Jayanta Bandyopadhyay | Observer Research Foundation (original) (raw)

Papers by Jayanta Bandyopadhyay

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Approach to Pediatric Emergency, 2011

Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans, 2017

An historical account of environmental transformations in India, with drivers of such changes, is... more An historical account of environmental transformations in India, with drivers of such changes, is presented in this chapter. The account starts from the period of the Indus Valley Civilization and ends in the situation in present-day India, especially the period of high rates of economic growth in the past two decades. The main driver for environmental change was growth in population caused by both in-migration and natural growth, while the main environmental change was deforestation for agriculture, and to a lesser extent for expanding human settlements. There have been numerous environmental struggles as a result. At a later stage, water systems were transformed to expand irrigation and water supplies. The chapter identifies two significant innovations based on and prompted by environmental struggles. The first innovation was the community-based resistance to commercial forest felling in the present-day Indian state of Uttarakhand where, in the early 1970s, local people opposed the practice of appointment of wealthy private contractors from faraway cities for felling of forest trees, mainly for large paper and pulp industries. Instead, the movement wanted community-based controlled felling to feed local timber- and resin-based small industries. In 1974 the common people of village Reni, especially women, took the innovative step of nonviolent obstruction to forest felling by a contractor. The second innovation described in the chapter is on the introduction of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by the Supreme Court of India. This innovative step has significantly helped strengthening of environmental justice in India.

Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans, 2017

This chapter first introduces the contribution of the Himalayas as the Water Tower of Asia, espec... more This chapter first introduces the contribution of the Himalayas as the Water Tower of Asia, especially for the large countries of China and India. For the role of the Himalayan rivers of the Yellow and the Ganges, in giving birth and sustaining human civilizations in these countries, they are revered as the respective “Mother Rivers.” With rapid growth in the population in the two most populated countries with very rapidly growing economies, these two rivers have been impacted badly in terms of quality and quantity of their flows. Governmental and nongovernmental concerns over the decline of the ecological status of all rivers in China and India have led to important social innovations. The chapter reviews the research and innovations in policy and institutions made in China and India for ecological restoration of their rivers. In this context, the chapter reviews the status of clarification and articulation of environmental flows in the rivers in general but in the Yellow and the Ganges rivers in particular.

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Mountain Research Initiative Newsletter, 2023

Understanding the complex changes in mountainous regionsis challenging compared to the lowland ar... more Understanding the complex changes in mountainous regionsis challenging compared to the lowland areas. Humaninterventions in mountains have been reductionist, hinderingprogress in analysing their identity and impacts. This articleidentifies characteristics of the mountains to help understandand make necessary positive changes. A moreinterdisciplinary approach can lead to a holistic frameworkfor designing sustainable transformations that ensure well-being for people and the environment.

Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal, 2018

Water governance has become a complex problem. Water professionals in most parts of the world hav... more Water governance has become a complex problem. Water professionals in most parts of the world have used new knowledge and perceptions to address this growing problem. The Conversation makes it clear that such a transition is yet to arrive in formal water governance in India. I had in an article earlier (Bandyopadhyay 2012) described this situation in India as 'hydrological obscurantism'. In this Conversation, Ghosh makes a strong case for such a transition based on new water science, and Shah actually provides a road map for such a transition, articulating the legislative and institutional transitions needed. Steps for realizing such a transition are, unfortunately, not to be seen and the 'obscurantism' remains in practice. Arthington relates the global degradation of aquatic ecosystems like streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, etc. to large water storage and transfer projects. Her articulation of and stress on the need for protection of the aquatic ecosystems by taking a scientific and holistic approach to 'environmental flows' is crucial. This is very much needed in the case of India. The Conversation actually makes it clear that in addressing the grave challenges in water governance in India, replacement of the obscure perception of water governance as practised by a more informed and

Journal of Resources, Energy and Development, 2009

Water resources constitute a vital component of ecosystems of the earth. They are being threatene... more Water resources constitute a vital component of ecosystems of the earth. They are being threatened by unsustainable use with its evergrowing ecological foot prints far exceeding its carrying capacity. This book by Professor Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, a well known ecologist, while arguing for a need for interdisciplinary approaches, explains the role of different disciplines in the ecologically sustainable management of water resources. It highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in dealing with fl oods, a curse as well as a benefactor, especially in many developing countries including India and interlinking the rivers to avoid fl oods and ensure more equitable distribution of water, both geographically and temporally. This book also rightly points out that the economic valuations of water system services require interdisciplinary approaches. This book underscores the importance of developing the knowledge of water systems in an interdisciplinary perspective for developing strategies to ensure the sustainable supply of ecological services they provide. It observes that there is a disconnect between water systems knowledge and water resource development in India. There is an urgent need for understanding the past growing inter-disciplinary knowledge on water systems and the emerging paradigm shift in their management all over the world.

