Managing Smallholder Groundwater-dependent Agrarian Socio-ecologies using an Ecosystem Service and Resilience Based Approach Karen G. Villholth 04 - 07 Nov, 2014 WLE ESS&R Workshop Series IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka Workshop Objectives Groundwater and Ecosystem Service and Resilience Framework that supports and facilitates equitable, efficient and sustainable benefits from groundwater in smallholder agrarian systems • To develop a Workshop Objectives • Answer the following questions: – How can an ESS&R approach help inform and support better management of GW and the benefits derived from it? – What is it that we know/don’t know about GW-based ESSs, and interlinkages between GW and ESS? – What are the trade-offs/synergies and critical thresholds for resilience of GW-based ESS and agrarian societies reliant on them (GDASEs)? – What are the (ESSs-based) management interventions and policy measures to enhance sustainable intensification of agrarian GW-based socio-economies? • To develop tangible outputs: – – – – Framework Document on GW Network/think tank Research questions Entry points for research and policy/institutional influence Approach • Interdisciplinary perspectives • Interactive deliberations • Facilitated, but flexible process – Shorter plenary presentations – Breakout sessions – Illustrative field trip • Output-oriented Sessions 1. The GW resource 2. The ES and ESS linked to GW 3. The agrarian systems dependent on GW-derived ESSs 4. Some technical measures to enhance resilience and sustainability 5. The options for management What are we trying to achieve? Agriculture is the largest GW user globally 22% 1 2 67% 3 11% van der Gun (2012) 43% of global food production is produced by groundwater irrigation - of which 32% is from depleting GW Villholth et al., forthcoming In India, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan ˜one billion households depend on GW for agriculture Global GW abstraction ….coincides with…. Unit: mm/yr in 0.5° * 0.5° grid cells van der Gun (2012) ……. Global GW irrigation intensity Siebert et al. (2010) …. and limited renewability of GW GW is often the only alternative for water supply and irrigation in arid and semi-arid areas (rain< 500 mm/year) GW development is unprecedented Shah et al., 2007 .... due to development of technology From the dug well to the deep borehole From the waterwheel to the submersible pump From the water witches to hydrogeology GW has alleviated poverty in India and elsewhere m3/person/10,000 Punjab Haryana Tamil Nadu Gujarat Moench, 2003 Moench, Moench,2003 2003 Blessing ……. ….. and a curse The hidden drought 300 m ! GW foot prints are huge Poor farmers are hit the worst Mukherji and Shah, 2003 Mukherji et al., 2003 GW irrigation intensity varies globally GW irrigated/cultivated land Siebert et al, 2010 Africa ~1 % Asia ~14 % Drivers • Groundwater provides a reliable and suitable irrigation source for smallholders: – – – – – – Ubiquity In-built distribution and storage Better water control All-year irrigation (and income) Drought resilience Individual access and management • Increasing market demand for horticulture crops • Better (and better access to) low-cost pumps and wells • Increasing attention from governments and donors Reasons why GW mgt. is complex • • • • • GW is a common pool resource GW is invisible GW impacts are slow in manifesting Once manifested, difficult to reverse Link between cause and effect not obvious Sustainable level of resource development with acceptable impacts under present conditions Number of wells Total abstraction India, China, Mexico USA? SSA time 0 1 2 3 4 Baseline situation Incipient stress an Significant stress Unsustainable development Sustainable development Availability and accessibility of adequate quality groundwater greatly exceeds small dispersed demand Growth of aquifer pumping, but only few local conflicts between neighboring abstractors Abstraction expanding rapidly with impacts on natural regime and strong dependence of stakeholders on resource Excessive abstraction with irreversible aquifer deterioration and stakeholder conflicts High-level of abstraction, but sound balance between stakeholder interests and ecosystem needs Registration of wells required, together with maps of occurrence of usable resources Simple management tools (e.g. appropriate well-spacing according to aquifer properties) Regulatory framework needed, based on comprehensive assessment Regulatory framework with demand management and/or artificial recharge urgently needed Integrated management with high-level of user self-regulation, aquifer modeling and monitoring WWDR, 2009 WWDR, 2012 Four Categories of Ecosystem Services Provisioning Services Products obtained directly from ecosystems •Food •Fresh water •Fuel •Wood, Fiber, Medicine Photo: Tracy Baker, IWMI Regulating Services Benefits obtained by regulating ecosystem processes •Climate regulation •Flood regulation •Disease regulation •Water purification Photo: Matthew McCartney, IWMI Cultural Services Material and nonmaterial ecosystems benefits •Aesthetic •Spiritual •Educational •Recreational Photo: Joseph King, TAMUS Supporting Services Services necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services: Soil Formation Nutrient Cycling Primary production MEA 2006 What’s New? • Water supply = ES provisioning service! • ESS&R framework, new name for old ideas of environmental protection but takes into account the socio-economics • GW increasingly acknowledged • Not applied to GDASEs (Groundwaterdependent Agrarian Socio-ecologies) GW-associated ESSs • GW underpins most ESs and ESSs: – Wetlands, springs, riparian areas, coastal and estuarine zones, terrestrial vegetation, low flow river systems, aquifer and cave ecosystems – Value associated with these systems is huge – GW not just providing drinking water and freshwater for other human uses GW-dependant ESs (GDEs) 1. Ecosystems dependant on the surface expression of groundwater, for example springs, streams, and wetlands 2. Ecosystems dependent on the subsurface presence of GW, for example where vegetation has roots accessing GW 3. Ecosystems within aquifers Progression in understanding • GW is part of the hydrological cycle! • GW and SW are linked • Many surface water bodies are GWdependent • ESSs are broader than GDEs • The GW system is itself an ES and provides significant services and is vulnerable to changes GW and ESSs Discharge Recharge Lake Wetland River Spring Ocean/estuary Land use Climate (change) Waste handling Flood regulation Erosion regulation Soil formation Phreatophyte ESSs: Storage and retention Biodiversity WQ modification/pollution control Nutrient cycling Sub-surface stability Temperature regulation Scales and various systems Mapping of ESSs Pagella & Sinclair, 2014 Quick limits to GW use Sustainable intensification Sustainable intensification UNEP, 2011 Sustainable intensification ….Path C UNEP, 2011 Effect of deforestation • Can increase or decrease recharge: – Decrease recharge, if soil becomes more crusted and impermeable – Increase recharge, if new vegetation cover transpired less water Managing what? • • • • • ESs? ESSs? GW? Managing trade-offs? People interacting with ESs and GW? We have to turn this… …into this Multi-ism • • • • Multiple resources Multi-scales Multi-purposes Multi-stakeholders Thank you! Contact: Karen Villholth k.villholth@cgiar.org