SANGEETH K
Mr. Saurabh Srivastava
sangeeth_k@nid.edu
Water? is a critical and speculative design project emerging from the complex landscape of water scarcity and anxiety. Rooted in field research in landslide-affected regions of Wayanad, Kerala, the project draws on first-hand narratives and cultural shifts to explore how water shapes human life. Through ethnographic immersion and research on disaster management, the project identifies how water-related distress manifests across different phases of disaster before, during, and after. The work moves beyond infrastructure to focus on the intangible: memory, silence, and fear. The project takes a speculative turn with BioHydro, a fictional capsule designed to produce water internally through engineered gut microbiota. Positioned in a 2049 scenario of extreme scarcity, BioHydro critiques the privatization and individualization of resources. Accompanied by designed artifacts and a participatory workshop framework, the project invites participants to interact with this speculative future, questioning their present water ethics and the meaning of resource responsibility.