Groundwater monitoring in humanitarian contexts – A Guide for Practitioners and Decision Makers 2026

In a time of overlapping challenges: climate disruption, prolonged conflict, and rapid urban growth, groundwater is often the primary safety net for reliable and safe water supply. Yet in many of the world’s most vulnerable regions, monitoring of the resource to support evidence-based, sustainable management remains scarce.

Groundwater Monitoring in Humanitarian Contexts offers a practical response. Bringing together field experience and global good practice, this guide provides clear and adaptable advice for designing and maintaining groundwater-monitoring systems in demanding settings. It covers the full monitoring process from initial scoping and design through to full operation and handover, and it includes guidance tailored for both short-term emergency work and long-term resilience building.

Developed through collaboration between humanitarian organisations and researchers, this resource is intended for programme leads, engineers national counterparts, and all those working to protect groundwater for communities under stress. It draws lessons from complex water environments across the globe, including drylands in East Africa, conflict-affected areas in Yemen and West Africa, and international displacement camps in Asia.

Whether you are planning a new monitoring system, working with an existing one, or seeking to learn more in a supporting capacity, this guide supports you with structured recommendations and honest reflections. It aims not just to promote and improve groundwater-monitoring practices, but to also start a more open ongoing conversation about the challenges of groundwater monitoring and how better practices can be continually developed to overcome these.