Groundwater and Society: Multi-Stakeholder Engagement for Collective Action

The second webinar in the series 'Groundwater - The Invisible lifeline' will focus on groundwater as both a vital natural resource and a shared social responsibility. While groundwater remains one of India’s most important sources of freshwater for drinking, agriculture, industry, and ecosystems, its sustainable management depends not only on technical solutions but also on human behaviour, institutions, governance, and community participation.

The session will explore groundwater as a common pool resource, the behavioural drivers of groundwater use and conservation, citizen science approaches for monitoring water levels, quality and rainfall, and participatory practices for recharge, rejuvenation and watershed management. Through local and regional case studies, the webinar will highlight how collective action and multi-stakeholder engagement involving communities, NGOs, local governments, researchers, and scientists can support more resilient and inclusive groundwater management.

The webinar series is designed for a diverse and interdisciplinary audience, including:

• Water and environmental professionals
• Postgraduate students and early-career researchers
• Policy makers and government officials
• Urban planners and infrastructure professionals
• NGOs, civil society organisations, and community leaders
• Academics and educators
• Technology developers and data professionals working in water systems

By the end of the series, participants will be able to:

• Groundwater as a common pool resource and implications for governance
• Behavioural drivers of groundwater use and conservation
• Citizen science approaches groundwater monitoring (water levels, quality, rainfall)
• Participatory recharge, rejuvenation, and watershed management practices
• Local and regional case studies demonstrating collective action
• Multi-stakeholder engagement involves communities, NGOs, local governments, and researchers/scientists.

The series is expected to result in:

• Enhanced awareness of groundwater as a critical but invisible resource
• Improved conceptual and practical understanding of groundwater systems
• Greater appreciation of citizen-led and participatory approaches
• Increased capacity to use technology for groundwater decision-making
• Strengthened dialogue between science, society, and policy
• A foundation for future training, collaboration, and action on groundwater sustainability

Dr. Veena Srinivasan, Founder-Executive Director of WELL Labs (https://www.linkedin.com/in/veenasrinivasan/)