Presented by IWMI's Alok Sikka at the 3rd International Conference on the Status of Future of the World's Large Rivers, April 18 - 21, 2017, New Dheli, India.

1. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Alok K Sikka,
Prasun Gangopadhyay and Bharat Sharma
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
CG Block C, NASC Complex DPS Marg, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012, INDIA
Stakeholders’ Involvement for Mainstreaming UTFI in
Programs and Policies of the Government of India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.

2. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
• Climate variability and change
impacting water availability
• Vulnerability is high as 58% Net
Sown Area is rainfed
Building climate resilience through water management is a major challenge
• Diversion of water for irrigation likely
to reduce from 83% to 72% by 2025
• Groundwater contributes 61% to
irrigation
• Low Irrigation Efficiency
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
1. Water Scenario: India

3. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
2. Climate Change & Water Resources
• Climate change impacts hydrology,
water resources availability and
irrigation
• Likely Shift in the timing or
seasonality of stream flow with
regional imbalances
• High intensity rainfall events leading
to floods, soil erosion and
sedimentation
• Frequent and severe droughts
• Warming increases the evaporative
demand and crop water requirement
• Heavy rainfall events and reduced
number of rainy days influence
ground water recharge pattern
Source: NICRA-ICAR
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.

4. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
3. Rationale of UTFI Approach in Indian Scenario
• India - major producer of water intensive
crops e.g. rice, sugarcane
• 60% of irrigated agriculture and 85% of
drinking water - ground water dependent
• With current trends, in next 20 years about
60% of India’s aquifers will be in a critical
condition
• In 5723 ground water assessment units:
Over-exploited – 14.7% , Critical – 3.9%,
Semi-critical – 9.6%
• Seasonal and perennial floods cause
economic loss of $7.5 billion annually
• UTFI- a win-win situation for transforming
floods into groundwater and building
resilience to climate change
Source: CGWB, FAO, World Bank, UNISDR
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
India
Uttar Pradesh
Western
Uttar Pradesh

5. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
• For a 100 days of monsoon with an
uninterrupted water flow, this system
can generate 5.5 lakh (0.55 Mil) m3
water, sufficient to irrigate 137 ha @
40 cm depth in dry season.
• A cluster approach required for
mainstreaming at developmental
scale to reap the full benefits of UTFI
• Integration with relevant ongoing
government programs is needed to
put UTFI in practice
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
4. Observations from UTFI Pilot Site
Before
After

6. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
• Government programs that are
focused on harvesting water to
improve livelihood by providing
community managed simple solutions
and mitigate adverse climatic
conditions are perfect match for UTFI
• “Mainstreaming Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) in Development
Plans” is a viable choice to integrate
UTFI in ongoing programs
• UTFI is also a perfect match for
watershed management programs
with a focus on cluster of micro-
watersheds.
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
5. Mainstreaming UTFI for a Resilient Community
1
• Integrating with
development plans
2
• Execution through
ongoing programs
3
• Resilient
Community

7. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
6. Goverment Programs and UTFI: Few Examples
PMKSY
MGNREGARKVY
• PMKSY - Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
• enhance the physical access of water
• enhance recharge of aquifers
• RKVY - Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
• reducing the yield gaps in important
crops, through focused interventions
• MGNREGA – Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act
• harvesting rainwater to improve
livelihood
• providing community managed low tech
solutions

8. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
• Interaction and discussion
with the community
• Explained purpose and
expected impacts
• Active support requested
from community
• A Memorandum of
Agreement was signed
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
7. Stakeholders’ Consultation: Community Level
Consultation with villagers
MoA was
signed
between
community
and IWMI

9. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
8. Stakeholders’ Consultation: District and State Level
Consultation with CDO, Rampur• Discussions at different levels -
District Magistrate (DM),
Engineers of Irrigation and Canal
Departments
• District administration
supportive and provided
necessary support to implement
• DM recommended UTFI to
State Agency of Integrated
Watershed Management
Program (IWMP)
• State Minor Irrigation
Department also sensitized

10. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
9. Community Participation
• Post implementation
village meeting was
organized
• Community showed
interest and involved in
site beautification/slope
stabilization

11. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
10. Uptake of UTFI Concept at District Level
• Preliminary results were
shared with DM and other
Authorities
• Village community with
active support from
district administration was
engaged to site renovation
through MGNREGA
• This is testimony to
uptake by local
administration

12. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
11. Uptake of UTFI Concept at State Level
• District Irrigation Plan
(DIP), prepared under
PMKSY program has
adopted UTFI
• A total of 50 sites are
proposed in DIP with a
focus on the development
blocks falling under the
category of critical to over-
exploited groundwater

13. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
12. Uptake of UTFI Concept by Central Government
Agencies
Members from CGWB and NWM
Researcher from ICAR
• Members of Central
Groundwater Board &
National Water Mission and
researchers from Indian
Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) visited the
UTFI site
• Appreciated the effort and
showed interest to adopt
UTFI as an efficient
groundwater recharge
intervention

14. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
14. Sensitization at Center Level
• National Water Mission (NWM) focusses on
“conservation of water, minimizing wastage
and ensuring its more equitable distribution
both across and within States through
integrated water resources development and
management”.
• Research proposal developed and submitted
to NWM:
• demonstrate & test UTFI in wider
geographical areas
• evaluate technical, social, economic,
and environmental performance of
UTFI as a basis for recommendations
for replication at regional scale.

15. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
15. UTFI in Media

16. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Sikka, A., Gangopadhyay, P. and Sharma, B.
16. Way forward
• Provide evidence based solutions for
moderating flood and enhancing
groundwater recharge to depleted
aquifers in suitable areas
• Evaluate technical, social, economic,
and environmental performance of
UTFI as a basis for recommendations
for replication at regional scale
• Continued engagement with
stakeholders for mainstreaming and
enhanced uptake

17. 3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Thank you!
a.sikka@cgiar.org
utfi.iwmi.org