The Water Data Podcast

32 Episodes

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25 Years of Watching Groundwater at the Kabini Critical Zone Observatory with Sekhar Muddu

2026-09-1501:11:23

What can 25 years of observing the same watershed teach us about groundwater? Can intensive pumping make groundwater deeper in valleys than on hills? Can decades of depletion be reversed by just a few exceptionally wet years? And how does fertilizer applied at the surface end up contaminating groundwater tens of metres below? Professor Shekhar Muddu joins host Veena Srinivasan on the Water Data Podcast for a deep dive into the Kabini Critical Zone Observatory and what decades of field measure...

Why Safe Drinking Water Is More Than a Technology Problem with Isha Ray

2026-09-0101:12:41

What does it actually take to provide safe and affordable drinking water for everyone? And if households must store, filter, boil or buy water before they can safely drink it, can we really say the water system is providing a service? In this episode of The Water Data Podcast, host Veena Srinivasan speaks with Professor Isha Ray, formerly of the Energy and Resources Group at the University of California, Berkeley, about drinking water access, affordability, inequality and the hidden labour in...

Why More Water Won't Fix Water Scarcity with Newsha Ajami

2026-08-1801:10:07

How does saving water create a financial crisis for the utilities that supply it? And why do cities continue building water systems based on laws, infrastructure, and climate assumptions that are no longer relevant? In this episode of The Water Data Podcast, Newsha Ajami joins host Veena Srinivasan to unpack the hidden risks inside modern water systems- from outdated water rights and groundwater overuse to drought, demand management, decentralised reuse, and climate resilience. Newsha Ajami i...

How does the world measure water? with Maggie Kossida

2026-08-0453:29

What does it mean to measure water for the entire planet? Who collects the data behind SDG 6? And how do numbers from hundreds of countries become a global picture of water security, sanitation, wastewater, ecosystems and governance? In this episode of The Water Data Podcast, Dr Maggie Kossida , from the UN-Water Integrated Monitoring Initiative for SDG 6 joins host Veena Srinivasan. Dr Kossida helps coordinate one of the world’s most ambitious water-data efforts: bringing together informatio...

Can Data Help Communities Govern Water with Aaditeshwar Seth

2026-07-2149:39

What if technology was designed not to manage communities, but to strengthen their voice and agency? In this episode of the Water Data Podcast, Professor Aaditeshwar Seth of IIT Delhi joins host Veena Srinivasan. Aaditeshwar is the co-founder of Gram Vaani and one of the key people behind CoreStack, a digital public infrastructure for commons, resilience, and equity. In this episode, Aaditeshwar traces his journey from computer science and rural communication networks to building participator...

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