“…Nevertheless, in many (particularly developing) countries, critical natural systems such as groundwater continue to be managed, at least partly, as a common pool resource, where beneficiaries of the resource commonly lack information about how their decisions and activities impact on the decisions, plans and benefits of other beneficiaries (Madani and Dinar, 2012). Rapid development of appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) policy, and public education about that policy in the context of a common pool resource, is therefore of particular concern for groundwater quality management in developing countries; however, the successful development and implementation of such policy is predicated on 1) the establishment of baseline data (Back, et al, 2018), and 2) development of a complete understanding of the physical, climatic, sociopolitical, economic and cultural factors that frame and underpin the value of the groundwater system (e.g., Barnaby, 2009, Fowler, et al, 2003, Gill, et al, 2017, Jennaway, 2008). Only with this knowledge in hand can sustainable development of the groundwater system proceed effectively under an essentially systems-thinking approach (e.g., Hipel, Obeidi, Fang and Kilgour, 2008) to holistic water resource management.…”