India needs integration of food, land, and water system: IWMI-CEEW

The report, Evaluating Policy Coherence in the Food, Land, and Water Systems: Evidence from India, was launched at an event at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi in partnership with the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog 

There is an urgent need for integrating food, land, and water (FLW) systems in India’s policymaking to address the dual challenge of ensuring food security and agricultural growth while maintaining sustainable resource use, according to a new report launched by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The report, Evaluating Policy Coherence in the Food, Land, and Water Systems: Evidence from India, was launched at an event at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi in partnership with the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. 

The event brought together key stakeholders, policymakers, and experts to deliberate on the intricate connections within these systems. The IWMI and CEEW study, supported by the CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies, looked at policies within FLW systems from 12 central ministries. Seven schemes were shortlisted as case studies for understanding policy coherence challenges and identifying best practices for the government to emulate. These include Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana – Watershed Development Component (PMKSY–WDC), National Mission for Clean Ganga – Namami Gange Programme (NMCG-NGP), Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Per Drop More Crop (RKVY–PDMC), and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

The report identifies pathways for effective policy convergence that can help India achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. For instance, it advocates for periodic revisions in policy guidelines through a continuous process of ‘implementation-learning-design change’ as seen in schemes like PMKSY-WDC. Furthermore, the study emphasises the focus on outcome-based policy designs. ABY, for example, incorporates design-linked incentives connecting policy performance with the outcome of groundwater level improvement. Also, convergence in policy design, as envisaged in ABY and MGNREGA, can leverage synergies across complementary areas of policy development.