New research looks at the links between agriculture and economic growth

Dr Camille Boudot-Reddy, Lecturer in Economics, is working on research entitled Watering the Seeds of the Rural Economy: Evidence from Groundwater Irrigation in India, evaluating the impact of access to groundwater irrigation on the rural economy.

Camille says, “We find that villages with access to groundwater witness a significant boost in agricultural productivity as well as an improvement in consumption (captured by an increase in household assets). Additionally, these villages draw in daily waged work from surrounding non-irrigated areas as well as a large amount of migration from poorer Scheduled Caste groups.”

Groundwater is the largest source of irrigation water in India, however in recent decades the country has witnessed a depletion of its aquifers and managing this resource is high on the policy agenda. Camille’s research provides an understanding of the impact of groundwater irrigation, a critical component to the current debate.

Further information available in the paper here, and in this policy blog post.