This case study on proven methods and practices by women in arid areas of India provides lessons for more immediate and sustainable alternatives in dealing with the water and climate crises. This paper identifies three principles and two sets of policy level interventions necessary to enhance water and food security for marginal communities by drawing on the experiences of the Tamilnadu Women’s Collective (WC), a state-level federation of women’s groups from 1,500 villages.  The study is particularly relevant for highly populous and arid countries like India and China with emerging economies.