Policy Consultations Initiatives

Proposed Policy Consultations Initiatives with other NRM agencies and Govt.

ITP is expected to be engaged in policy research as distinct from disinterested scientific research. Thus, it is expected to produce more discernible impacts on policies and through that on those for whom the policies are made. At the same time, it is known that the causal path to policy changes is unpredictable and complex. This task is complicated in India due to the fact that water is a State subject under Constitution of India and hence locus of policy making lies in twenty nine State capitals making the task logistically complex and expensive. Thus ITP can at best make efforts to cause changes in relevant policies in desired directions. Very little assurance of success in being able to bring about changes in the policies can be asserted.

The efforts at policy influencing can be frittered away unless they are focused on the most pressing and key messages about changes that need to be brought about. ITP proposes that during the next 3 years of the project, efforts will be made to influence State policies in four or five different subjects.

In this connection, the following policy initiatives/interventions using completed as well as ongoing programs will be initiated:

  • Valuation and subsidy calculation in the water sector
  • Overall irrigation development- trends and opportunities
  • Future irrigation investment options and returns to investment
  • Virtual water trade – inter state and intra-state options
  • Groundwater pumping and energy nexus for power sector reforms
  • Tank irrigation system rehabilitation strategies
  • Developing decision support system for watershed management
  • Technology transfer and upkeep

The work on policy influencing will involve the following:

  • Preparation of policy briefs, dissemination of these briefs to relevant administrative, political and user groups/organizations,
  • Providing information to the user groups,
  • Helping formulate memoranda and assisting State functionaries respond etc,
  • Educating the State functionaries by organizing workshops, field visits etc. in selected states on selected themes.
  • Linking with the ongoing programs and offering technical support both at central and state level. ITP will be planning to involve with the FPARP being implemented in 23 states by way of providing technical support in working out the productivity of water.

Atleast 5 policy advocacy will be initiated during 2008-09 involving the experts, officials and researchers using the already completed ITP works relating to the concerned states. ITP will first make a summary of works done in the states and will write to the concerned officials to sensitize them about the work done. The ITP team along with the ITP partners in the state will visit the irrigation departments in the concerned states and initiate the dialogue.

The other work that will be taken up during the next three years relates to consolidation of past work, collaborating with IWMI colleagues in the Challenge Programme projects, and responding to sponsored research and consultancy requests particularly where they lead to the possibilities of improving impacts or in influencing policies.