Economics Seminar-"Recent Trends in Groundwater Use in South Asia: The Role of Technology and Water-Energy- Food-Poverty Nexus Tradeoffs"

South Asian countries aim to correct water and energy prices in groundwater irrigation, improve groundwater irrigation efficiency, and ‘rationalize’ quantity of groundwater used in irrigation, but without making poor smallholder farmers worse off. A limited understanding of the tradeoffs between efficiency gains and welfare impacts on smallholders has stymied practical policymaking on groundwater pricing. This seminar identifies knowledge gaps in the water-energy-food- technology-poverty nexus where researchers and policymakers can collaborate to generate evidence for informed decision-making. The questions raised in this seminar are relevant for other geographies where groundwater-dependent agriculture with subsidized water and energy continues to be an important source of income and livelihoods for the rural poor.