in the place where sth is happening and among the people who are in the situation, especially a war :
On the ground, there are hopes that the fighting will soon stop.
There's a lot of support for the policy on the ground.
ON THE GROUND
Meaning of ON THE GROUND in English
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005