1. Strategic Analysis of India’s National River-Linking Project [NRLP]

2. Contours of NRLP…  Building 30 links, 3000 small and large reservoirs, 12500 km of canals to link 36 Himalayan and Peninsular rivers to effect 178 km 3 of inter-basin water transport.  35 MHa of new irrigated area; 35 GW of hydro-capacity; navigation and flood control benefits.  Gestation Period: Proposed=2016; Most Likely=2050  Cost = Rs 560,000 cr. at 2002 prices (US $ 120 Billion); 1 - 1.5% of India’s GDP for the next 3 decades.  Largest infrastructure project anywhere, ever. Five times the size of the ……Three Gorges Project.

3. Why do we need a Research Project…  Hardened positions with little analysis Critics complaint that government has not done good analysis of alternatives Government says that considering the magnitude of the crisis, NRLP is the only option  Key Missing Issues: What is the magnitude of crisis itself? How was interlinking chosen as the best available option What is the scope of the alternatives? How do we ensure that there will be implementation efficiency - time and cost overruns - and O&M would be done better than before? What would it takes to implement alternative solutions on national scale?

4. Project Goal… Promote a balanced, analytical and informed national discourse on India's Water Future 2050, and approaches to shaping it, including through the River- Linking project  Support South Asia’s quest for food livelihoods and water security  Capitalize on the uncommon opportunity created by the NRLP …and Purpose

5. Specific Objectives…  Build scenarios of what India will be like—its economy, society, demographics, habitat, and environment – in 2025 and 2050, and with what implications for its water future?  Analyze whether NRLP is an adequate, cost effective and sustainable response—in socio- ecological as well as political terms--towards meeting the water challenge.  Sew together a clutch of institutional and policy interventions into a National Water Sector Perspective Plan (NWSPP) as a fallback strategy.  Identify best practices to implement the NRLP as well as the NWSPP

6. Concluding Workshop VI: Planning for a Food, Livelihoods and Water Secure India 2050 Phase III 12 Months Phase II 15 Months Phase I 9 Months OUTPUTACTIVITIESPHASE 11 Studies, Synthesis & National Workshop I A Sharp, Well-Rounded Prognosis of India’s Water Future - 2025/2050 & of the Water Challenge Facing the Nation Phase II APhase II B 16 Studies, Synthesis & National Workshop II 7 Studies, Synthesis & National Workshop III Phase III APhase III B 14 Studies, Synthesis & National Workshop IV 8 Studies, Synthesis & National Workshop V Phase II APhase II B How adequate, complete and cost- effective a response is the River-Linking Project to India’s Water Challenge 2050? How to maximize net social benefit of the River-Link Project Phase III A If NRLP fails to take off, how else can India effectively meet its Water Challenge 2050? Phase III A How best to put into operation the National Perspective Plan

7. Phase-wise Activities and Methods… The 3 years ahead…

8. A Sharp, Well-Rounded Prognosis of India’s Water Future - 2025/2050 & of the Water Challenge Facing the Nation Environmental Water Demand India’s Macro Hydrology Domestic and Industrial Water Demand Indian Agriculture and Irrigation Food Security and Trade Liberalization Regional Patterns in Economic Growth Demographic Projections Phase I… Revisiting Water Availability and Demand

9. [1] How adequate, complete and cost-effective a response is the River-Linking Project to India’s Water Challenge 2050? [2] How to maximize net social benefit of NRLP? Institutions and Political Economy Env’tal and Ecological Valuations Economic Analysis Financial Feasibility Technical Feasibility Implementation Effectiveness Social Cost- Benefit Analyses Phase II…

10. [1] If the NRLP fails to take off, how else can India effectively meet its Water Challenge 2050? [2] How best to put into operation the NWSPP? Water Institutions and Policies Water Demand Management Virtual Water Transfers Ganges Water Machine Decentralized Water Harvesting Alternative Energy Sources and Scenarios Inter-Sectoral Competition Water Use Efficiency and Productivity Phase III…

11. Key Strengths…  Impart substance and quality to the national discourse on NRLP;  Help India think through its long term water challenge and evolve a fall-back strategy to meet it;  Rally a broad alliance of Indian researchers and institutions to participate in a distributed research and dissemination program;  Allocate over 70% of the resources requested to NARES institutions; and  Leverage substantial ‘knowledge equity’ and funds IWMI contributes as matching resources.

12. Thank You…