The Social Science of Water: Beyond Hydrology ft Trevor Birkenholtz | Water Data Podcast

Описание: In this episode of The Water Data Podcast, Professor Trevor Birkenholtz (Penn State University) (https://www.geog.psu.edu/directory/tr...) joins host Veena Srinivasan (https://welllabs.org/veena-srinivasan/ ) to unpack the political ecology of water in India, from the borewell revolution to canal reallocation and large-scale infrastructure projects.

Trevor Birkenholtz is a political ecologist and development geographer with regional interests in South Asia and the United States. His empirical interests are in water-supply development, water infrastructure, wetlands and the politics of environmental change.

This conversation explores how water systems are shaped not just by engineering, but by power, history, caste, labor, and policy decisions. How do subtle reservoir rule changes dispossess farmers? And why is urban “drinking water” often an industrial demand?

Drawing on two decades of fieldwork in Rajasthan, Trevor explains how qualitative research works, how groundwater transformed Indian agriculture, and why infrastructure is never politically neutral. This is a deep dive into the politics behind water systems — and why understanding them requires looking beyond pipes and pumps.

This episode is essential listening for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working at the intersection of water, agriculture, and development.

The Water Data Podcast is a talk show on the science, systems, and stories of water hosted by Veena Srinivasan (  / veenasrinivasan  ) .

For all references and further readings related to the episode, visit https://welllabs.org/wdp-trevor-birke...

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Recording by Vraj Acharya and Nabina Chakraborty. Video editing by Vraj Acharya. Graphics and artwork by Aparna Nambiar and Kanishka Goyal. Audio mixing and mastering by Vijay Doiphode. Podcast production and management by Nabina Chakraborty and Pavan Srinath.

Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Highlights
01:42 Introduction
03:06 Critical Social Science & Water Research
06:08 Research Methodology
15:06 How Trevor started his work in India
18:55 Groundwater Scarcity & Borewell
24:14 Like, subscribe, and share
24:34 Water Inequality & Social Structures
27:39 Aquifers, Climate Adaptation & Cropping
32:25 Gender, Labour & Agriculture
42:32 Water Infrastructure Impacts
53:01 Check out the video episode
53:14 Policy Shifts & Infrastructure Politics
01:00:28 Academia, Policy & Public Engagement
01:07:24 Data, Knowledge & Closing Reflections