Agricultural Economics Research Centre, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.
“‘Poverty is a multi dimensional phenomenon though it has invariably been interpreted to imply lack of access to cash which is adequate enough to buy the required amount of food which could provide a defined level of nutrients. The non - income dimensions of poverty, such as access to other minimum needs for human survival such as clothing, water and sanitation, shelter, education, health etc. have often not been given adequate attention while defining and interpreting poverty. For the present paper we define poverty in a more broader sense to consider both money indicators of poverty as also other social indicators to understand the real extent of deprivation of the poor.
Water, growth and poverty are inextricably linked through a multitude of complex direct, indirect, forward and backward pathways and processes. Given the complexity of the process through which water-growth-poverty interrelationships operate and given the multifaceted dimensions of growth and poverty, it has often proven to be difficult to ascertain if the availability of water perse has lead to economic growth and a reduction in poverty. The paper attempts to revisit the growth and poverty reducing impacts of irrigation and attempts to provide a somewhat more persuasive answer to the often-debated issue: does development and more efficient management of irrigation contribute to growth and reduction in poverty? The results obtained show that investments in irrigation water resources positively and significantly impact poverty and, therefore, such investments need to be speeded up.
