Learning from the groundwater

recharge movement in Gujarat,

India

Frank van Weert

NCWRM

14-15 Sept 2011, Athens

International Groundwater

Resources Assessment Centre

• Since 2003

• Under auspices of WMO/UNESCO

• Funded and based in NL

• Various topics: also MAR

• www.un-igrac.org

A people’s movement

Norms and rules

• Direct pumping ban

• Disencouragement of high water use

• Maintenance of structures

• All loosely enforced and based on

social pressure and internal norms

The Success

Groundwater balance Kodinar reference case scenario

-200,0

-150,0

-100,0

-50,0

0,0

50,0

100,0

jan

feb

mar apr

may jun jul

aug

sep

oct

nov

dec

month

water balance mm/month

-40,0

10,0

60,0

110,0

160,0

210,0

rivers

Q

NR

AR

Total

3000,0

3200,0

3400,0

3600,0

3800,0

4000,0

4200,0

2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050 2055

TDS concentration (mg/l)

Scn1

Scn2

Scn6

Scn7

Why successful

• Spiritual motivation

• externality

• Self-organized

• Increasing complexity

• Now rationalist, economist approach

• Motivation for demand management

Flaws

• Hardly science

• Costs

• Disincentives and perverse incentives

• Water governance

Thanks