Water and you: Using transformative scenario planning to think critically about the future of water security in Bangalore, India

The IIHS convened over 60 diverse water stakeholders over a period of 18 months using TSP to develop ‘Vision 2030’, a shared view of how water security can be improved in Bangalore city.

Multiple issues have been threatening the water security of Bengaluru city viz. declining groundwater levels, supply shortages, pollution and contamination of water bodies, encroachment of lake beds and many more. To address these issues and to find a plausible way forward, over 60 stakeholders (government officials, NGO representatives, academia, citizen action group members, entrepreneurs, and journalists) participated in the Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) process. They were guided through a series of 3 workshops to build a shared understanding of the current water situation in the dynamic context of Bangalore, in order to co-create four future scenarios. For each scenario, opportunities and threats were identified, enabling them to identify key actions that need to be implemented to achieve ‘Vision 2030.’

Most participants agreed that there was value in such a collaborative effort such as TSP and, while they had the opportunity to interact with stakeholders with varied perspectives regarding Bangalore's water, they also learnt about a new methodology in the process. Some participants articulated a transformation in language and understanding of the water situation in Bangalore, while some other participants also managed to collaborate outside of the TSP process on various water issues – displaying a transformation in relationships, intention and actions

The scenarios were made in:

2017

The scenarios look out to:

2030