Revitalizing Traditional Water Tanks for Climate Adaptation in India

Irrigation provides a possible means for farmers to adapt to climate change. In the Bundelkhand region of central India, traditional tanks were constructed centuries ago to store rainwater for irrigation later in the season or for cultivation during the dry season. But the tanks have deteriorated over time and now have much less capacity. This evaluation will measure the impacts of repairing these tanks to give more land access to irrigation as an adaptation to climate change. In addition, researchers will contrast two theories for how features of the labor market affect irrigation management in the Indian context.