From Local Success to Global Solutions: Tenets for Effective Groundwater Governance

Groundwater depletion driven by intensive pumping for irrigated agriculture poses a global threat to economies, food security, and ecosystems. Addressing this issue requires pumping reductions, but their implementation is a wicked problem due to interlinked hydrological, social, and economic factors. Our study inspired the working group "Effective Aquifer Governance for Agriculture," aiming to contribute to the HELPING decade's goals by understanding local socio-hydrological processes and promoting recognition in the implementation of general policies at the local level.

This interdisciplinary study explores the success of the Sheridan 6 Local Enhanced Management Area (SD-6 LEMA) in the US High Plains Aquifer—a rare example of effective collective action in agricultural-groundwater systems. In its first decade, SD-6 LEMA exceeded reduction goals, reducing depletion rates by over 50% without significantly impacting net income. By analyzing hydrologic, climatic, economic, and social data from the SD-6 LEMA and the presence of Ostrom Design Principles in the SD-6 LEMA conservation program, we identified transferable governance tenets applicable to groundwater-dependent regions. These include multi-year allocations for flexibility, regulatory oversight to support irrigators' plans, and a strong scientific foundation for monitoring the agricultural-groundwater system. Furthermore, we identified key actors (government, scientific community, resource users) responsible for each tenet and emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration (hydrologic, economic, social) and data availability necessary for each tenet. The success of the SD-6 LEMA underscores the pivotal role played by collaborative institutional crafting and evidence-based decision-making in legitimizing groundwater governance rules, enhancing rule compliance, and promoting overall effectiveness.

Our presented tenets provide a framework for groundwater conservation efforts worldwide, addressing the global challenge of groundwater depletion while minimizing economic and social impacts. Addressing the scale mismatch between global drivers of depletion and local communities requires future studies and socio-hydrological modeling approaches. Our working group will utilize these approaches to bridge the gap, linking hydrological, agricultural, and socio-economic modeling tools into a comprehensive framework. By doing so, we aim to help achieve sustainable groundwater management, mitigating the global challenge of depletion while promoting economic and social resilience.