A sia's ten largest rivers by volume-including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra (which becomes pa... more A sia's ten largest rivers by volume-including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra (which becomes part of the Ganges), and Indus-originate in the Himalayas or on the Tibetan Plateau and collectively serve 47% of the world's population. Inadequate or unreliable water supplies pose serious and worsening problems in all the countries along these rivers, as do energy shortages. To varying degrees, these issues threaten domestic stability throughout the region, leading countries to build dams to control water flows and generate hydroelectric power. Such projects not only pose significant environmental risks but create international tension over watersharing on transborder rivers. Furthermore, nine of Asia's ten largest rivers begin in China, which has no water-sharing agreements with downstream countries; in some cases, the downstream countries also have no agreements with countries further downstream. Even the sharing of hydrological data is spotty. That China, as the upstream country, is increasingly capable of undertaking projects that would address its needs at the expense of its downstream neighbors makes the situation even more tense. While China has promised to be mindful of other countries' interests, it continues to make decisions unilaterally and often secretly. Climate change, which is likely to reduce the water supply at the source of many Himalayan rivers, will only magnify these disputes and probably make any solution that guarantees specific amounts of water or parts of a joint river to specific countries unfeasible. This essay discusses the implications of China's dam-building projects within the Himalayan watershed, as well as one possible project that Beijing denies planning but which its neighbors fear. The next section then describes possible solutions to current and future water disputes. The essay argues that the combination of immediate problems and longer-range threats requires, at the very least, three developments. First, more must be done to share basic data, both about hydrology and about planned projects.

Bringing the Mountains to the World's Attention

This paper analyses the hydro-political dynamics and reviews the various challenges to environmen... more This paper analyses the hydro-political dynamics and reviews the various challenges to environmental security in the context of trans-boundary water relations between Bangladesh and India, in South Asia. Environmental security is understood as the state of “absence of conflicts, explicit or latent” in the socio-economic and ecological space of human existence. The spatial scope of transboundary waters is defined in the present study as the physical extent of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin, with the role of the river construed as a channel for the movement of water; generation, transport and deposition of sediments by the flows; and support to ecosystems and biodiversity. The paper then moves on to identify and discuss the ecosystem processes and services provided by the flows, highlights the critical linkages between human interventions and environmental security. It emphasizes that the present perceptions of reductionist engineering have generated a hydro-political situa...

Disaster and Risk Research: GADRI Book Series, 2021

Climate risk to something of value is not uniform even in the same geography despite exposure to ... more Climate risk to something of value is not uniform even in the same geography despite exposure to the same climate-related events or trends or their impacts. Therefore, decision-making on climate resilience is challenged by multiple variables. In the wake of a devastating event or a creeping process, decision on whether to rebuild and persist in situ or relocate people may be necessary. This paper explores mechanisms to enhance resilience to climate risks through ‘accommodate’, ‘protect’ and ‘strategic and managed retreat’ approaches and analyses the outcomes using a three criteria framework. We argue that where non-diminishing socio-economic wellbeing can be assured, in-situ adaptation is the option, provided the cost of in-situ adaptation is lower than the value of the business-as-usual economy; the occurrence of an event or a creeping process is not expected to become more likely in future; and political risk of the climate resilience option is lower than the climate risk. The fra...

US, and in 2014 attended the Hydro Diplomacy programme jointly hosted by MIT, Harvard University ... more US, and in 2014 attended the Hydro Diplomacy programme jointly hosted by MIT, Harvard University and Tufts University. He has authored more than sixty technical publications in peer-reviewed journals, proceedings and books. One of his major projects on Digital Brahmaputra attempted to leverage IT applications in building robust hydrological information systems. His current research engagements are focused on sustainable drinking water and sanitation, and river restoration and management. v IRBM for Brahmaputra Sub-basin: Water Governance, Environmental Security and Human Well-being vi Mr. Ashok Dhar, Director, ORF Kolkata Chapter, was the prime motivator behind the project. While a two-year academic project cannot be expected to be perfectly smooth-sailing, Mr. Dhar's unwavering interest in the Water programme of ORF Kolkata, and his massive support to the Brahmaputra sub-basin management project, provided us tremendous support. Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Director, ORF, has always been encouraging, and followed the project with keen interest. In the same vein, we acknowledge Dr. Samir Saran and his team at ORF Delhi. We would also like to acknowledge Prof. Rakhahari Chatterji, Adviser, ORF Kolkata, and all the faculty members of ORF-Kolkata for their support and helpful comments at various stages of this research.

