Dimapur: A Nagaland University-led study found that local farming community involvement is vital in long-term water management initiatives.
The research said the long-term water management initiatives like Aquafer Recharge and Recovery (ASR) require sustained involvement of the local farming community to succeed, a varsity release said on Monday.
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The success of ASR initiatives was found to be a social process requiring long-term engagement, financial support and peer-led governance models.
The study found that the ASR initiatives could be a game-changer for hilly terrain and the water-scarce region of Nagaland and other northeastern parts of India.
Collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector will be essential to mainstreaming ASR into broader water resource management strategies, as per the study.
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A pilot study conducted in south Bihar with a grant from Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research demonstrated socio-environmental impacts in terms of higher potential for groundwater recharge, improved irrigation reliability, and longer availability of groundwater and socio-economic benefits for farmers due to diversification of cropping, availability of water for additional cropping and reliable yields.
The study highlights that the ASR can alleviate water stress and enhance agricultural resilience. If scaled effectively and in a socially just manner, the ASR could serve as a sustainable water management model for rural India in the face of increasing climate variability.
It said the ASR has the potential to revolutionise water management in rural India, especially under the growing pressures of climate change, erratic rainfall patterns, and groundwater depletion.
The study, led by Prof. Prabhakar Sharma, Nagaland University, was conducted along with Dr Aviram Sharma, senior researcher, University of Vigo, Spain, Dr Somnath Bandyopadhyay, independent consultant, Som-Vrddhi Consulting, Gujarat, Anurag Verma, researcher, Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, and Rahul Kumar Sinha, PhD scholar, Kyoto University, Japan.
The findings were published in the reputed, peer-reviewed journal Societal Impacts (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socimp.2025.100121) during June 2025.
Prabhakar Sharma, department of agricultural engineering and technology, Nagaland University, said, “Unlike many prior studies that mainly focus on the technical feasibility and hydrogeological aspects of ASR, this research distinctly foregrounds the social, institutional and policy dimensions critical for sustainable implementation.”
He highlighted that the ASR can alleviate water stress and enhance agricultural resilience, but its long-term viability depends on farmer-led ownership, institutional incentives for peer-led governance, and targeted policy interventions.