Water Security and Management: Ecological Imperatives and Policy Options

Based on the author’s work on four important aspects of irrigation management—canals, tanks, wells, and water pollution—this study highlights the linkages between different sources of irrigation as well as approaches to irrigation management that argue for an integrated approach for achieving water security. The study emanates from intensive field research covering different agro-climatic locations in Andhra Pradesh, and the results demonstrate that water security is indispensable for addressing inter- and intra-regional inequalities in development, sustaining the ecological balance, and preventing food shortages and environmental degradation.