ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The low density of current groundwater instrumentation networks in developing countries, which are both cost and management intensive, are an impediment to informed management of groundwater in these countries. By way of contrast, local knowledge of groundwater which is often perceptive has greater spatial coverage and can be obtained at a relatively lower cost. One efficient way to tap such local groundwater knowledge is through well drillers. In the Vaishali district of Bihar state in eastern India, a new methodological approach is used to identify and sensitize well drillers towards creating a local groundwater database. A localized database for a single village is created using the knowledge and current practice of the local drillers. Though subjective with various sources of uncertainty, the knowledge is verifiable and cost-effective. There is a potential for up scaling this approach to create accurate regional groundwater databases at low cost.
