Current-day development paradigms often predetermine both the problem and the solution. Scarcity of water, for example, entails creation of a development package for water provisioning through reservoirs, pumping stations, piped distribution network, and so forth. Often, defining the problem correctly is more critical, specially where traditional land occupation of a sensitive ecology can define both the 

problem and the solution very differently. 

The Khasi hills in Meghalaya have a long tradition of particular patterns of occupation of lands, blurring the lines of natural ecosystems and man-made landscapes. The fact that the region with the highest rainfall on the planet also suffers from severe water scarcity in recent years raises serious question on the current development paradigm.

Rather than address the scarcity issue as one of mere provisioning, a patient study of the region’s current ecological, social and livelihood cycles helped define the situation very differently. With its roots in the partitioning of the sub-continent by the colonials, the region has undergone a drastic transformation in its social and economic profile, the implications of which, are now felt in the natural resource cycle and the regional ecology. 

Historically, mixed cropping within the dense forests of the hilly terrain had ensured a healthy biodiversity and a stable hydrological cycle. Political borders fragmented traditional interdependencies between landscapes, causing severe disruption in land management practices. Jharu (broomstick grass) is now the dominant crop, severely damaging the soil structure. While rainfall patterns have remained the same, the surface and sub-surface water systems have been disrupted, 

leading to the water crisis. 

An iterative process of evolving short and long-term solutions opened multiple fronts for intervention. Changes in land management practices including cropping patterns and soil management were initiated in an incremental manner, piloted by the Khasi community in and around Mawlynnong. 

The long-term objectives of restoring the health of the land while ensuring stable livelihoods will be driven by the community, the success of which will hopefully inspire others in the region facing similar challenges. The entire process is communicated through story boards in the Khasi language to ensure wider and deeper sharing of knowledge.

The study and interventions were facilitated by Mr. Pinaki Roy and Father Lumlang; Mawlynnong is located on the India – Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, India.