Experiences from India

This presentation explores the use of experiential learning games to strengthen groundwater governance, collective action, and sustainable water management in India, where groundwater depletion poses significant challenges. The games allow community members to simulate water-use decisions, observe long-term resource impacts, and engage in facilitated discussions on local water management problems and solutions. Evidence from multiple interventions across several Indian states shows that these games can promote behavioral and institutional change, including adoption of water-saving practices, stronger local water governance, improved infrastructure maintenance, and greater participation of women in decision-making. The presentation highlights successful scaling efforts through partnerships with government and nongovernmental organizations and discusses how participatory gaming approaches can support community engagement, disaster preparedness, and water resource planning in broader resilience and climate adaptation initiatives. -Abstract generated by Copilot AI 2.2