Increase the resilience of agricultural systems in India to severe droughts
Country/Site
India
1.Problem Definition
Are there clear complex challenges (wicked problems) that require a systemic and interdisciplinary approach?
Several districts across India have long grappled with deeply interconnected agricultural and environmental challenges erratic and shifting rainfall patterns, rapidly depleting groundwater, acute seasonal water scarcity, seasonal flooding and ongoing soil degradation. These issues do not occur in isolation; they compound one another and directly affect the stability of local food systems. With fragmented landholdings averaging only 1–2 hectares, smallholder farmers face persistent difficulties in maintaining both productivity and profitability. Together, these complex, overlapping pressures call for a systemic and interdisciplinary approach that combines hydrology, agronomy, soil science, engineering, socio-economics, and institutional strengthening to achieve sustainable and lasting improvements.
2. Disciplinary strength
Are there previous studies with strong disciplinary research and development efforts and main issues and single component options identified?
A multidisciplinary team of scientists at ICRISAT including hydrologists, engineers, agronomists, economists and gender specialists are involved and collaborate with farmers communities, producer organisations (FPOs) and government departments. They designed and implemented the most prioritized interventions, focusing on sustainable soil, water management, improved cropping strategies, diversification, and market integration. Several benchmarking landscapes ranging from 1000 ha to 25,000 ha have been developed in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha by integrating multidisciplinary scientific knowledge.
3. Data richness
Have previous and current R&D activities generated sufficient specific or disciplinary data?
Intensive data collection is ongoing in several districts in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Maharashtra, and Odisha. Special focus have given to characterize landscape hydrology (e.g., automatic monitoring of groundwater levels, surface runoff and soil moisture), farming systems productivity, and various mapping various ecosystem services generated and rural livelihoods.
4. Development partnership
Are there partner institutions engaged in developing the region through socio-technical innovations?
ICRISAT has partnered Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur; ICAR-CAFRI; Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), the Department of Agriculture, State Governments of Uttar Pradesh in this initiative.
5. National investment plans aligned
Are there national investment plans aligned or prioritized?
Multiple national investment programs in India are strongly aligned with the need for improved water management and landscape restoration. Major public welfare initiatives such as PMKSY–WDC 3.0, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the State Disaster Management Authorities are actively channeling resources toward water conservation, watershed development, and climate-resilience planning and ICRISAT led benchmarking sites have played important role in providing policy guidance. For example, NDMA guidelines now explicitly promote area-based planning for water and disaster risk management, reflecting lessons and evidence emerging from ongoing field initiatives. Similarly, PMKSY–WDC 3.0 is being refined to incorporate components for river rejuvenation and to prioritize the renovation and strengthening of traditional water bodies, again drawing on successful pilots and demonstrated impacts from these initiatives.Additionally, national technical guidelines currently under development for integrating Land Resource Inventory (LRI) and hydrology into watershed development plans are also informed by these experiences. Together, these policy updates show a clear alignment between national investment priorities and the need for holistic, systems-oriented water and land management interventions.
6. Representativeness
Is the case study representative of a wider region or other sites?
The use case reflects India’s broader national priority of improving water management and strengthening water availability for landscape restoration and agricultural productivity. The selected sites span key dryland regions across central, southern, and northern India collectively representing about 80 million hectares of dryland agroecosystems (e.g., Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Bihar).
8. Donor interest
Are there donors interested in specific region/issue and prioritized for investment?
A range of donors, including government agencies, CSR initiatives, and international development partners are showing strong interest in addressing water scarcity and supporting system-level transformations in agriculture. Their investments increasingly target region-specific challenges. For example, in Odisha, donors are focusing on the persistent issue of rice–fallow systems and the need to enhance year-round agricultural productivity. In Maharashtra, concerns about declining groundwater tables and the rising cost of cultivation have become major priorities for investment. Across central India, donors are responding to the combined pressures of water scarcity, land degradation, migration, and low agricultural productivity. This growing attention reflects a broader recognition that sustainable water management is essential for resilient livelihoods, improved natural resource health, and long-term rural development.