Why is water never just a technical problem? Who gets water, who loses access, and who gets to decide? In this episode of the Water Data Podcast, Professor Margreet Zwarteveen, an internationally recognised scholar of water governance, irrigation, gender, and the politics of natural resources, joins host Veena Srinivasan, Executive Director at WELL Labs. Margreet Zwarteveen is Professor of Water Governance Education at IHE Delft and Professor of Governance and Inclusive Development at the University of Amsterdam. Trained first as an irrigation engineer and later as a social scientist, her work has shaped how we understand water as a deeply social and political resource. In this conversation, Margreet explains why every water intervention – whether it is a dam, canal, borewell, drip irrigation system or water market , all make political choices. Technical designs decide who gets access to water, whose labour is recognised, whose land and water rights matter, and whose knowledge is ignored. The episode explores irrigation resettlement schemes, farmer participation, water titling, gender in irrigation engineering, the risks of narrow efficiency metrics, and the hidden politics behind “wise” water use. Margreet also discusses why women’s water work is often invisible, how borewells and infrastructure reshape water access, and why water governance must learn from everyday practices on the ground. The Water Data Podcast is a talk show on the science, systems, and stories of water, hosted by Veena Srinivasan. For all references and further readings related to the episode, visit https://welllabs.org/wdp-margreet-zwarteveen/ Subscribe to The Water Data Podcast on your favourite podcast app—and catch video episodes on the WELL Labs YouTube channel @welllabs. Subscription links: Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Audible, Castbox, and wherever you get your podcasts! Recording by Nanditha Gogate 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.
