Groundwater irrigation plays a critical role in supporting food security, rural livelihoods and economic development in South Asia. However, in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP) region (including Nepal, Bangladesh and Eastern India) many farmers lack access to affordable groundwater supply. Inability to fully exploit available groundwater resources contributes to the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to monsoon variability and dry spells, leading to crop failures and chronic low agricultural productivity in the region. To tackle this challenge, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the University of Manchester are working together to address the root causes of inefficiencies within existing groundwater irrigation systems and develop systematic solutions to support irrigation intensification and climate change adaptation.

Read the full Agrilinks article here.