Indian and Chinese urbanization is rich with possibility for global urban design theory and pract... more Indian and Chinese urbanization is rich with possibility for global urban design theory and practice because the village city systems in India and China offer a reevaluation of what we consider a city to be and how design is to be engaged within it. The mix of urban and rural has very different definitions in India and China, which again are different than those in the United States and Europe. This chapter, which is paired with a drawing set, is a study of this urban form in order to support better India-China interactions and to question the reproduction of unsustainable heterogeneous mixes globally. In the context of the rapid urban transition of today it is important to imagine ways that an inclusive, but not totalizing, regional outlook can support action against environmental unsustainability. This chapter is a contribution toward this goal.

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth, 2024

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Down to Earth

The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had ... more The very name "Chipko" is related to a misconception Historical facts show that the movement had gender collaboration. Photograph: Creative Commons BY SA 4.0

Approach to Pediatric Emergency, 2011

Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans, 2017

An historical account of environmental transformations in India, with drivers of such changes, is... more An historical account of environmental transformations in India, with drivers of such changes, is presented in this chapter. The account starts from the period of the Indus Valley Civilization and ends in the situation in present-day India, especially the period of high rates of economic growth in the past two decades. The main driver for environmental change was growth in population caused by both in-migration and natural growth, while the main environmental change was deforestation for agriculture, and to a lesser extent for expanding human settlements. There have been numerous environmental struggles as a result. At a later stage, water systems were transformed to expand irrigation and water supplies. The chapter identifies two significant innovations based on and prompted by environmental struggles. The first innovation was the community-based resistance to commercial forest felling in the present-day Indian state of Uttarakhand where, in the early 1970s, local people opposed the practice of appointment of wealthy private contractors from faraway cities for felling of forest trees, mainly for large paper and pulp industries. Instead, the movement wanted community-based controlled felling to feed local timber- and resin-based small industries. In 1974 the common people of village Reni, especially women, took the innovative step of nonviolent obstruction to forest felling by a contractor. The second innovation described in the chapter is on the introduction of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by the Supreme Court of India. This innovative step has significantly helped strengthening of environmental justice in India.

Environmental Sustainability from the Himalayas to the Oceans, 2017

This chapter first introduces the contribution of the Himalayas as the Water Tower of Asia, espec... more This chapter first introduces the contribution of the Himalayas as the Water Tower of Asia, especially for the large countries of China and India. For the role of the Himalayan rivers of the Yellow and the Ganges, in giving birth and sustaining human civilizations in these countries, they are revered as the respective “Mother Rivers.” With rapid growth in the population in the two most populated countries with very rapidly growing economies, these two rivers have been impacted badly in terms of quality and quantity of their flows. Governmental and nongovernmental concerns over the decline of the ecological status of all rivers in China and India have led to important social innovations. The chapter reviews the research and innovations in policy and institutions made in China and India for ecological restoration of their rivers. In this context, the chapter reviews the status of clarification and articulation of environmental flows in the rivers in general but in the Yellow and the Ganges rivers in particular.

[

Mountain Research Initiative Newsletter, 2023

Understanding the complex changes in mountainous regionsis challenging compared to the lowland ar... more Understanding the complex changes in mountainous regionsis challenging compared to the lowland areas. Humaninterventions in mountains have been reductionist, hinderingprogress in analysing their identity and impacts. This articleidentifies characteristics of the mountains to help understandand make necessary positive changes. A moreinterdisciplinary approach can lead to a holistic frameworkfor designing sustainable transformations that ensure well-being for people and the environment.

Ecology, Economy and Society–the INSEE Journal, 2018

Water governance has become a complex problem. Water professionals in most parts of the world hav... more Water governance has become a complex problem. Water professionals in most parts of the world have used new knowledge and perceptions to address this growing problem. The Conversation makes it clear that such a transition is yet to arrive in formal water governance in India. I had in an article earlier (Bandyopadhyay 2012) described this situation in India as 'hydrological obscurantism'. In this Conversation, Ghosh makes a strong case for such a transition based on new water science, and Shah actually provides a road map for such a transition, articulating the legislative and institutional transitions needed. Steps for realizing such a transition are, unfortunately, not to be seen and the 'obscurantism' remains in practice. Arthington relates the global degradation of aquatic ecosystems like streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, etc. to large water storage and transfer projects. Her articulation of and stress on the need for protection of the aquatic ecosystems by taking a scientific and holistic approach to 'environmental flows' is crucial. This is very much needed in the case of India. The Conversation actually makes it clear that in addressing the grave challenges in water governance in India, replacement of the obscure perception of water governance as practised by a more informed and

Journal of Resources, Energy and Development, 2009

Water resources constitute a vital component of ecosystems of the earth. They are being threatene... more Water resources constitute a vital component of ecosystems of the earth. They are being threatened by unsustainable use with its evergrowing ecological foot prints far exceeding its carrying capacity. This book by Professor Jayanta Bandyopadhyay, a well known ecologist, while arguing for a need for interdisciplinary approaches, explains the role of different disciplines in the ecologically sustainable management of water resources. It highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in dealing with fl oods, a curse as well as a benefactor, especially in many developing countries including India and interlinking the rivers to avoid fl oods and ensure more equitable distribution of water, both geographically and temporally. This book also rightly points out that the economic valuations of water system services require interdisciplinary approaches. This book underscores the importance of developing the knowledge of water systems in an interdisciplinary perspective for developing strategies to ensure the sustainable supply of ecological services they provide. It observes that there is a disconnect between water systems knowledge and water resource development in India. There is an urgent need for understanding the past growing inter-disciplinary knowledge on water systems and the emerging paradigm shift in their management all over the world.

