Bhargava examines population impact on groundwater in India

A story by M T Sajul in the Times of India examines short-term and long-term demands for groundwater noting increasing levels of population and longer life expectancy. Drawing on a paper by Faculty Associate Alok Bhargava, Public Policy, the article reports on the trade-offs between short term usages and such long-term aims as public sanitation.

Bhargava's paper, published in Environmental Research Letters in February 2018, examines proximate determinants of rice outputs and groundwater depths in 27 Indian states during 1980–2010. "Overall, the results indicated that population pressures on food production and environment need to be tackled via long-term healthcare, agricultural, and groundwater recharge policies in India," Bhargava said.

"In the absence of access to high quality healthcare and family planning services, it is difficult for poor rural households to achieve their 'desired' family size and educate the children. Rapid population growth creates simultaneous pressures on food production systems and the environment. While there is a need for replenishing groundwater via better technologies, healthcare and family planning services should be integral components of long-term policies for mitigating the effects of climate variables."

See the complete article in the Times of India

See the paper in Environmental Research Letters 2018