
Over centuries, water storage in India has been in small reservoirs which also recharge groundwater aquifers. These structures have the potential to achieve a wide range of societal goals. Nevertheless, many communities fail to manage them sustainably. One reason is that the reservoirs are Common Pool Resources where there are incentives to freeride on the maintenance investments of others. Community-based water management schemes are developed in response to these challenges. Often, the water infrastructure works well as long as there is external facilitation but the maintenance breaks down as soon as projects come to an end.