Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Benefits of Reviving Indigenous Water Conservation Practices for Drought Resilience in Red and Lateritic Zones of West Bengal, India

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Indigenous and Local Water Knowledge, Values and Practices

  • 287 Accesses

Abstract

Water conservation practices have a fundamental role in facilitating irrigation and groundwater recharge in drought-prone regions. The present research aimed to determine benefits of indigenous water conservation (IWC) practices—tanks, dug wells, and ditches—in Kashipur and Chhatna blocks of Purulia and Bankura districts belonging to the red and lateritic zones (RLZ) of West Bengal, India. The household survey and focus group discussions were conducted on a total of 460 households (Kashipur, 150, and Chhatna, 310), which were selected by utilizing a stratified sampling method that covered 36 villages of the blocks. The analysis revealed that IWC structures along with the promotion of scientific cropping practices have provided supplementary water supply for micro-irrigation, increased cropping intensity, crop variability and rotation, and benefitted crop production—especially in drought and drought-like situations. As a result, income from agriculture has enhanced. Livestock ownership and income from livestock also improved due to increased water and feed availability supported by IWC structures. In all the study villages, additional water supply led to the adoption of nutrition gardening and revival of indigenous crops. This, in turn, ensured food and nutrition security and improvement in vegetable and fruit consumption and also led to a reduction in hunger days. The fundamental impacts of the IWC structures with scientific cropping techniques including the promotion of double cropping, nutrition gardening, indigenous crops, animal husbandry, and backyard fishery in ditches emerged as potential livelihood options. The present study suggests increasing community participation in the implementation of these structures, adoption of mixed cropping and multi-cropping practices, and up-scaling these multi-stakeholder approaches can continue to secure livelihoods and drought resilience in the RLZ, paving pathways for the adaptation of the marginalized communities to climate change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adimassu, Z., Langan, S., Johnston, R., Mekuria, W., & Amede, T. (2017). Impacts of soil and water conservation practices on crop yield, run-off, soil loss and nutrient loss in Ethiopia: Review and synthesis. Environmental Management, 59(1), 87–101.

