Investing in agricultural water management to benefit smallholder farmers in West Bengal, India

This working paper summarizes research conducted as part of the AgWater Solutions Project in West Bengal between 2009 and 2012. Agriculture is the main livelihood for 70% of West Bengal’s population of 91 million. The state’s high population density and low per capita landholding make it important for farmers to grow two to three crops a year for survival, hence the critical role of agricultural water management. Researchers from the AgWater Solutions Project conducted studies on rainwater harvesting with small ponds (known locally as hapas), improving access to groundwater through rural electrification and diesel subsidies, and the adoption dynamics of agricultural water management technologies.