Community-based groundwater and ecosystem restoration in semi-arid north Rajasthan (1): Socio-economic progress and lessons for groundwater-dependentareas

Everard, Mark

Authors

Mark Everard Mark.Everard@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Ecosystem Services

Abstract

Groundwater is a vital resource in arid and semi-arid regions, increasingly relied upon for year-round access, though lack of both study and regulation contribute to unsustainable pressures potentially contributing to a negative spiral of ecological, social and economic decline. Using field visits, interviews with locals and experts, and literature reviews, we explored a successful programme of community-based groundwater recharge in three adjacent catchments (the Arvari, Sarsa and Baghani) in semi-arid north Rajasthan, India, led by the NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) in order to determine how successes were achieved and could be replicated. TBS-led initiatives rebuilt traditional village governance structures and participation in community-designed and maintained water harvesting structures (WHSs), which were efficient both economically and in technical design using indigenous knowledge. Enhanced seasonal groundwater recharge enabled by WHSs regenerated aquatic, farmed and natural ecosystems, underpinning a positive cycle of interdependent social and economic regeneration. Locally appropriate, integrated social and technical solutions maintaining this positive cycle have increased the quality of ecosystems and the wellbeing of local people. We used the STEEP (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political) framework to stratify outcomes, exploring principles underpinning successful local and catchment-scale regeneration and drawing out lessons transferrable to similarly water-stressed regions.

Citation

Everard, M. (2015). Community-based groundwater and ecosystem restoration in semi-arid north Rajasthan (1): Socio-economic progress and lessons for groundwater-dependentareas. Ecosystem Services, 16, 125-135

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Oct 17, 2015
Publication Date	Dec 1, 2015
Journal	Ecosystem Services
Print ISSN	2212-0416
Publisher	Elsevier
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	16
Pages	125-135
Keywords	Rajasthan, semi-arid, groundwater, community, recharge, governance
Public URL	https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/802451
Publisher URL	http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2015.10.011