Using Transformative Scenario Planning to think critically about the future of water in rural Jalna, India

Jalna, a drought-prone district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra in India, faces serious water challenges. Some of the causes are recurrent drought, drought-like conditions and notable weather changes, crop loss and failure, and increasing demand on groundwater by farmers, industry and urbanisation, with declining groundwater levels. Water scarcity for domestic and livelihood needs of rural households is of grave concern, and finding sustainable solutions to this complex problem is beyond the capacity of any single agency. 

 

The Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), one of ASSAR's partners in India, invited a diverse group of relevant stakeholders to the first of two Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) workshops to share their views in a neutral space, and construct a shared understanding of the situation and the actions they can take to address it. Developed by Reos Partners, TSP offers a way for social systems to get unstuck and move forward. The TSP workshop was presented from from 18-19 September 2017 at Krushi Vidnyan Kendra, Jalna, in the local language of Marathi. In this brief, the WOTR team describes the outcomes of the first workshop.