Environmental Defense Fund 100d ago

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh, India, face growing pressure from prolonged droughts and declining water tables. A unique groundwater collectivization program, led by the Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), helps farmers form collectives to share groundwater through piped networks and social agreements — boosting yields, expanding irrigation access, and reducing the pressure to drill new borewells. EDF and WELL Labs are studying the impact of the approach to understand what's working — and to help build the evidence base for scaling effective groundwater solutions across India. Special thanks to Cheela Bakkareddy and WASSAN for their partnership in creating this video. Producers: Jonathan Seefeldt, Ronna Kelly, Ananya Revanna, Leah Beaulac Videographers: Manram Collective, V Thirivikraman, Sujith MC, Adhiyamaan VKD Editor: Drew Petrimoulx Translators: Shashidhar Reddy, Leo Paapam Special thanks: Anjaneyulu, Tulsamma, Neelkantha, Lakshmi Devi, Vivek Grewal, Ann Hayden, Gopal Penny