    Article  ADS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adjimoti, G. O., & Kwadzo, G. T. M. (2018). Crop diversification and household food security status: Evidence from rural Benin. Agriculture & Food Security, 7(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauri, K., Gorai, P., & Modak, B. K. (2020). Indigenous Knowledge and Practices on Water Conservation and Management in Purulia District, West Bengal. Journal of Environment and Sociobiology, 17(1), 89–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhunia, P., Das, P., & Maiti, R. (2020). Meteorological drought study through SPI in three drought prone districts of West Bengal, India. Earth Systems and Environment, 4(1), 43–55.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Boers, T. M., & Ben-Asher, J. (1982). A review of rainwater harvesting. Agricultural Water Management, 5(2), 145–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouma, J. A., Hegde, S. S., & Lasage, R. (2016). Assessing the returns to water harvesting: A meta-analysis. Agricultural Water Management, 163, 100–109.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan, B. S., Mahajan, G., Randhawa, R. K., Singh, H., & Kang, M. S. (2014). Global warming and its possible impact on agriculture in India. Advances in Agronomy, 123, 65–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, W. G. (1977). Sampling techniques. Wiley.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Critchley, W., Siegert, K., Chapman, C., & Finkel, M. (1991). Water harvesting. A manual for the design and construction of water harvesting schemes for plant production. FAO report 9210403, Rome, 133 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Croke, B., Cornish, P., Choudhry, K., Kharmakar, D., Chakraborty, A., Islam, A., & Khan, M. A. (2012). Water harvesting and better cropping systems for the benefit of small farmers in watersheds of the East India Plateau. Water Practice and Technology, 7(1), wpt2012019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deora, S., & Nanore, G. (2019). Socio economic impacts of Doha Model water harvesting structures in Jalna, Maharashtra. Agricultural Water Management, 221, 141–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frasier, G. W. (1980). Harvesting water for agricultural, wildlife, and domestic uses. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 35(3), 125–128.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goel, A. K., & Kumar, R. (2005). Economic analysis of water harvesting in a mountainous watershed in India. Agricultural Water Management, 71(3), 257–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC. (2021). Climate change 2021: The physical science basis. In V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, A. Pirani, S. L. Connors, C. Pean, S. Berger, N. Caud, Y. Chen, et al. (Eds.), Contribution of working group I to the sixth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (p. 1300). Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jebamalar, A., & Ravikumar, G. (2011). A comparative analysis of hydrologic responses to rainwater harvesting-a case study. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 4(1), 34–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia, L., Zhao, W., Zhai, R., Liu, Y., Kang, M., & Zhang, X. (2019). Regional differences in the soil and water conservation efficiency of conservation tillage in China. Catena, 175, 18–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, C., Zhang, H., Wang, X., Feng, Y., & Labzovskii, L. (2019). Challenging the land degradation in China’s Loess Plateau: Benefits, limitations, sustainability, and adaptive strategies of soil and water conservation. Ecological Engineering, 127, 135–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, J. M., & Sanghi, N. K. (1992). Indigenous soil and water conservation in India’s semi-arid tropics. IIED International Institute for Environment and Development, Sustainable Agriculture Programme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan, S. A., Kumar, S., Hussain, M. Z., & Kalra, N. (2009). Climate change, climate variability and Indian agriculture: Impacts vulnerability and adaptation strategies. In Climate Change and Crops (pp. 19–38). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, M. D. (2016). Water saving and yield enhancing micro irrigation technologies in India: Theory and practice. In Micro irrigation systems in India (pp. 13–36). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S., Ramilan, T., Ramarao, C. A., Rao, C. S., & Whitbread, A. (2016). Farm level rainwater harvesting across different agro climatic regions of India: Assessing performance and its determinants. Agricultural Water Management, 176, 55–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S., Singh, D. R., Singh, A., Singh, N. P., & Jha, G. K. (2020). Does adoption of soil and water conservation practice enhance productivity and reduce risk exposure? empirical evidence from semi-arid tropics (SAT), India. Sustainability, 12(17), 6965.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, S., Singh, D. R., & Kumar, A. (2021). Understanding soil and water conservation benefits adoption paradox in drought prone areas of Karnataka, India through financial viability: Case of field bunds. Indian Journal of Soil Conservation, 49(1), 32–37.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kunze, D. (2000). Economic assessment of water harvesting techniques: A demonstration of various methods. Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, 39(1), 69–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasage, R., & Verburg, P. H. (2015). Evaluation of small scale water harvesting techniques for semi-arid environments. Journal of Arid Environments, 118, 48–57.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, X. Y. (2000). Soil and water conservation in arid and semi-arid areas: The Chinese experience. Annals of Arid Zone, 39(4), 377–394.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Malik, R. P. S., Giordano, M., & Sharma, V. (2014). Examining farm-level perceptions, costs, and benefits of small water harvesting structures in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. Agricultural Water Management, 131, 204–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen, M. (2021). Impacts of soil and water conservation practices after half of a generation age, northwest highlands of Ethiopia. Soil and Tillage Research, 205, 104755.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mekuriaw, A., Heinimann, A., Zeleke, G., & Hurni, H. (2018). Factors influencing the adoption of physical soil and water conservation practices in the Ethiopian highlands. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 6(1), 23–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mihret, D. A., Dagnew, D. C., Guzman, C. D., Alemie, T. C., Zegeye, A. D., Tebebu, T. Y., et al. (2020). A nine-year study on the benefits and risks of soil and water conservation practices in the humid highlands of Ethiopia: The Debris Maui watershed. Journal of Environmental Management, 270, 110885.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, A. K., & Desai, V. R. (2005). Drought forecasting using stochastic models. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 19(5), 326–339.