::: BIRDS :::

Andhra Pradesh Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems Project

APFAMGS Project :

Andhra Pradesh Farmer Managed Groundwater Systems (APFAMGS) project's key premise is behavioural change leading to voluntary self regulation. In seven drought prone districts of Andhra Pradesh, India, thousands of farmers residing in 638 habitations spread over several hundred kilometers have voluntarily taken number of steps to reduce groundwater pumping, for tiding over problem of groundwater depletion.

Launched in July 2003, the APFAMGS project is a partnership with farmers for implementing Demand Side Groundwater Management concept. This project demonstrates an alternative model to the Supply Side approach which calls for spending billions for creating new structures.

Royal Netherlands Embassy, New Delhi, provided the funds for the project. The project implementation is guided by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. APFAMGS is a Nationally Executed (NEX) partnership project between an NGO Bharatiya Integrated Rural Development Society (BIRDS) and FAO. BIRDS implements the project in seven districts in Andhra Pradesh through a federation of 9 NGO's.

Objectives

Structure of the project

Project Activities Global Relevance of APFAMGS Project Project USP People's Institutions Gender Manistreaming Enhancing Farmers Knowladge Participatory Hydrological Monitoring (PHM) Farmers Water Schools Crop Water Budgeting Reduction in Groundwater Pumping Abstaining from Paddy Crop Diversification Use of Water Saving Devices Food Security and Nutrition Emergence of Local Groundwater Governance Creation of Trained Manpower Optimization of Food Flows Through Artificial groundwater Recharge (AGR)Geographic Information System (GIS)Data Base (HRIS+)Information Kiosk APFAMGS website Impact of Project Implementation Benefits of adopting Crop Change Farmer's Reflections

Future Work Plan

The NGO's in partnership with farmers have successfully tapped farmer's wisdom and capacities in controlling their own situation and reducing vulnerability to fast spreading crisis of groundwater depletion and crop failures.

The project's operational framework is the Hydrological Unit (HU) or micro basins. The project is being implemented in 638 villages across seven drought-prone districts of Andhra Pradesh by local partner NGO's. The project reaches out to over Nine hundred thousand population forming part of Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa Kurnool, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Prakasam..

PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

The objective of the project as stated in the project document is to equip groundwater farmer users with the necessary data, skills and knowledge to manage groundwater resources available to them in a sustainable manner, mainly through managing and monitoring their own demand. The project does not profess to secure livelihoods, alleviate poverty, or increase incomes of project participants. The assumption is that access to scientific data and knowledge will enable farmers to make appropriate choices and decisions regarding the use of groundwater resources and agricultural practices.

Objectives of APFAMGS project Top

About 3,000 Men and Women farmers are in a position to understand groundwater systems within which they are operating at about 650 habitations in Andhra Pradesh, in a scientific manner, by the year 2008.

Hydrological data base, using GIS platform, is developed for usage of Groundwater Management Committees, covering 650 habitations, by the year 2006.

About 6,500 farm families enabled for adoption of alternative agricultural practices suiting the availability of groundwater, by the year 2008.

Community based institutions established for alternative management of groundwater resources with equal representation/ participation of men and women, covering about 650 habitations, by the year 2008.

PROJECT STRUCTURE :