An Assessment of Crop Water Productivity in the Indus and Ganges River Basins: Current Status and Scope for Improvement

Research Reports The publications in this series cover a wide range of subjects—from computer modeling to experience with water user associations—and vary in content from directly applicable research to more basic studies, on which applied work ultimately depends. Some research reports are narrowly focused, analytical and detailed empirical studies; others are wide-ranging and synthetic overviews of generic problems. Although most of the reports are published by IWMI staff and their collaborators, we welcome contributions from others. Each report is reviewed internally by IWMI staff, and by external reviewers. The reports are published and distributed both in hard copy and electronically (www.iwmi.org) and where possible all data and analyses will be available as separate downloadable files. Reports may be copied freely and cited with due acknowledgment. About IWMI IWMI's mission is to improve the management of land and water resources for food, livelihoods and the environment. In serving this mission, IWMI concentrates on the integration of policies, technologies and management systems to achieve workable solutions to real problems—practical, relevant results in the field of irrigation and water and land resources. assessment of crop water productivity in the Indus and Ganges river basins: Current status and scope for improvement. Acknowledgements The authors would like the thank the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, New Delhi Office, India, and a large number of farmers for their help in conducting the ground truth surveys; and Dr. Vladimir Smakhtin, Theme Leader for IWMI's research theme on Water Availability and Access, based at IWMI headquarters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for valuable comments and suggestions on the manuscript. The constructive comments provided by Dr. Project This research study was initiated as part of the " Basin Focal Project for the Indus and the Ganges River Basins (BFP-IGB) " (PN 60) of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). It formed part of the wider network of the " Basin Focal Projects. " Donors Funding for the research carried out in this report was provided by the following organizations, among others, through the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of DFID, IFAD and the European Commission.