This project formed a part of the MARVI, (Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustaining Groundwater Use through Village-level Intervention), program, developed to improve the security of irrigation water supplies and enhance livelihood opportunities for rural communities in Western India. It assessed the effectiveness of current rainwater harvesting and recharge structures and demand management strategies at village scale, using a participatory methodology involving of local farmers, schools and other stakeholders in the monitoring and management of groundwater at the local level.

The study areas for this project are the Dharta watershed in the Udaipur district in Rajasthan and the Meghraj watershed in the Aravali district in Gujarat. A photovoice workshop program was developed to to complement the existing focus on quantitative data collection, by providing a way of directly and powerfully exploring the villagers’ relationship to their groundwater. The approach was also designed to empower participants to value their own water knowledge and enable them to share this with others.

Organisations: CSIRO/Western Sydney University.

Location: Udaipur, India.