Proceedings of the workshop on water management; India's ground water challange areas

These proceeding describe a workshop on "Water Management: India's Groundwater Challenge," held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on December 14-16, 1993, sponsored by the Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction (VIKSAT) and The Pacific Institute. The purpose of the workshop was threefold: to focus attention on the growing problem of water scarcity and groundwater overdevelopment, to bring together individuals with a wide range of experiences (national and state government, nongovernment organizations at the national and local levels. academic researchers, and international donor agencies) into one forum, and to generate an agenda for future work toward effective groundwater management approaches.

The workshop was organized somewhat unconventionally to allow for as much discussion as possible. Papers were solicited nationally and internationally: ultimately there were 69 included in the workshop. The papers were used in several ways. Prior to the workshop they were used by the organizers and editors to focus the sessions and develop background summaries of issues in which attention was drawn to specific papers most relevant to the discussion. During the workshop itself the paper abstracts served as quickly digestible summaries to which participants were referred by the session background materials. Finally, most of the papers, distributed at registration, went home with all participants for more thorough perusal at their convenience. While only the abstracts have been included in these proceedings, interested readers are encouraged to contact the authors (see the participant list) for a copy of the full paper. Papers are also available from VIKSAT on request for the cost of reproduction and mailing

This format generated substantive discussions on emerging groundwater problems. While each day included a keynote speaker, whose paper or presentation is included in full in these proceedings, most of the workshop consisted of discussion groups focused on a specific set of issues and questions, chaired by a discussion leader recruited in advance from among the participants. Each discussion was recorded by at least two people, and the summary presented orally to the entire assembly as well as included in these proceedings. The format changed for the final session of the workshop, a plenary panel discussion of legal issues emerging in the debate on water rights and water scarcity. The proceedings includes this discussion also.

Note: Abstracts have been edited, and where absent from papers, were complied by the editors. In the interest of preparing this proceedings for circulation as rapidly as possible, these have not been circulated to paper authors for comment. We take responsibility for and regret any omissions or misstatements that resulted.