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, P. K., Parey, A., Saha, B., Samaddar, A., Bhowmik, T. S., Kaviraj, A., & Saha, S. (2021). Performance analysis of composite carp culture policies in drought prone district Purulia in West Bengal, India. Aquaculture, 544, 737018.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, P. K., Parey, A., Saha, B., Samaddar, A., Chakraborty, S., Kaviraj, A., et al. (2022). Production analysis of composite fish culture in drought prone areas of Purulia: The implication of financial constraint. Aquaculture, 548, 737629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, P. K., & Rai, S. C. (2014). A cost–benefit analysis of indigenous soil and water conservation measures in Sikkim Himalaya, India. Mountain Research and Development, 34(1), 27–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, P., Rai, A., & Rai, S. (2019). Agronomic Measures In Traditional Soil And Water Conservation Practices In The Sikkim Himalaya, India. American Research Journal of Agriculture, 5, 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitiku, H., Herweg, K. G., & Stillhardt, B. (2006). Sustainable land management: A new approach to soil and water conservation in Ethiopia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naveena, K. P., Shivaraj, S., & Nithin, G. P. (2019). Food security and income stability with soil and water conservation practice in Hebburu Sub-Watershed Tumkur, Karnataka. Journal of Krishi Vigyan, 7(2), 125–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NBSS & LUP Publication. (2006). Manual Soil-Site Suitability Criteria for Major Crops. Technical Bulletin, 129, 3–4, 47–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ngetich, K. F., Diels, J., Shisanya, C. A., Mugwe, J. N., Mucheru-Muna, M., & Mugendi, D. N. (2014). Effects of selected soil and water conservation techniques on runoff, sediment yield and maize productivity under sub-humid and semi-arid conditions in Kenya. Catena, 121, 288–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ngigi, S. N., Rockström, J., & Savenije, H. H. (2006). Assessment of rainwater retention in agricultural land and crop yield increase due to conservation tillage in Ewaso Ng’iro river basin, Kenya. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C, 31(15–16), 910–918.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Nyagumbo, I., Nyamadzawo, G., & Madembo, C. (2019). Effects of three in-field water harvesting technologies on soil water content and maize yields in a semi-arid region of Zimbabwe. Agricultural Water Management, 216, 206–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ouessar, M., Sghaier, M., Mahdhi, N., Abdelli, F., De Graaff, J., Chaieb, H., et al. (2004). An integrated approach for impact assessment of water harvesting techniques in dry areas: The case of Oued Oum Zessar watershed (Tunisia). Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 99(1), 127–140.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palchaudhuri, M., & Biswas, S. (2020). Application of LISS III and MODIS-derived vegetation indices for assessment of micro-level agricultural drought. The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science, 23(2), 221–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pande, V. C., Kurothe, R. S., Singh, H. B., & Tiwari, S. P. (2011). Incentives for soil and water conservation on farms in ravines of Gujarat: Policy implications for future adoption. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 24(347-2016-16883), 109–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandey, S. (2012). Patterns of adoption of improved rice varieties and farm-level impacts in stress-prone rainfed areas in South Asia. International Rice Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pani, A., Ghatak, I., & Mishra, P. (2021). Understanding the water conservation and management in India: An integrated study. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 7(5), 1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pani, A., & Mishra, P. (2021). Hapa irrigation for promoting sustainable agricultural intensification: Experience from Bankura district of India. GeoJournal, 86(1), 109–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pant, N., & Verma, R. (2010). Tanks in Eastern India: A study in exploration. International Water Management Institute, IWMI-TATA Water Policy Research Program, Centre for Development Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pender, J. L., & Kerr, J. M. (1998). Determinants of farmers’ indigenous soil and water conservation investments in semi-arid India. Agricultural Economics, 19(1–2), 113–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pretty, J. N., & Shah, P. (1997). Making soil and water conservation sustainable: From coercion and control to partnerships and participation. Land Degradation and Development, 8(1), 39–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prinz, D., & Singh, A. (2000). Technological potential for improvements of water harvesting. Gutachten für die World Commission on Dams, Technical papers 126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, C. S., Lal, R., Prasad, J. V., Gopinath, K. A., Singh, R., Jakkula, V. S., et al. (2015). Potential and challenges of rainfed farming in India. Advances in Agronomy, 133, 113–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renganayaki, S. P., & Elango, L. (2013). A review on managed aquifer recharge by check dams: A case study near Chennai, India. International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology, 2(4), 416–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rockstrom, J. (2002). Potential of rainwater harvesting to reduce pressure on Freshwater resources. Dialogue on water. Food and Environment. International Water Conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, S., & Hazra, S. (2020). Monthly drought assessment and early warning for Droughts in Purulia District of West Bengal. Indian Ground Water, xv, 7–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy, S., Hazra, S., & Chanda, A. (2022). Identifying rainwater harvesting structure sites using MCDM based GIS approach: A mitigation measure for drought in sub-humid red and lateritic zones of West Bengal, India. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 15, 784. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-10077-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, S., Hazra, S., Chanda, A., & Das, S. (2020). Assessment of groundwater potential zones using multi-criteria decision-making technique: A micro-level case study from red and lateritic zone (RLZ) of West Bengal, India. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 6(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sahoo, D. C., Madhu, M., Adhikary, P. P., Dash, C. J., Sahu, S. S., & Devi, S. (2017). Adoption behaviour of different soil and water conservation measures among tribal farmers of Gajapati, Odisha.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, N. P., Bantilan, M. C. S., Byjesh, K., & Murty, M. V. R. (2012). Adapting to climate change in agriculture: Building resiliency with an effective policy frame in SAT India.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivanappan, R. K. (1997, June). State of the art in the area of water harvesting in semi arid parts of the world. In Workshop on water harvesting for supplementary irrigation of staple food crops in rainfed agriculture. Stockholm University.

