Private tubewell development and groundwater markets in Pakistan: a district-level analysis

Abstract

Along with the shift in purpose for groundwater development from providing drainage to providing irrigation supplies, has come a shift from public to private tubewells as the primary source of groundwater in Pakistan. The increase in private tubewells has not only increased the total availability of water for crop production, but also provided farmers with greater control over irrigation supplies. Because groundwater from private tubewells is generally not tied to the rigid warabandi schedule of canal deliveries, water applications can be more closely matched to crop requirements. The result is higher yields and higher economic returns to irrigated agriculture. However, the number of private tubewells is still limited. In 1991 there were approximately 286 300 private tubewells, with only 6% of farmers owning tubewells. The analysis in this paper indicates that different factors affect each type of groundwater irrigation development. Environmental problems of poor quality groundwater and falling water tables decrease the density of private tubewells, while a higher proportion of poor quality groundwater significantly increases the proportion of tubewell owners participating in groundwater sales. The extent of canal irrigation and the proportion of tubewell owners with medium-sized land holdings have a significant positive impact only on tubewell water sales. On the other hand, rural development characteristics of population density and literacy had a positive impact on tubewell density, but not on water sales. Because tubewell owners generally receive more reliable service and have higher returns than water purchasers, making tubewell ownership available to as many farmers as possible is advantageous if there are no groundwater constraints. If water tables are falling or of poor quality, stimulating further tubewell density is not sustainable. In such situations promoting private groundwater markets is particularly valuable to spread groundwater to as many farmers as possible. -from Author