Climate Forecast for Better Water Management in Agriculture: A Case Study for Southern India

Groundwater, the most assured widely available source of irrigation water, influences India’s industrial and agricultural growth (Rao et al. 1996). About 12.5% of India’s annual precipitation percolates into the groundwater, where it is protected from evapotranspiration. Demand for water by the agricultural, domestic and industrial sectors has increased considerably over the years, resulting in unsustainable exploitation of groundwater resources. The number of wells has increased from 7.78 to 9.98 million (dug out), 2.13 to 4.77 million (shallow tube) and 33.3 to 49.1 million (deep tube) over the last 10 years. Continuous cropping reduces potential recharge by reducing downward flux of rainfall (O’Connell et al. 1995). Although vast, India’s groundwater resources are not inexhaustible, as evidenced by continuous decline in groundwater levels in regions such as the Coimbatore district in western Tamil Nadu.