Linköping Studies in Arts and Science No. 475 Water Realities and Development Trajectories Global and Local Agricultural Production Dynamics Mats Lannerstad Linköping Studies in Arts and Science No. 475 Linköping University, Department of Water and Environmental Studies Linköping 2009 Linköping Studies in Arts and Science No. 475 At the Faculty of Arts and Science at Linköping University, research and doctoral studies are carried out within broad problem areas. Research is organized in interdisciplinary research environments and doctoral studies mainly in graduate schools. Jointly, they publish the series Linköping Studies in Arts and Science. This thesis comes from the Department of Water and Environmental Studies at the Tema Institute. Distributed by: Department of Water and Environmental Studies Linköping University SE - 581 83 Linköping Mats Lannerstad Water Realities and Development Trajectories Global and Local Agricultural Production Dynamics Cover: Bhavani basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Photos: Mats Lannerstad. Design: Dennis Netzell and Mats Lannerstad. Edition 1:1 ISBN 978-91-7393-665-1 ISSN 0282-9800 © Mats Lannerstad (
[email protected]) Department of Water and Environmental Studies Printed by: LiU-Tryck, Linköping, 2009 ABSTRACT Water constraints for humans and nature are gaining more and more public attention as a critical environmental dilemma that needs to be addressed. When aquifers and rivers are running dry, the debate refers to an ongoing “world water crisis.” This thesis focuses on the water and agricultural production complexity in a global, regional and local perspective during different phases of development. It addresses the river basin closing process in light of consumptive water use changes, land use alterations, past and future food production in water- scarce developing countries in general, and a south Indian case study basin in particular, the Bhavani basin in Tamil Nadu.