Water Commons and Information Commons: Combining Local Knowledge and Remote Sensing to Support Community Groundwater Governance

Abstract

"Participatory hydrological monitoring has played a crucial role in the development of local groundwater governance in Andhra Pradesh, India and elsewhere. However, this is labor intensive and may be unsustainable, while remote sensing can potentially provide better information, at lower cost. From a practitioner's perspective, this paper explores issues involved in designing a new program to promote the development of water commons, working with a non- government organization with substantial experience and strengths in supporting community-led natural resource management, and in geographic information systems. Focusing on combining local knowledge and remote sensing information to support community water management, the paper examines lessons from previous watershed conservation activities, issues involved in understanding water flows and stocks, and the challenges of helping communities develop common property institutions."