Changing hydrosocial relations in the era of climate change: the case of water governance and new technologies in Ladakh's cryosphere

Technical Summary

AIRs have emerged as climate adaptation technologies to cope with seasonal water scarcity in the changing cryospheric environments of Ladakh. In the era of climate change, it is important to study technologies promoted as climate adaptation solutions to uncover how they relate to the needs of communities and existing power relations. Taking AIRs in Ladakh as a case, this study uses qualitative methods, political ecology perspectives on water, and hydrosocial theory to show how hydrosocial relations are (re)configured in the development, adoption, and implementation of these technologies. Findings show that hydrosocial relations are configured between different actors through shared values, integration of new technologies with existing infrastructures, integration of different knowledges, and collective understanding of the sacredness of water and land. However, value conflicts and lack of integration into existing water governance and traditional infrastructures can lead to reluctance to accept AIRs, discontinued maintenance, fragmented implementation, and confusion between actors regarding the uses of meltwater, potentially leading to conflict. This study shows that while complex socio-natural power relations are embedded within these technologies and in their implementation, not all power relations are necessarily visible or rooted in resource conflict. Competing knowledge systems can be negotiated, tested, and modified, influencing the acceptance of climate adaptation technologies such as AIRs.