ACWADAM's mission is to stimulate and facilitate work related to groundwater management in various parts of India, through partnerships, while evolving into an institution that works on aquifer-based groundwater management. A not-for-profit organisation that aims at establishing a groundwater management agenda in India, ACWADAM has set itself an agenda that is based on the science of hydrogeology and the principles of managing a "common pool resource" through scientifically based participatory processes.
ACWADAM is now recognized as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
ACWADAM's action research has spanned two decades now. Moreover, its action research is backed by more than 35 years of conventional academic research by its founder trustees. The focus of this research is groundwater management. The action research has included scientific aspects of developing implementable plans for groundwater management, without overemphasising the need to publish research in a classically academic mode.
The conventional over-emphasis on scientific precision in aquifer understanding, ironically casts a mysterious mask on the pedagogy of groundwater as a common pool resource whereas this very aspect should become fundamental to many public programmes dealing with water, given India's large dependency on groundwater resources. In many ways, this contradiction leads to a disregard of science in various programmes.
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ACWADAM's core strength and focus is to generate and disseminate knowledge about aquifers. A demystified, 15-day foundation training on "Application of earth sciences in watershed management, with special emphasis on groundwater management" forms the basic activity to meet this objective. ACWADAM's trainings have been an ever evolving feature drawing from ACWADAM's action research and facilitation activities that have unfolded in parallel to its trainings. During its early phases, the training focussed on overlaying hydrogeology to watershed programmes so as to improve the programmes efficiency with regards to groundwater recharge.
The training has undergone a transformation over the past decade that maintains the fundamentals of hydrogeology while including aspects that deal with drinking water security, aquifer mapping and characterisation, groundwater quality...
Read More The outcomes of training and action research cannot be converted to impacts without collaboration, partnership and hand-holding. Field facilitation is a mode of providing direct field-level inputs to organisations implementing various programmes in the field. Projects and programmes such as watershed management, spring water management, drinking water and sanitation programmes, irrigation planning, revival of traditional systems of groundwater management and landscape planning have benefited through ACWADAM's portfolio on facilitation. Such facilitation provides the overlay of aquifers to a particular project, which in turn leads to preparing and implementing groundwater management plans. Many such efforts map quite well onto a partner organisation's existing project, providing ACWADAM the opportunity to pilot the concept of aquifer-based, participatory groundwater management.
Read More ACWADAM organises workshops on topics related to groundwater from time to time. These workshops include topics such as:
The workshops bring together representative members of different organisations and communities from various project areas generating a platform for mutual exchange of ideas and discussions over issues pertaining to the management of groundwater resources.
Read More ACWADAM offers internships to interested graduate and post graduate students of Hydrogeology, Geology, Environmental sciences, Watershed management and any other disciplines that require inputs from hydrogeology. Students are given practical experience on issues regarding hydrogeological research across India, depending upon ongoing projects by ACWADAM. Following a short interview, ACWADAM offers research opportunities, which the students can pursue as a formal dissertation or an external project to further their knowledge on using hydrogeology for developing practical solutions. The strength of ACWADAM's internships has been that the reports of internship research are implemented by the respective partner organisation, providing a special gratification to the students.
ACWADAM supports the student's research expenses for the entire duration of the research by covering all their research costs, including stipends.
Read More Customised hydrogeological inputs are offered by ACWADAM, especially in the field of watershed development, planning and implementation. This procedure involves two basic steps:
Disclaimer : Maps used in the website are only indicative and illustrative of geographic locations. No accuracy of any administrative boundary or the territory of India is claimed by ACWADAM.
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ACWADAM
Belas, Plot No. 5, Survey No: 1/7/8/1/15,
Kulashree Society, Karve Nagar, Pune - 411 052.
ACWADAM, 4, Lenyadri society,
Sus Road, Pashan,
Pune – 411021. Maharashtra, India
+91 9172246959
