Statistics show that it is largely in the developing nations that large scale resource utilisation has jumped upwards in the last decade with increasing global growth and trade. The direct linkages between becoming consumers and suppliers rather than depending on grants and loans to manage the economy is a major change that is yet to be fully mapped.
As Yasmin Siddiqi Principal Water Resources Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department points out in her blog:
'More than one-third of the world’s 303 million hectares irrigated area is served by groundwater, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Of this, over 70% is in Asia, and India consumes the largest amount of groundwater, over a quarter of the global total. Pumping groundwater is hugely energy-intensive – Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan annually pump about 210–250 km3 of groundwater, consuming almost 70 billion kilowatts per hour annually, close to $4 billion. There are also climate impacts, such as in India, where lifting water for irrigation alone can contribute up to 6% of total national greenhouse gas emissions.'
As Yasmin Siddiqi Principal Water Resources Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department points out in her blog:
'More than one-third of the world’s 303 million hectares irrigated area is served by groundwater, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Of this, over 70% is in Asia, and India consumes the largest amount of groundwater, over a quarter of the global total. Pumping groundwater is hugely energy-intensive – Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan annually pump about 210–250 km3 of groundwater, consuming almost 70 billion kilowatts per hour annually, close to $4 billion. There are also climate impacts, such as in India, where lifting water for irrigation alone can contribute up to 6% of total national greenhouse gas emissions.'
The data available internationally has improved, big data feeds will further improve accuracy and forecasting. Making sense of big data will be the new frontrunner in social impact assessment and intervention. Changing ground realities and impacting the socio economic and aspirational patterns of developing nations to bring about change in consumer behaviour while maintaining the capacity for growth will be the next big challenge.
A world combating the impact of the recession and still struggling to make its way out of the quagmire that it has fallen into is now depending upon the high growth rate of the BRICS and the developing world at large to help it find its feet. That this will need intervention at the ground level to bring about change means there is a need for investment and the financing goals of developed nations and developing nations will have to achieve synergy at this phase of the intervention.
Innovative solutions and schemes are being trialled worldwide and some of these require capital injection and others proprietary systems injection. One such scheme the Surya Raitha scheme in Karnataka, India addresses a specific issue and approach of the government to challenge the basic pattern of power distribution and consumption.
It aims to disrupt the power consumption and usage cycle of the rural farmer and enable them through the provision of technology to become game changers. The scheme supports farmers to generate electricity through solar irrigation pumps and drip irrigation technology and know how to utilise this on their farms. Any excess electricity generated is covered under a government agreed power buy back scheme. Thus the farmer from a pure consumer has changed to a producer and feeds back into the states erratic but high demand electricity supply network. Cross feeding from a consumer to a producer allows the state to benefit on a number of fronts.
1. It reduces demand on the existing power infrastructure which is struggling to cope with the high demand for electricity (Bangalore the tech capital of India is in Karnataka)
2. The solution is both innovative and practical - Karnataka receives a high level of sunshine and is well suited to focus on proven solar energy technology.
3. Power generation by the farmer for sale changes their consumer behaviour by prompting them to save more power to sell back to the state thereby encouraging power saving behaviour
4. Drip irrigation is also well suited for the state due to the perennial water shortage problems which will reduce groundwater usage and over time will help the groundwater levels to rise again due to conservative usage
Now given this of course it is a prime example of success.
However the reality has not been the same. Uptake has been disastrously low due to bureaucratic delays, procurement delays, lack of buy in from the farmers over the manner of the subsidy delivery (even with 90% subsidy).
So what went wrong?
The neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu however used up their central grant for the purchase of Solar powered equipment while Karnataka languished behind.
Was it the lack of political will, government indifference, lack of transparency, failure of end user buy in? All of these and more issues affected the low uptake and delays in implementation. This also directly impacted on measurable outcomes.
Given this kind of situation on the ground in developing nations the real concern remains the utilisation of finance and buy in by the end users. Without user buy in, without autonomy and independence, without decision making power being devolved there are very few initiatives that can become successful.
The concept, the plan and the execution here could have been flawless and would have achieved more change in a year than any other method of intervention.
The failure of this to take off however is a salutary lesson on how financing alone will not help achieve development goals but a system of checks and balances and positive incremental support, review and readjustment will be the need of the hour.
Billions to Trillions can work if the Trillions can reach the end user rather than be lost in bureaucratic and administrative failures.
Perhaps over the next decade changing technology, integration, social networks and an enlightened and awakened citizenry can effect long lasting change more successfully.
A world combating the impact of the recession and still struggling to make its way out of the quagmire that it has fallen into is now depending upon the high growth rate of the BRICS and the developing world at large to help it find its feet. That this will need intervention at the ground level to bring about change means there is a need for investment and the financing goals of developed nations and developing nations will have to achieve synergy at this phase of the intervention.
Innovative solutions and schemes are being trialled worldwide and some of these require capital injection and others proprietary systems injection. One such scheme the Surya Raitha scheme in Karnataka, India addresses a specific issue and approach of the government to challenge the basic pattern of power distribution and consumption.
It aims to disrupt the power consumption and usage cycle of the rural farmer and enable them through the provision of technology to become game changers. The scheme supports farmers to generate electricity through solar irrigation pumps and drip irrigation technology and know how to utilise this on their farms. Any excess electricity generated is covered under a government agreed power buy back scheme. Thus the farmer from a pure consumer has changed to a producer and feeds back into the states erratic but high demand electricity supply network. Cross feeding from a consumer to a producer allows the state to benefit on a number of fronts.
1. It reduces demand on the existing power infrastructure which is struggling to cope with the high demand for electricity (Bangalore the tech capital of India is in Karnataka)
2. The solution is both innovative and practical - Karnataka receives a high level of sunshine and is well suited to focus on proven solar energy technology.
3. Power generation by the farmer for sale changes their consumer behaviour by prompting them to save more power to sell back to the state thereby encouraging power saving behaviour
4. Drip irrigation is also well suited for the state due to the perennial water shortage problems which will reduce groundwater usage and over time will help the groundwater levels to rise again due to conservative usage
Now given this of course it is a prime example of success.
However the reality has not been the same. Uptake has been disastrously low due to bureaucratic delays, procurement delays, lack of buy in from the farmers over the manner of the subsidy delivery (even with 90% subsidy).
So what went wrong?
The neighbouring states of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu however used up their central grant for the purchase of Solar powered equipment while Karnataka languished behind.
Was it the lack of political will, government indifference, lack of transparency, failure of end user buy in? All of these and more issues affected the low uptake and delays in implementation. This also directly impacted on measurable outcomes.
Given this kind of situation on the ground in developing nations the real concern remains the utilisation of finance and buy in by the end users. Without user buy in, without autonomy and independence, without decision making power being devolved there are very few initiatives that can become successful.
The concept, the plan and the execution here could have been flawless and would have achieved more change in a year than any other method of intervention.
The failure of this to take off however is a salutary lesson on how financing alone will not help achieve development goals but a system of checks and balances and positive incremental support, review and readjustment will be the need of the hour.
Billions to Trillions can work if the Trillions can reach the end user rather than be lost in bureaucratic and administrative failures.
Perhaps over the next decade changing technology, integration, social networks and an enlightened and awakened citizenry can effect long lasting change more successfully.