Groundwater governance toolbox: Guidance for improving groundwater governance: IPSR Innovation Profile

Groundwater is an especially challenging resource to govern because it is mobile and difficult to observe. Imposing external rules often fails to work and community-led approaches to groundwater governance are scarce. This NEXUS Gains groundwater governance toolbox provides examples of innovative procedures, policy instruments, and institutional tools for those involved in improving groundwater governance. It aims to help stakeholders to understand problems and opportunities, consider and potentially agree on norms or rules to prevent aquifer depletion, and promote more productive use of water. These institutional tools for groundwater governance can address complex nexus linkages, such as transitioning to solar-powered pumping, aquifer recharging, and storage for drought resilience and ecosystem restoration. This toolbox provides government agencies and communities with resources to consider, combine, and adapt available instruments, creating tailored governance solutions for a specific context.

Citation: Meinzen-Dick, R., Bruns, B., Priyadarshini, P., Guha, C. and Sanil, R. 2023. Groundwater governance toolbox: Guidance for improving groundwater governance: IPSR Innovation Profile. First edition, August 2023. Montpellier: CGIAR System Organization

Permanent link to cite or share this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10568/132628