Date: 3 August 2007 Time: to hrs. Venue : BIRDS Training Center, Muthyalapadu Topic: Participatory Hydrological Monitoring Faculty: Dr. S. V. Govardhan Das International Learning Workshop on Demand-side Management of Groundwater 30 July - 10 August 2007

Scheme of Presentation Definition The Concept The Need Opportunities Objectives Key Strategies Key Stakeholders Steps in PHM Process Lessons

Definition Participatory Hydrological Monitoring or PHM refers to a set of activities carried out to keep track of the changes in a hydrological cycle by the users themselves with little input from outsiders

The concept People should be encouraged to monitor and manage their own groundwater system People managed groundwater system is possible with interface of scientific know how and indigenous wisdom Introduction of simple tools and skills would enable people to manage their groundwater systems

The need Floods, droughts, migration, starvation deaths Who is affected? Who should understand the hydrology? Who is capable of taking remedial action?

Opportunities Initial support of scientists Putting up the monitoring system Community capacity building Scientist can estimate water balance Users can understand the aquifer system within which they are operating Tag up annual water balance estimation with crop planning exercise Government can provide enabling environment

Objectives People managed groundwater systems Discussion triggered at the community level about rainfall - draft - water level relationship Water use plans are evolved by the community based on utilizable groundwater resources

Interface between scientist and farmer Multi-disciplinary Teams Farmer monitoring of groundwater Scientific assessment of groundwater resource Initial handholding by Multi-disciplinary Teams Presentation of scientific facts to the farmers Participatory tools for presentation Kalajatha On-farm demonstrations Key Strategies

Groundwater Users (men and women) Multi-disciplinary Teams Non Governmental Organizations Technical Support Organizations Government Departments Similar projects/agencies Elected representatives of people Peer groups Funding Agencies Key Stakeholders

Steps in PHM process 1. Staff training/orientation 2. Reconnaissance/meeting with opinion leaders 3. Delineation of Hydrological Unit/aquifer system 4. Resource Inventory 5. Base Document 6. Site identification: RG stations and observation wells 7. Social feasibility study 8. Procurement of equipment/material 9. Establishing Hydrological Monitoring Network 10. Supply of equipment to community

Steps in PHM process 11. Farmer training: PHM Module Farmer data collection/handholding 13. Farmer training: PHM Module Farmer data recording/handholding 15. Erection of Display boards/data display 16. Formation of Groundwater Monitoring Committee 17. GMC training: PHM Module Crop Water Budgeting exercise 19. GMC training: PHM Module Handing over/withdrawal phase

Trainings are best timed before actual grounding of an activity Kalajatha is very effective, if the troupe understood the concept thoroughly Groundwater surplus villages need to be exposed to the villages where depletion is a recent phenomenon Usage of flip-charts, audio-visuals, stories, live models is more effective in training, apart from demonstration and practice method It is essential to fix the responsibility of PHM tasks on individual members of the community Lessons

Display boards trigger lot of discussion around the status of groundwater Farmer Resource Teams are more effective than Professional teams Farmer Melas serve as good platform for farmer-to-farmer interaction Data gaps result from seasonal observation wells Hand Pumps and other wells can be converted as Observation Wells Local support system need to be developed in depleting aquifers to ensure safe re-lowering of HDPE pipe Additional stocks of equipment, including HDPE pipe and Water Level Indicators is needed to avoid data gaps Lessons

Ground Water Quality need to be part of Hydrological Monitoring, at least in problem areas Base Document should be ready before physical intervention, lest we lose the opportunity to compare the pre and post intervention scenario GIS can play a major role in visual data display Data analysis and sharing could be effective in NFE mode Linkages with Govt. Departments could help the farmers in getting support for similar activities Invite Government Officers for workshops/trainings and other occasions for building up functional linkages

Lessons A Quarterly Newsletter could be of great help in cross learning and sharing of successes and failures Command Areas where groundwater is used in conjunction with surface water could be useful to compare with totally groundwater dependent areas Motivating School Children could prepare the future citizens in a better way to cope up with challenges in groundwater management. There is a need to encourage competition, all levels, for better motivation to work In future the focus should be changed from Facilitator training to Farmer to farmer training Identify and train local skilled people in operation and maintenance of infrastructure created as part of project implementation