Across the Indian countryside, women walk miles under the scorching sun to fetch water for their families. This daily ordeal drains them, as they juggle household responsibilities, caregiving, and farm work with limited resources. A 2024 study by the Observer Research Foundation reveals that in 80% of water-deprived households, it is predominantly women and girls who manage water.

As the climate crisis intensifies, this daily task, which impacts both household consumption and farming, has become even more demanding, pushing women to find innovative ways to adapt. In Maharashtra’s Nashik district, erratic rainfall has dried up groundwater sources, making farming increasingly difficult. Traditionally, Adivasi farmers cultivated ragi (finger millet), a rain-fed crop well suited to the region. But in the past few decades, ragi crops have suffered infestations and disease, leading to a sharp decline in productivity. This has pushed many farmers toward paddy cultivation, a more marketable but water-intensive crop that further depletes scarce water resources. Paddy farming also relies heavily on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, compounding environmental stress.

The Nashik community discussed these challenges with a not-for-profit organisation. Through the distressed farmers, organisations recognized the importance of reviving ragi and how it could help restore stability – providing both climate resilience and essential nutrition. The women in the community, in particular, were concerned about ensuring their families received the right nourishment, and ragi offered a solution while also reducing reliance on irrigation. However, reviving ragi cultivation alone wasn’t sufficient; the community also needed water security.

To tackle the water crisis, the construction of water storage structures such as ponds, lakes, and small reservoirs—on forest land across the village were built. These water bodies provided irrigation during dry spells, recharged groundwater, and ensured water availability for livestock and horticulture crops.

In some villages, this additional water allowed farmers to rear more livestock and cultivate rabi crops—something previously impossible (a first in many years). Increased water availability also opened up new livelihoods. Families diversified their incomes with goat and poultry farming, reducing dependency on uncertain agricultural yields and curbing distress migration.

Much like Nashik, Marathwada is also infamous for drought — an unwelcome but frequent guest, with communities grappling with their own set of challenges and finding different ways to respond. In Aurangabad district, water scarcity permeates every facet of life, affecting work, health, and economic stability. When harvests fail, men migrate, leaving women behind to manage both farms and households.

Over 1,000 people were mobilised to implement community-driven solutions such as contour trenches—shallow channels dug along slopes to capture rainwater—and loose boulder structures, which slow down flowing streams to recharge groundwater.

This was a fully community-led effort—villagers pooled their own resources, even raising donations to hire machinery. By reviving traditional rainwater harvesting methods, they secured over 300 days of uninterrupted water supply, dramatically improving access to water for farming and daily use.

These community mobilisation initiatives in Tekadi Tanda, Aurangabad district and other villages have significantly empowered women, enabling them to expand their focus beyond immediate needs and pursue broader livelihood improvements. Many of them are engaged in farm-linked enterprises such as food processing, dairy, and livestock rearing.

Alka Jadhav, a resident of Mharola village, supports her family of four by working as a daily wage labourer on farms. But she doesn’t stop there—she also makes and sells homemade pickles, jams, chutneys, and herbal products, creating small but steady income streams. For women like Alka, these enterprises are unlocking opportunities beyond unreliable farm wages.

As communities work towards water security and stable livelihoods, the crisis takes on different forms in other regions. In the Sundarbans, where climate change induced rising sea levels, cyclones, and associated floods push saltwater deep into inland freshwater sources, the water crisis is not just about scarcity—it is about quality deterioration. Agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and salt intrusion have poisoned local water bodies, turning the region’s lifeline into a source of harm.

Women, who spend hours waist-deep in these waters—fishing, collecting plants, washing, and bathing—are facing devastating health consequences. Prolonged exposure to contaminated water has led to a surge in urinary tract infections, painful cramps, irregular menstrual cycles, and severe risks for pregnant women. Yet, for many, this remains the only available water source.

The crisis worsens with every cyclone and associated floods, when swollen rivers spill over into ponds, homes and fields, transforming entire villages into breeding grounds for disease.

A solution to address this is to focus on raising awareness about the interconnected challenges of the climate crisis, water contamination, and women's health while equipping them with the skills to design locally driven solutions for safe water access, secure and sustainable livelihoods, and leadership.

The change is already visible. Women who once suffered in silence are now speaking up—demanding policy action, influencing local governance, and driving solutions that work for their communities.

As the climate crisis accelerates, their struggles will only intensify. But so too will their resolve. Because for these women, securing water isn’t just about survival—it’s about reclaiming control over their lives, their lands, and their futures.

This article is authored by Jayati Chourey, executive director, SaciWATERs, Ashwini Kulkarni, director, Pragati Abhiyan and Joy Daniel, founder & director, Lipok Social Foundation. All the organisations are members of ClimateRISE Alliance.