LUMAMI, NAGALAND : Nagaland University found that long-term water management initiatives like ‘Aquafer Recharge and Recovery’ (ASR) require sustained involvement of the local farming community to succeed. The success of ASR initiatives was found to be a social process requiring long-term engagement, financial support and peer-led governance models.
ASR initiatives could be a game-changer for hilly terrain and the water-scarce region of Nagaland and other North-Eastern parts of India. Collaboration with government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector will be essential to mainstreaming ASR into broader water resource management strategies.
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 ASR can alleviate water stress and enhance agricultural resilience. If scaled effectively and in a socially just manner, ASR could serve as a sustainable water management model for rural India in the face of increasing climate variability.
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 was led by Prof. Prabhakar Sharma, Nagaland University, with involved Dr. Aviram Sharma, Senior Researcher, University of Vigo, Spain, Dr. Somnath Bandyopadhyay, Independent Consultant – Som-Vrddhi Consulting, Gujarat, Dr. Anurag Verma, Researcher, Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, and Mr. Rahul Kumar Sinha, PhD. Student, 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.
Elaborating on this research, Prof. 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. We highlight that 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.”
Research Paper Co-Author Dr. Aviram Sharma, University of Vigo, Spain, added, “With farmer interest growing, there is potential for state-level scaling of ASR projects. However, to ensure sustained impact, future interventions must incorporate localised adaptation strategies, financial mechanisms for farmer participation, and long-term monitoring of groundwater trends for measuring the impacts of the ASR pits on groundwater aquifers. Interdisciplinary social science and scientific studies on ASR are crucial for making the adoption of ASR possible at the rate desired for climate-proof agriculture and tackling water stress at the local level. This kind of intervention can be useful for Nagaland and other water-scarce regions of India.”
