WORLD WATER DEVELOPMENT REPORT

• Farmers, activists and agricultural research organisations across the world are thus developing methods of chemical-less farming which use natural inputs and cultivation practices such as crop rotation and diversification, which fall under the wider umbrella of regenerative agriculture.
• The farming practice goes a step ahead of sustainable agriculture and aspires not only to maintain the resources like soil and water but also to improve them
• According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), healthy soil helps in better water storage, transmission, and filtering and reduces agricultural runoff 
• The main key to improve water and efficiency is enhancing the health and nutrient-holding capacity of the soil
• Studies have established that a 1% of the increase in Soil organic matter (Soil health indicator) per 0.4ha increases water storage potential by more than 75,000 litres
• In India, the Union government is promoting regenerative agriculture to reduce the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and to lower input costs.
• States like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat too have introduced schemes to promote it

• Researchers with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) spoke to scientists and farmers to explore the benefits of regenerative agriculture for soil and subsequently water availability.
• They have found ample anecdotal evidence establishing the link, but say that concerted research is required to understand the role of regenerative agriculture in saving water.
• Regenerative agricultural practices include the use of natural inputs, minimum-till, mulching, multi-cropping and sowing of diverse and native varieties
• In principle, natural inputs help improve soil structure and its organic carbon content, while planting water-guzzling and water-efficient crops together or in alternating cycles reduces the frequency and intensity of irrigation, they conserve energy used by irrigation aids such as pumps.
• ICAR-IARI and other agricultural institutes have conducted multiple studies to show that these and other practices often followed by organic farmers like
• systematic rice intensification -a method in which seeds are spaced at wider distances and organic manure is applied to improve yields,  changing crop system patterns, leaving residue on the field and micro-irrigation lead to better water conservation.
• Of the surveyed farmers, 93.6 per cent claim that the rainwater-holding capacity of their land increased compared to chemical-based farming. Organic farming reduced the irrigation requirements by 30-60 per cent in most cases.

• Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, a non-profit set up by the Andhra Pradesh government to promote natural farming, conducted two studies in 2020 in the state one on water consumption and the other on energy consumption comparing results of zero-budget natural farming against chemical farming.
• Zero-budget natural farming, now known as Subhash Palekar Natural Farming, emphasises preparing and using inputs made from crop residue, cow dung and urine, and fruits, among other things. The studies show irrigation frequency and energy consumption in natural farming decrease over time.
• Samaj Pragati Sahyog, a grassroots organisation in Madhya Pradesh that promotes natural methods to control agricultural pests such as composting and recycling of crop residues, use of farm yard manure, cattle urine and application of tank silt, has also made efforts to this end.