Improving Dry Season Agriculture for Marginal and Tenant Farmers

General

The Eastern Gangetic Plains is one of the most densely populated, poverty stricken belts in South Asia. Behind this persisting poverty are deeply entrenched social structures of class and caste, with a high incidence of inequitable landlord-tenant relations. This is combined with poor access to irrigation water in the dry season, limited irrigation capacity and low agricultural innovation. The overall aim of the project is to improve the livelihood of woman, marginal and tenant farmers through improved water use and increased dry season agricultural production. Specific objectives are to determine: existing water resources and sustainable utilisation for irrigation from tanks and groundwater; the socio-economic, structural and institutional constraints to sustainable water use; and evaluate approaches for access to water for irrigation focusing on using renewable technologies and alternate approaches to land tenure and their impact on livelihoods and resilience.