Shaping the contours of groundwater governance in India

Study regionIndia.Study focusIndia's groundwater dependence and the crises of depletion and contamination of groundwater resources require the development of a robust groundwater dependence framework. Understanding the challenges of developing a groundwater governance framework for regions of extensive groundwater development versus relatively less-developed areas of groundwater development is important. The groundwater typology is a function of both, the hydrogeological aspects of groundwater and the socio-economic milieu that defines dependency on the groundwater resource, which is significant across users and uses in India. An interdisciplinary perspective is important while managing groundwater resources in India and helping establish groundwater governance.New hydrological insights for the regionParticipatory forms of groundwater management, using ‘aquifer-based, common pool resource’ approaches have begun to find their way into the practices and policies dealing with groundwater in India. Participation at all levels is important in management decisions as well as in the development of a governance framework, knowing that groundwater development in India has been ‘atomistic’ in nature. Developing a regulatory framework that is supportive of ‘protection’ of the resource as well as ‘good practices of participatory groundwater management’ is essential in groundwater governance. Interdisciplinary ‘science’ must form the medium of promoting both groundwater management and governance instead of using it in the largely business-as-usual approach to groundwater resource management that remains ‘infrastructure’ based, ‘supply-side’.

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