Inland Water Resources India

In India, the vast Inland water Resources are ill managed and improperly utilised. As such, the sustainable clean waters and their resources are becoming rare commodities! It is a fact that the optimal and sustainable utilisation of these waters and their resources require scientific and technical input from various disciplines. Hence, an attempt is made to gear up the valuable scientific information collected by the scientific personnel from all over India belonging to various disciplines such as Agriculture, Aquaculture, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering. Fisheries, Geography, Geology, Horticulture, Physics, Remote Sensing, Toxicology and Limnology. We hope the cluster of knowledge presented in these volumes will be useful to the reader.

India is endowed with varied topographical features, such as high mountains, extensive plateaus, and wide plains traversed by mighty rivers. Divided into four sections this book provides a comprehensive overview of water resources of India. A detailed treatment of all major river basins is provided. This is followed by a discussion on major uses of water in India. Finally, the closing chapters discuss views on water management policy for India.

Contributed articles.

This book investigates institutional dimensions of urban water supply in India, with a specific focus on institutional capabilities to provide drinking water to urban households in an efficient, equitable and sustainable manner. This book has been developed through empirical research within the context of growing urbanisation and increasing water needs of Indian cities, and the wider developmental goal of achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable water for all – as envisaged in goal 6 of the SDGs. This study revolves around three important aspects of urban water supply and governance. Firstly, it attempts to understand household water service delivery scenarios in urban India, drawing from case studies based on our household survey in four cities – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kochi and Hyderabad. Secondly, it examines the question of existing socio-economic inequality and access to water in an urban context in India. While dealing with the issue of inequality and access to water, it attempts to explore the question of whether access to water and water scarcity is socially neutral; whilst also analysing the mechanisms employed by the urban poor to manage their daily water needs. Thirdly, this book explores the role of institutions for efficient and effective delivery of water in urban India. The institutional analysis from a comparative perspective provides important insights to guide current reforms in domestic water supply in India, especially in a neo-liberal context. The book is a valuable resource for academicians, policy makers and practitioners involved in water governance in general and domestic (drinking) water supply in particular. Besides, it is of great interest to those working in the area of urban development, urban planning and household water management. The book is an outcome of a collaborative research project by the authors sponsored jointly by University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi and UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).

Climate change and global warming is one of the burning issues, which need more attention, awareness and understanding. It refers to change in average weather pattern for an extended period of time in terms of decades or millions of years. Climate change is caused by several factors like variation in solar radiation, plate movements and volcanic activities. In addition, human intervention plays a major role in ongoing climate change. The continuous rise in global temperature affecting the hydrological cycle has substantial impact on surface and sub-surface water resources. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2000) reports that the surging population, increasing industrialization and associated demands for freshwater, food and energy would be major areas of concern in the climate change aspect. Increase of temperature increases evaporation, resulting in droughts. Under warmer environment, more precipitation will occur as rainfall rather than snow. The changes in monsoon rainfall may be considered as measure to examine climate variability in the context of global warming. Glaciers are an important source for fresh water and considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change. People living in the catchment areas of the Himalayas face increased risk of floods as glaciers retreat followed by drought and water scarcity. In the coming decades, it is predicted that billions of people in developing countries face shortages of water and food as a result of climate change. Rigorous action has to be taken to enable developing countries to adapt to the effects of climate change. Hence, it is an urgent need for assessing impact and vulnerabilities of climate change, as well as considering possible adaptation options. The deliberations in the conference may be useful in understanding the impact of climate change on water resource, create awareness, learning process for planning and implementing adaptation options.

The Brahmaputra River represents nearly 30% of India's water resources potential and 41% of its total hydropower. No sustainable future for this underdeveloped region can occur without a plan combining social, political, economic, cultural, and legal considerations with scientific paradigms. This book pools the talent, knowledge and experience of a wide range of water resource professionals to provide an exhaustive study of the Brahmaputra River basin, present and future.