In this blog, Zeenat Niazi discusses the need for novel forms of learning to plan for resilient water systems in human settlements. Resilient systems require flexible internal structures that can adapt or transform to deliver desired outcomes in response to changing circumstances. Learning mechanisms within governance and management systems are critical to ensure adaptive capacities. However, most monitoring and evaluation systems used by local governance in India are merely trackers and do not bridge with learning to support planning and plan implementation. The editorial suggests four areas of consideration to address this issue.