Chief Investigator: A/Prof Hector Malano
Australian Centre For International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Research & Development Programs

Project ID: LWR/2007/113
Project Budget: $1,298,988
Project Duration: 2010-2014

Collaborating Institutions:
International Water Management Institute, India
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, India
The Energy and Resources Institute, India
Project Summary: Scientists predict that the long-term impacts of climate change and watershed development (WSD) on water security - in individual catchments and in the whole of the basins - will be severe in many river basins worldwide, including the Krishna and the Murray-Darling basins. Already the Krishna river basin is closing as a result of the combined impacts of vast irrigation developments over the past 50 years and extensive WSD programs promoted by the Indian Government. By the year 2100 some predict that India will experience a 3-5oC increase in average temperature and the Krishna basin will experience a 20% decline in precipitation. Accordingly, runoff in the Krishna basin would decline 30-50%. Thus achieving the desired level of agricultural growth will be challenging. This project will assess the potential impacts of WSD and climate change on the long-term water security for agriculture in the Krishna river basin and compare the findings with the forecast impacts and adaptation strategies in the Murray-Darling basin. The assessment will help to ascertain how well these strategies can support future food production and the concomitant effects they may have on farmer's livelihoods.