2011 Abstract Volume - World Water Week

Safe and Sufficient Drinking Water in Fast Urbanising India;Meeting Government, Geophysicists, Water Diviners andBarefoot HydrologistsAuthor:Ms. Chitralekha Choudhury, Gram Vikas, IndiaCo-Authors: Ms. Martina Kuijper, Deltares, The NetherlandsMr. Roelof Stuurman, Deltares, The NetherlandsKeywords:drinking water quality, sanitation, barefoot hydrologists, groundwater, stakeholderinteractionIntroduction/Problem IdentificationAim of the barefoot hydrologist project is a bottom-up approach to sustainable groundwater managementin Orissa, India, and in the same time improving the interaction with responsible governmentdepartments and other water stakeholders.In this presentation, we discuss the results of three years of groundwater management practices in Orissa,India. Focus of this research project was on a paradigm shift from finding sufficient groundwater toprotecting and maintaining sufficient and clean drinking water. We also discuss the nearly neglectedimpact of sanitation programmes on drinking water quality. Proper well and lavatory infrastructuresiting can reduce this impact considerably.Analysis/Results and Implications for Policy and/or ResearchA better understanding of hydrology and groundwater flow is crucial for efficient siting of wells anddetermining the interaction with sanitation service points. This understanding is particularly importantwhen striving for more (up scaling) and better (sustainable) rural water supply and sanitation. Thisis now more relevant then ever, because of anticipated trends as a growing population and climatechange. These trends are major threats for water supply, as they cause: (1) increased pollution of themain drinking water resources, through pollution of surface water and groundwater and (2) erraticrainfall patterns and more severe dry years.Since recently, the Government of India also speaks aboutvillage water security in its National Rural drinking water policy.The barefoot hydrologist programme explicitly focuses on achieving long-term impact by better humancapacity, tools and understanding of the importance of clean and sufficient groundwater managementfor improved water supply and sanitation.Since 1979 the Indian NGO Gram Vikas has been working to bring about sustainable improvementin the quality of life of poor and marginalised communities in Orissa. Orissa’s villages are an examplefor developing areas where agricultural, industrial and urban pollution create major threats to safe andsufficient drinking water. This is why barefoot hydrologists are trained in basics of water behaviour, tounderstand the influences of agriculture and human influenced pollution on drinking water quality.The barefoot hydrologist programme is based on 4 pillars: (1) training of barefoot hydrologists, (2)active interaction with water stakeholders, NGO’s, governments and research institutes, (3) developmentand use of a simple water monitoring toolkit and (4) field demonstration projects.50 Workshop 2: Need for a Paradigm Shift: New Technologies and New Lifestyles