Assessment of interstate virtual water flows embedded in agriculture to mitigate water scarcity in India (1996–2014)

Abstract

AbstractIndia is the largest global freshwater user despite being highly water scarce. Agriculture is largest consumer of water and is most affected by water scarcity. Water scarcity is a persistent challenge in India, due to a gap in science and policy spheres. Virtual Water (VW) flows concept to mitigate water scarcity is at the science‐policy interface. The paper aims to address the gap in VW research in India by first analyzing the interstate VW‐flows embedded in food grains, and then linking these VW‐flows with the water scarcity situation in the states, and elements of state and national water policies for the postreforms, and recovery periods of India's agriculture. There were net water savings (WS) of 207.5 PL during 1996–2014, indicating sustainable flows at the national level. WS increased from 11.2 TL/yr (1996–2005) to 25931.7 TL/yr (2005–2014), with the increase in interstate movement of food grains, and yield. However, unsustainable flows are seen at subnational scale, as VW‐flows are from highly water‐scarce states in North to highly water‐scarce states in West and South. These flows are causing a concentration of water scarcity in water‐scarce zones/states. Net VW imports were found to be driven by larger population and net VW exports by arable land. Further, the absence of state water policy cripples water management. Therefore, the paper argues that there is a need to rethink policy decisions on agriculture at the national and state level by internalizing water as a factor of production, through VW research.