Assessing the level of knowledge of agro-ecological bases of contemporary water management innovations (CWMI) in dryland agro-ecosystem and analysis of their correlates

CWMI are those belonging to or occurring in the present living times or occurring at the same time as new integrated technology and practices developed by farmers and few researchers like water harvesting, water sharing, water saving or protective irrigation and community mobilization, etc. Farmers need to understand the scientific problem solving approaches behind the contemporary water management innovations that they have evolved during agro-ecological crises. Some of the technological innovations and institutional innovations developed by few research institutes supporting farmers at the time of crisis. So even under this distressed condition, farmers will be able to survive although at a subsistence level. The efficacy of these CWMI were assessed and analysed. The major finding were: All the farmers shared the agro-ecological principles and rationale behind the community participation and community management of common property resources of rain water, through rain water harvesting, saving, sharing and using judiciously through micro-irrigation systems. All the farmers have comprehensively understood the agro-ecology behind hydrological cycle of water harvesting and water saving for future contingencies. As the farmers have had undergone great stress periods during times of agro-ecological crisis, they were all appreciating the value of scarce water resources for their livelihood security.