Mawsynram Declaration of 2019

The Mawsynram Declaration of 2019 is a landmark community-driven initiative adopted in August 2019 by 24 villages in the Mawsynram region of the East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya, India. It represents a collective agreement among local communities to address the paradox of water scarcity in one of the wettest places on Earth through sustainable water management, rainwater harvesting, and catchment area conservation.

Background and Context

Mawsynram is globally known for its extraordinary rainfall, often exceeding 11,000 millimetres annually. Despite this, the local population experiences acute water shortages during the dry months due to rapid surface runoff, poor storage capacity, and lack of proper infrastructure. The uneven distribution of rainfall and the absence of groundwater recharge systems led to seasonal scarcity and dependence on distant water sources.
Recognising the urgency of the problem, village councils and traditional institutions in Mawsynram came together to form a unified action plan. Supported by local governance mechanisms and community-based organisations, the Mawsynram Declaration was created as a collective pledge to conserve, harvest, and manage water resources sustainably.

Core Objectives

The Mawsynram Declaration was guided by three primary objectives:

1. To ensure year-round water security for households and agriculture through rainwater harvesting and storage systems.
2. To protect and rejuvenate natural catchments and watersheds for long-term ecological balance.
3. To promote community ownership and collective management of water resources through traditional village governance structures.

These objectives reflected the broader goal of converting Mawsynram’s rainfall abundance into a sustainable source of livelihood and resilience against climatic variability.

Key Commitments and Provisions

Under the Declaration, each participating village agreed to implement specific actions within its jurisdiction to achieve water self-sufficiency.
Key commitments included:

• Allocation of Community Land: Each village was to earmark a portion of its land for constructing water harvesting and recharge structures.
• Construction of Water Infrastructure: Villages committed to building check-dams, percolation pits, recharge trenches, and storage tanks to collect and store rainwater.
• Land Acquisition for Common Use: In villages lacking community land, the Declaration authorised collective efforts to purchase private land for creating common water assets.
• Catchment Area Management: Each community pledged to undertake afforestation, soil conservation, and controlled grazing in catchment zones to protect water sources.
• Institutional Collaboration: The traditional village councils (dorbar shnong) and Village Employment Councils (VECs) were made responsible for planning, implementing, and maintaining water structures using local labour and resources.

Implementation and Early Outcomes

By the end of 2019, several villages had already begun implementing the commitments made under the Declaration.

• Langsymphut village constructed a large check-dam near the Symper Peak foothills, creating a sustainable source of water and potential eco-tourism site.
• Mawteibah village initiated afforestation and recharge trenching in its designated catchment area.
• Mawhiang village faced land ownership challenges but undertook community negotiations to expand its check-dam and storage facilities.

These early successes demonstrated the potential of collective natural resource management and community participation in solving local water issues.

Ecological and Social Importance

The Mawsynram Declaration is significant for several reasons:

• It exemplifies community-led natural resource management where traditional institutions take responsibility for local environmental solutions.
• It emphasises the integration of land, water, and forest management, recognising the interdependence between ecosystems and livelihoods.
• The initiative provides a practical model for climate adaptation, showing how regions with extreme rainfall can build resilience against seasonal scarcity.
• It promotes inclusive governance, encouraging participation of women, youth, and local self-help groups in decision-making and implementation.

Role of Local Institutions

The strength of the Mawsynram Declaration lies in the customary governance systems of the Khasi hills. Village councils function as the primary decision-making bodies, maintaining customary laws and community consensus. These councils coordinated with development programmes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) to mobilise local labour and government funding for construction activities.
The Village Employment Councils (VECs) served as key implementing agencies, ensuring transparency, equitable resource allocation, and community monitoring. The involvement of local elders and women’s groups ensured social legitimacy and long-term maintenance of assets.

Challenges in Implementation

While the Mawsynram Declaration made significant progress, several challenges emerged during its implementation:

• Land ownership issues: Some villages lacked sufficient community land, leading to delays in identifying sites for water infrastructure.
• Maintenance of assets: Ensuring long-term upkeep of structures required sustained community commitment and technical guidance.
• Institutional coordination: Collaboration between traditional institutions and government agencies occasionally faced procedural gaps.
• Monitoring and data collection: Lack of consistent hydrological data limited the measurement of groundwater recharge and yield improvement.

Nevertheless, the spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility helped communities overcome many of these challenges through consensus-building and local innovation.

Broader Implications

The Mawsynram Declaration holds wider implications for sustainable water governance and community-based climate resilience in India:

• It illustrates how decentralised decision-making can effectively manage natural resources.
• It supports the goals of India’s Jal Shakti Abhiyan and the National Water Mission, which encourage local water harvesting and conservation.
• It serves as a replicable model for other high-rainfall yet water-scarce regions, such as parts of the Western Ghats and Northeast India.
• It strengthens the link between ecosystem restoration and livelihood improvement, aligning with the national objective of environmental sustainability.

Significance in Environmental Policy

The Mawsynram Declaration aligns with the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), emphasising community participation, catchment protection, and the convergence of development schemes. It also complements India’s climate adaptation strategies by fostering nature-based solutions to local environmental challenges.
The Declaration reflects a shift from dependence on centralised water supply schemes to community-owned water security systems, where social capital and ecological awareness drive sustainable development.