India: Women of Nandgarh lead science-based solutions to the water crisis

This case study belongs to a compendium of good practices and success stories in disaster risk reduction shared during the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025). These stories reflect the real-world progress being made by governments, communities, and organizations around the world to reduce risk and build resilience.

In the rural village of Nandgarh, in India’s Punjab state, a group of young women aged 25–35, each with a basic education in science, stepped forward to confront one of their community’s most pressing challenges: water scarcity and declining groundwater quality. Recognizing the critical link between water security and resilience, they launched a grassroots initiative to educate fellow women in their native language about water potability, falling groundwater levels, and practical measures for safeguarding water resources.

Viewing themselves as active disaster risk managers, the women mobilized around solutions to tackle the crisis. Under their leadership, and with the support of the male members of the community, Nandgarh’s women spearheaded the construction of two types of water tanks—one for household use and one for livestock. They implemented rainwater harvesting systems to capture and store rainfall for drinking and for replenishing underground aquifers. In addition, they oversaw the digging of ground wells to expand access to groundwater.

To make the water potable, the women pooled their savings to purchase low-cost purification solutions, such as chlorine tablets that can be activated by sunlight to improve water quality. This initiative demonstrates the untapped potential of rural women as agents of disaster risk reduction when supported with the tools and knowledge of STI. Their efforts challenged gender norms, showing that women can lead both the intellectual and physical aspects of resilience building.

Source: Submitted via the GP2025 Share Your Success Story survey