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Project properties |
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| Title | Understanding Water Efficiency in Sustainable Cotton based Production Systems |
| Group | Water Resources Management group |
| Project type | internship |
| Credits | 24 |
| Supervisor(s) | Prashant Pastore |
| Examiner(s) | |
| Contact info | Prashant.Pastore@solidaridadnetwork.org |
| Begin date | 2020/03/01 |
| End date | 2022/01/01 |
| Description | Country:India
Host institute: Solidaridad , Delhi Organization Solidaridad is a network organisation operating in 9 regions around the world. Solidaridad is active in a number of global commodity programmes, considering their high environmental and social impact across the globe, of which one is Cotton. In Maharashtra, India, Solidaridad is implementing the Water Efficiency in Sustainable Cotton based Production Systems in the region of Vidarbha. Topic The Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State is characterised by a system failure of highly water inefficient and water polluting cotton monoculture in a region at high and ever increasing risk of rainfall variability. Farmers are faced with high water scarcity and insecurity, huge water inefficiencies and insufficient agricultural practices. The consequences of this unsustainable situation include the loss and pollution of scarce and much needed fresh water resources; low yields, low quality, crop losses and crop failure; and as a consequence, reduced community health and safety; household income losses and sustained farmer indebtedness. The continuously decreasing livelihoods are already leading to large scale migration of farmers and a dramatic farmer suicide rate. To tackle the downward spiral faced by Vidarbha’s underprivileged cotton farmers, the project’s purpose is to contribute to a substantial increase in water availability, water efficiency and reduced water stress for 20.000 cotton farmers and to contribute to sustainable livelihoods of male and female cotton farmers and workers by facilitating the adoption of sustainable production practices that reduce production costs, increase yields and quality of produce. Solidaridad is seeking a student who can look into the following two research questions: 1) Whether increased water availability leads to sustainable practices by cotton farmers and 2) To what extent the farmers income is directly associated with (increased) water availability. The project aims to demonstrate that water efficient, sustainable cotton production can be brought to scale through close collaboration of key actors in and around the cotton value chain. |
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