Does Groundwater Depletion Affect Food and Energy Security? Evidence from Uttar Pradesh, India

The present study conceptualized the intricate framework of groundwater–energy–food nexus and quantified the effects of groundwater depletion on energy and food security in Uttar Pradesh. The results revealed a potential to leverage the positive linkages between groundwater irrigation and agricultural development in the state, but the areas witnessing groundwater depletion need monitoring and effective measures of groundwater management. In Western Uttar Pradesh, farmers incur 2%–3% increase in energy use and cost annually for maintaining the status quo of irrigation from the depleting groundwater resources. The groundwater depletion, along with perverse electricity pricing and other socio-economic factors, influenced the transition towards electric-operated tubewells, which in turn had a reverse pressure on groundwater and created a feedback loop of groundwater–energy nexus. The meso-level evidence indicated that farmers in the state struggled to chase the depleting groundwater resources, leading to a negative marginal effect on foodgrain production. Sustaining energy and food security warrants both supply and demand side measures for sustainable management of groundwater at the regional level. JEL Classification: Q12, Q15, Q25, Q28