Project final report

Water management for small-holder farmers-Outscaling ACIAR research in Andhra Pradesh Drought Mitigation Program - Final Report

Date released
17 July 2023
ISBN
978-1-922983-37-4
Publication Code
FR2023-034
Authors

M van Wensveen, U Nidumolu, PD Patil and M Ramachandrudu, R Adusumilli, B Cooper, M Driver, S Dyer, P Hayman, B Maheshwari, R Stirzaker, G Vadakattu, A Banerjee

Overview

This project aimed to build staff capacity for effective rainfed agriculture water management through strategic irrigation, groundwater management, climate risk analysis, and efficiency.

The project, funded by the Australian Water Partnership, ACIAR, and CSIRO, aims to empower 1.4 million Indian farmers in rainfed areas to optimise their water use. Launched in November 2020, it was completed in March 2023, with learning workshops adapting to online delivery and collaboration due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Despite COVID-19 risks and restrictions, factors contributing to its success included contextualising tools and training, adaptive project management, established and networked partners, and planning and resourcing expansion. Iterative improvements in training content and delivery, and modifications to applications based on context, enhanced relevance to participants. The project also benefited from a clear vision and strategy for scaling and knowledge transfer, recognising and exploring unexpected expansion opportunities.

View the project page