Groundwater Use in Agriculture in South Asia: The Role of Technology

ABSTRACT In recent years, the policy discourse in South Asia has increasingly focused on reducing pressure on groundwater use in irrigated agriculture and reducing irrigation energy subsidies, without making farmers worse off. In an environment where pricing water and energy is administratively and politically challenging, much hope is placed on the widespread adoption of irrigation technologies that improve irrigation efficiency. This paper highlights knowledge gaps in this discourse, to identify avenues where research could inform evidence‐based decision‐making.