Understanding the mental models that promote water sharing for agriculture through group micro-irrigation models in Maharashtra, India

Water insecurity is a growing concern as economic activities, expanding population, lifestyle changes, etc., are increasing, in contrast to the amount of precipitation being received. Studies for India have shown an increasing trend in the frequency of dry spells, and droughts occur every decade, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions where droughts occur at least twice a decade. As a consequence of low rainfall and increasing usage of groundwater, the groundwater levels are decreasing at a rate predicting a water crisis in the future. Therefore, as an adaptive solution, Watershed Organization Trust, an NGO based in Pune, has implemented a Group Micro-irrigation model (GMI) in three locations in the semi-arid landscapes of Maharashtra. The goal of the model was to create a sense among people about groundwater as a common resource rather than an individual property. Farms of these group members were connected to micro-irrigation, and appropriate climate-resilient practices were advised. A mental model of farmers is drawn to highlight their thinking process and identify the enabling and disabling factors for GMI adoption. It has been found that a sense of water security through cooperation, systematic operations, key persons' assistance, etc. were the critical enablers for the adoption of GMI. At the same time, climate-related stresses and their impacts were the primary disabling factor. The article aims to highlight the importance of considering behavioural aspects such as psychology, beliefs, and attitude as independent components, which has been given limited attention in the Indian agriculture and water context. It also looks into the importance of these aspects in framing sustainability, and adaptation frameworks to help formulate water-sharing policies and/or other interventions in order to enhance sustainable behaviour and the adaptation capacity of the farmers.