    Google Scholar 

  • SIWI. (2001). Water harvesting for upgrading rain fed agriculture: Problem analysis and research needs. SIWI Report 11. Stockholm (101 p.).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sur, H. S., Bhardwaj, A., & Jindal, P. K. (2001). Performance evaluation and impact assessment of a small water-harvesting structure in the Shivalik foothills of northern India. American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 16(3), 124–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tesfamariam, B. Y., Owusu-Sekyere, E., Emmanuel, D., & Elizabeth, T. B. (2018). The impact of the homestead food garden programme on food security in South Africa. Food Security, 10(1), 95–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNEP. (1997). Source Book of Alternative Technologies for Fresh Water Augmentation in Latin America and the Caribbean. International Environmental Technology Centre, United Nations Environment Programme.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkateswarlu, B., & Singh, A. K. (2015). Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in rainfed agriculture. In Climate change modelling, planning and policy for agriculture (pp. 1–11). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolka, K., Mulder, J., & Biazin, B. (2018). Effects of soil and water conservation techniques on crop yield, runoff and soil loss in Sub-Saharan Africa: A review. Agricultural Water Management, 207, 67–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study was sponsored by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, India (NABARD), from the Climate Adaptation Fund (AFB/PPRC 15/12) through the Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC), Kolkata. The authors are grateful for the financial and logistic support. The author (S. Roy) is thankful to Jadavpur University, India, for providing her the State Fellowship. We are also grateful to the farming community of Kashipur and Chhatna blocks for their kind cooperation and active participation during the field data collection and surveys.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Sabita Roy, Rahi Soren & Sugata Hazra

Authors
  1. Sabita Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rahi Soren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sugata Hazra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Laboratory of Sustainable Rural Development, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

    Mrittika Basu

  2. Integrated Sustainability Centre, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Hayama, Kanagawa, Japan

    Rajarshi DasGupta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Roy, S., Soren, R., Hazra, S. (2023). Benefits of Reviving Indigenous Water Conservation Practices for Drought Resilience in Red and Lateritic Zones of West Bengal, India. In: Basu, M., DasGupta, R. (eds) Indigenous and Local Water Knowledge, Values and Practices. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-9406-7_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation