Veena Srinivasan

Veena Srinivasan-Image

Dr Veena Srinivasan is executive director at WELL (Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods) Labs. Prior to this, Veena worked for several years on energy and water issues in India, California, and globally in the private and nonprofit sectors. Veena has a PhD from Stanford University's Emmet Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER). She also holds a master's in energy and environmental studies from Boston University and a BTech in Engineering Physics from IIT Bombay.


Articles by Veena Srinivasan


People sitting in a group and talking_social impact

May 29, 2024
Evaluating social impact at the grassroots
Development models often overlook natural capital and focus solely on economic shifts. But what could measuring the liveability of a place tell us?
solar panels in an agricultural field_government schemes

February 21, 2024
Do we need to rethink how government schemes are tested?
Pilots typically precede mass rollout of government schemes, but their success in India's diverse contexts may vary. Are simulations a more efficient alternative?
Groundwater recharging system_Atal Bhujal Yojana

November 1, 2023
Atal Bhujal Yojana: A (mis) calculated approach
The Atal Bhujal Yojana aims to address groundwater depletion and encourage community-led water security plans. But it may not be taking into account a key component of water flows.
A long, empty, arched corridor_Unsplash-ecology research

February 2, 2022
“Research needs to leave the ivory tower of academia”
For sustainability science to offer relevant solutions, research models must move closer to practice and address questions that emerge from the community, instead of academia alone.
water containers outside a well-water security

December 15, 2021
We cannot achieve water security without good data
Solving India’s water crisis requires us to take a hard look at how we collect and use data.
Indian girl pouring water_water scarcity_ASwaminathan

August 16, 2019
Water is getting scarce in India, but not for everyone
India's water problem is not about running out of water but about how to allocate a fixed resource. Without doing the latter equitably, India's water future remains bleak.
A materials engineering blueprint

July 18, 2019
The ‘science-policy-practitioner’ divide
Due to silos between stakeholders, the people with the expertise on particular problems are often not the ones implementing solutions. We need to create a culture of learning across disciplines.
An open sewage water way next to houses_water pollution_Wikimedia Commons

June 14, 2019
It’s time to re-imagine water systems in cities
Our sewerage systems have not kept pace with urbanisation, and with Indian cities growing rapidly, it's worth examining how this impacts water.
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