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Linking Water and Energy Sectors for Sustainable Groundwater Use

Presented By: Christopher Scott from the United States Agency for International Assistance, Global Environment Center Water Team

Date: October 19, 2000

Summary: There was a USAID initiative to address cross-sectoral (water and energy) linkages in India. This initiative has significant implications for water management in Latin America, specifically areas with significant groundwater extraction. In India, half of all water utilized in irrigation comes from groundwater. Agricultural pumping accounts for 30% of all electrical power consumed in India and accounts for less than 5% of electrical utility revenues. Power is not available on demand, so when power is available agriculture oversizes the pumps. There is both an agricultural and urban component to be considered when analyzing the nexus between water and energy. Agriculture disproportionately bears load shedding, and the erratic power supply leads to increased pumping. There is a significant rural “vote bank” that affects national energy and water policy. The urban sector ends up subsidizing agricultural energy consumption. There is water and wastewater swapping potential. Water sector and energy sector policies should be coordinated, which can be done by improving power supply reliability (have farmers pay more for better power service or off peak supply to agriculture), by increasing revenues from agricultural consumers.

Significant groundwater overdraft is occurring in Mexico. Limiting withdrawals has been attempted through the sizing of transformers. However, there has been little explicit coordination between water and power authorities to more effectively address the issue. There is a promising new initiative: Comités Técnicos de Aguas (COTAS).

Comments: Short minutes and the power point presentation are on file. These provide only a skeleton of the presentation as described above.

 

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