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Digital Tools for Water Security

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Digital Tools for Water Security

Quick Info

Countries: --
Basins: --
Project SDGs:
Includes Sustainable Development Goals from the project and its locations.
Water Use Efficiency (SDG 6.4)
Project Tags:
Includes tags from the project and its locations.
Groundwater
Progress to Date: NA Improve groundwater tables in 1000 villages across India.
Services Needed: Financial support
Desired Partner: Investor
Language: Português
Start & End Dates: Jan. 01, 2021  »  Dec. 31, 2031
Project Website: www.atree.org
Contextual Condition(s): PHYSICAL: Water scarcity or drought
Additional Benefits: Long-term partnership(s) created
Beneficiaries: Local communities / domestic users
Planning & Implementation Time: More than 3 years
Primary Funding Source: pool
Project Challenges: RESOURCES: Lack of financial resources
Project Source: Admin
Profile Completion: 80%

Project Overview

Groundwater is playing an increasingly important role in IndiaÕs economy, contributing to over 65% of net irrigated area, 85% of domestic water use and significant industrial water use. There is increasing concern that groundwater mining is occurring in many parts of India, extracting far beyond what can be naturally replenished. If groundwater depletion is not managed, then it could result in loss of livelihoods for millions. Already, rural-urban migration is driven in part…

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Groundwater is playing an increasingly important role in IndiaÕs economy, contributing to over 65% of net irrigated area, 85% of domestic water use and significant industrial water use. There is increasing concern that groundwater mining is occurring in many parts of India, extracting far beyond what can be naturally replenished. If groundwater depletion is not managed, then it could result in loss of livelihoods for millions. Already, rural-urban migration is driven in part by water insecurity. Government agencies, philanthropic organizations and CSR activities along with grassroots communities have been focusing on increasing water availability and water use efficiency via various rural water security programmes (RWSPs). Recently under the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL), a Central Sector Scheme for facilitating sustainable groundwater management with an outlay of INR 6000 crore (800 million USD). The scheme lays emphasis on community participation and demand side interventions for sustainable groundwater management in seven states in India and double farmers income. A cornerstone of this scheme is preparation of water security plans. However, there is no standard approach to creating rural water security plans. Based on a review of 23 such plans, we found that very little data analysis or problem diagnosis is being done. Most communities continue to narrowly focus on supply side interventions, even when all available water is allocated. And equitable allocation or climate resilience is not a consideration at all.
Basin and/or Contextual Conditions: PHYSICAL: Water scarcity or drought
Project Benefits: Long-term partnership(s) created
Indirect or Direct Beneficiaries: Local communities / domestic users
Months & Implementing: More than 3 years
Primary Funding Source: Pool funding (i.e., joint funding of several partners)
Challenges: RESOURCES: Lack of financial resources

Project Narrative

To improve water availability, quality, and accessibility in S‹o Paulo, The Nature Conservancy, together with public and private partners, is prioritizing natural infrastructureÑthe conservation and restoration of forests and grasslandsÑin the PCJ, Para’ba do Sul and Upper Tiete watersheds. Restoring watershed integrity and improving farming practices are viable investments to ensure water supplies. The investment mechanismÑwater fundsÑconnect downstream water users to the conservation of their water sources. In 2015, TNC launched the Green Blue Water Coalition in Brazil, convening private and public sector actors to raise awareness about nature-based solutions in crucial watersheds and to catalyze the needed resources for Water Funds in several metropolitan regions. This Coalition helped strengthen the S‹o Paulo Water Fund (SPWF), which now is in the Operation Phase, working towards maturity phase. The S‹o Paulo Water Fund is now at a pivotal point of growth. Dozens of pilot projects have yielded positive impacts on water quality. Collective action in partnership with local companies, such as AB InBev and Coca-Cola, have mainstreamed the concept of watershed conservation, and improve awareness where the private sector have a better understanding of the value of natural infrastructure. It is time to leverage this for greater impact for water resilience in partnership with the Water Resilience Coalition. With catalytic leadership from the WRC, we can: 1. Mobilize a broad coalition for natural infrastructure as an economically viable water security solution; and 2. Catalyze significant public funding streams to support wider restoration, conservation, and improved management in the PCJ. If we double down now, we can create net-positive water impact for parts of S‹o Paulo, reducing risk to people, industry, and agriculture.

Partner Organizations


Purpose Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a global non-profit organization that generates interdisciplinary knowledge to inform policy and practice towards conservation and sustainability. For over two decades, ATREE has worked on social-environmental issues from … Learn More

The Water Resilience Coalition, founded in 2020, is an industry-driven, CEO-led coalition of the UN Global Compact's CEO Water Mandate that aims to elevate global water stress to the top of the corporate agenda and preserve the world's freshwater resources … Learn More


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