The research questions

• What is the history of agriculture and water use development in the Krishna basin since the 1850s and how have past patterns impacted the present situation of water scarcity conditions?
• What is the geography of informal and formal institutional adjustments and agrarian change that have been developed at any level to address a changing waterscape and how do these arrangements at different levels interact and, in turn, impact water resources availability and use.
• What policy measures and interventions could be taken to satisfy future water demand and minimize water conflicts both at spatial and inter-sectoral level?

Objectives

To identifying and understand the drivers and the geography of institutional arrangements and agrarian changes in the Krishna Basin in the light of basin closure (over-allocation of water resources).

Methods

The analysis is based on the application of concepts and methods in political geography and political economy. A literature review of political geography [ecology, economy] of river basins in semi-arid areas contextualizes the particular case of the Krishna Basin. Further bibliographic studies and extensive secondary data collection (e.g. historical series of land use and agricultural statistics at the mandal (sub-district level); historical series of hydrological data on stream and canal flows, analysis of newspaper issues, of laws and by-laws..) will allow the description of the geography and the political drivers of past and current water allocations practices as well as long-term agrarian changes observed in the Krishna basin. Primary data collection, notably in large scale irrigation projects which are larger water users in the Krishna Basin (farmers, engineers, farmers' representatives.) and governmental offices (interviews with governmental employees) should allow a description of the geography and the political drivers of recent adjustments developed at any level in the face of changes in water availability and of growing interactions between users and uses. Details of the methodology will be elaborated as the study progresses.

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