact. And our society may well need to cultivate this experience if it is to do better at appreciating and protecting it

What drives migration in northern Gujarat?

In a new IGC working paper, Ram Fishman, Meha Jain, and Avinash Kishore investigate factors that drive environmental migration and the economic impact of geographical mobility

Incarceration's Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America

Local jails, which exist in nearly every town and city in America, are built to hold people deemed too dangerous to release pending trial or at high risk of flight. This, however, is no longer primarily what jails do or whom they hold, as people too poor to post bail languish there and racial disparities disproportionately impact communities of color. This report reviews existing research and data to take a deeper look at our nation's misuse of local jails and to determine how we arrived at this point. It also highlights jurisdictions that have taken steps to mitigate negative consequences, all with the aim of informing local policymakers and their constituents who are interested in reducing recidivism, improving public safety, and promoting stronger, healthier communities

Sustainable financial solutions for the adoption of solar powered irrigation pumps in Nepal’s terai

Solar powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) are a proven technology, and can potentially be a game changer in Nepal’s irrigation sector by providing clean irrigation to millions of farmers. However, the relatively high capital cost of SPIPs is the main impediment that prevents large scale adoption of SPIPs. Given this, can we design appropriate financial solutions that will help in the large scale adoption of this clean and efficient technology? We ran a randomized experiment in order to estimate demand for SPIPs under three financial models – ‘grant’; ‘grant-loan’ and ‘grant-pay as you go’ in Saptari district of Nepal. We provided an additional 10% discount to women applicants, provided they owned the land on which SPIPs were to be installed. These models were based on policies of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), and similar schemes available in India and Bangladesh. Village Development Committees (VDCs) were randomly divided into three groups and one financial option was provided to each group of VDCs. This randomized control trial (RCT) helped estimate absolute demand for each of the models. We ran 45-days promotional campaigns to solicit demand from farmers. The main findings from our experiment were

Can improved agricultural water use efficiency save India’s groundwater?

Irrigated agriculture is placing increasing pressure on finite freshwater resources, especially in developing countries, where water extraction is often unregulated, un-priced and even subsidized. To shift agriculture to a more sustainable use of water without harming the food security and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of smallholders, substantial improvements of water use efficiency will be required. Here, we use detailed hydroclimatic and agricultural data to estimate the potential for the widespread adoption of efficient irrigation technologies to halt the depletion of India\u27s groundwater resources. Even though we find substantial technical potential for reversing water table declines, we show that the impacts are highly sensitive to assumptions about farmers\u27 water use decisions. For example, we find that widespread adoption of proven technologies that include drip and sprinkler irrigation has the potential to reduce the amount of excessive extraction of groundwater by two thirds. However, under more realistic assumptions about farmers\u27 irrigation choices, half of these reductions are lost due to the expansion of irrigated area. Our results suggest that without the introduction of incentives for conservation, much of the potential impact of technology adoption on aquifers may be lost. The analysis provides quantitative input to the debate of incentive versus technology based water policies

Sustainable financial solutions for the adoption of solar powered irrigation pumps in Nepal’s terai

Solar powered irrigation pumps (SPIPs) are a proven technology, and can potentially be a game changer in Nepal’s irrigation sector by providing clean irrigation to millions of farmers. However, the relatively high capital cost of SPIPs is the main impediment that prevents large scale adoption of SPIPs. Given this, can we design appropriate financial solutions that will help in the large scale adoption of this clean and efficient technology? We ran a randomized experiment in order to estimate demand for SPIPs under three financial models – ‘grant’; ‘grant-loan’ and ‘grant-pay as you go’ in Saptari district of Nepal. We provided an additional 10% discount to women applicants, provided they owned the land on which SPIPs were to be installed. These models were based on policies of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), and similar schemes available in India and Bangladesh. Village Development Committees (VDCs) were randomly divided into three groups and one financial option was provided to each group of VDCs. This randomized control trial (RCT) helped estimate absolute demand for each of the models. We ran 45-days promotional campaigns to solicit demand from farmers. The main findings from our experiment were

Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

This paper presents the results of the Columbia Water Center's study of the severe groundwater crisis in the Mehsana region of Northern Gujarat, India. The study concludes that the current pattern of groundwater exploitation is both costly for the state and unsustainable for farmers, and could lead to the complete failure of agriculture in the area within a few years if left unchecked. The study, funded by the PepsiCo Foundation, was conducted as the first phase of a CWC project to design more sustainable policy options to help conserve water and energy while improving farmer incomes in North Gujarat; future papers will outline the initial outcomes of the area pilot project along with resulting recommendations for policymakers in the area

Outbreak of tropical rat mite (Ornithonyssus bacoti) dermatitis in a home for disabled persons

Five mentally handicapped individuals living in a home for disabled persons in Southern Germany were seen in our outpatient department with pruritic, red papules predominantly located in groups on the upper extremities, neck, upper trunk and face. Over several weeks 40 inhabitants and 5 caretakers were affected by the same rash. Inspection of their home and the sheds nearby disclosed infestation with rat populations and mites. Finally the diagnosis of tropical rat mite dermatitis was made by the identification of the arthropod Ornithonyssus bacoti or so-called tropical rat mite. The patients were treated with topical corticosteroids and antihistamines. After elimination of the rats and disinfection of the rooms by a professional exterminator no new cases of rat mite dermatitis occurred. The tropical rat mite is an external parasite occurring on rats, mice, gerbils, hamsters and various other small mammals. When the principal animal host is not available, human beings can become the victim of mite infestation. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Base