HUF supports water conservation and governance initiatives across different river basins, diverse geographies and hydrogeological zones. Initiatives are primarily driven by community action through strong decentralised grassroots institutions. The portfolio of projects covers supply side augmentation (through interventions ranging from tanks to watersheds to command area management) and more efficient use of water in agriculture through practices that are easy to adopt by small and marginal famers. The objective is to increase water use application efficiency in agriculture, increase agriculture productivity and subsequently well-being of farming communities. Interventions are prioritised based on the interplay of ground water and rainfall trends for a program region:
The Foundation supports and funds non-profit organizations to:
Mitigate drought distress; enable water security for India's farmers
Promote efficient use of water in agriculture; catalyse farmer well-being
Create community institutions to manage and govern water resources
Aligned with these principles, the Foundation’s programs measure and track impact across three broad categories:
Availability of water
Water usage efficiency
Ground water recharge
Labor days generated
Farm production
Enhanced income and well-being
Institutions
Knowledge systems
Social equity