Catalysing Water Governance: Empowering Communities for Sustainable Water Management

Securing access to safe drinking water remains a critical challenge, particularly in rural regions. Community participation offers a promising approach to water governance, but its effectiveness varies by context. This article explores the role of community engagement in eight villages from the Jagtial and Jogulamba Gadwal districts, Telangana, India. Based on a field survey of 403 households, members of Panchayats (local governments), government officials and community-based organisations (CBOs), the study analyses various forms of participation, including direct involvement in village and ward council meetings and indirect involvement through CBOs and non-governmental organisations. It assesses the impact of community participation on access to clean water, water provider accountability and water source sustainability. The research argues that community engagement is vital for effective water governance at the grassroots level. However, success hinges on adequate capacity building, resource allocation and sustained support from local authorities and other stakeholders.