Learning from the past to build the future governance of groundwater use in agriculture

ABSTRACT

The use of groundwater is increasing worldwide, particularly in agriculture. This leads to pumping races (from which the poorest farmers are often excluded), environmental disasters and the degradation of groundwater quality. Based on discussions between scientists and operational experts in two workshops held in 2018 and 2020, this paper, after taking stock of the dynamics and motivations of groundwater use in agriculture, reviews the solutions most commonly proposed, in particular by public authorities, to regulate the access to and use of this resource and to limit its over-exploitation. These (often optimistic) solutions generally combine regulatory or economic instruments, or indirect measures linking water to other issues, and mechanisms based on the participation of all users. However, they rarely question the intensive agricultural systems driving groundwater demand and fail to recognize the multifunctional nature of groundwater. To overcome these hurdles, we draw up possible ways forward for policymakers and resource users to develop negotiated solutions.

KEYWORDS:

• Groundwater
• governance
• policy instruments
• over-exploitation
• irrigation
• agriculture
• commons
• common patrimony

Acknowledgments

This paper is the result of insights gained from the discussions of a joint working group of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD – French Development Agency) and the Comité scientifique et technique pour l’eau agricole (COSTEA – Scientific and Technical Committee for Water in Agriculture) project (www.comite-costea.fr).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Agence Française de Développement [CZZ2162].

Notes on contributors

Olivier Petit

O.P., A.D., S.L., Q.B. and S.B.: organization of the workshops on which this paper is based; conceptualization, methodology, writing– original draft preparation.

Nicolas Faysse

N.F., M.K. and F.M.: facilitators of the working groups and rapporteurs in the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Marcel Kuper

N.F., M.K. and F.M.: facilitators of the working groups and rapporteurs in the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

François Molle

N.F., M.K. and F.M.: facilitators of the working groups and rapporteurs in the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Charlotte Alcazar

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Emmanuel Durand

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Ridha Ghoudi

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Aline Hubert

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Selin Le Visage

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Imane Messaoudi

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Marielle Montginoul

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Seyni Ndao

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Audrey Richard Ferroudji

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Jean-Daniel Rinaudo

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Julie Trottier

C.A., E.D., R.G., A.H., S.L.V., I.M., M.M., S.N., A.R.F., J.D.R. and J.T.: presentation of detailed case studies in the workshop. Drafting of boxes. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Olivia Aubriot

O.A. and M.E.: mobilized as discussants during the last workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Mohamed Elloumi

O.A. and M.E.: mobilized as discussants during the last workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Marc Boisson

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Rhoda Fofack-Garcia

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Frédéric Maurel

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Dominique Rojat

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Bruno Romagny

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.

Emmanuelle Salgues

M.B., R.F.G., F.M., D.R., B.R. and E.S.: contributions in the forms of ideas during the workshop. Writing– reviewing and editing.