A sia's ten largest rivers by volume-including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra (which becomes pa... more A sia's ten largest rivers by volume-including the Yangtze, Mekong, Brahmaputra (which becomes part of the Ganges), and Indus-originate in the Himalayas or on the Tibetan Plateau and collectively serve 47% of the world's population. Inadequate or unreliable water supplies pose serious and worsening problems in all the countries along these rivers, as do energy shortages. To varying degrees, these issues threaten domestic stability throughout the region, leading countries to build dams to control water flows and generate hydroelectric power. Such projects not only pose significant environmental risks but create international tension over watersharing on transborder rivers. Furthermore, nine of Asia's ten largest rivers begin in China, which has no water-sharing agreements with downstream countries; in some cases, the downstream countries also have no agreements with countries further downstream. Even the sharing of hydrological data is spotty. That China, as the upstream country, is increasingly capable of undertaking projects that would address its needs at the expense of its downstream neighbors makes the situation even more tense. While China has promised to be mindful of other countries' interests, it continues to make decisions unilaterally and often secretly. Climate change, which is likely to reduce the water supply at the source of many Himalayan rivers, will only magnify these disputes and probably make any solution that guarantees specific amounts of water or parts of a joint river to specific countries unfeasible. This essay discusses the implications of China's dam-building projects within the Himalayan watershed, as well as one possible project that Beijing denies planning but which its neighbors fear. The next section then describes possible solutions to current and future water disputes. The essay argues that the combination of immediate problems and longer-range threats requires, at the very least, three developments. First, more must be done to share basic data, both about hydrology and about planned projects.

Bringing the Mountains to the World's Attention

This paper analyses the hydro-political dynamics and reviews the various challenges to environmen... more This paper analyses the hydro-political dynamics and reviews the various challenges to environmental security in the context of trans-boundary water relations between Bangladesh and India, in South Asia. Environmental security is understood as the state of “absence of conflicts, explicit or latent” in the socio-economic and ecological space of human existence. The spatial scope of transboundary waters is defined in the present study as the physical extent of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basin, with the role of the river construed as a channel for the movement of water; generation, transport and deposition of sediments by the flows; and support to ecosystems and biodiversity. The paper then moves on to identify and discuss the ecosystem processes and services provided by the flows, highlights the critical linkages between human interventions and environmental security. It emphasizes that the present perceptions of reductionist engineering have generated a hydro-political situa...

Disaster and Risk Research: GADRI Book Series, 2021

Climate risk to something of value is not uniform even in the same geography despite exposure to ... more Climate risk to something of value is not uniform even in the same geography despite exposure to the same climate-related events or trends or their impacts. Therefore, decision-making on climate resilience is challenged by multiple variables. In the wake of a devastating event or a creeping process, decision on whether to rebuild and persist in situ or relocate people may be necessary. This paper explores mechanisms to enhance resilience to climate risks through ‘accommodate’, ‘protect’ and ‘strategic and managed retreat’ approaches and analyses the outcomes using a three criteria framework. We argue that where non-diminishing socio-economic wellbeing can be assured, in-situ adaptation is the option, provided the cost of in-situ adaptation is lower than the value of the business-as-usual economy; the occurrence of an event or a creeping process is not expected to become more likely in future; and political risk of the climate resilience option is lower than the climate risk. The fra...

US, and in 2014 attended the Hydro Diplomacy programme jointly hosted by MIT, Harvard University ... more US, and in 2014 attended the Hydro Diplomacy programme jointly hosted by MIT, Harvard University and Tufts University. He has authored more than sixty technical publications in peer-reviewed journals, proceedings and books. One of his major projects on Digital Brahmaputra attempted to leverage IT applications in building robust hydrological information systems. His current research engagements are focused on sustainable drinking water and sanitation, and river restoration and management. v IRBM for Brahmaputra Sub-basin: Water Governance, Environmental Security and Human Well-being vi Mr. Ashok Dhar, Director, ORF Kolkata Chapter, was the prime motivator behind the project. While a two-year academic project cannot be expected to be perfectly smooth-sailing, Mr. Dhar's unwavering interest in the Water programme of ORF Kolkata, and his massive support to the Brahmaputra sub-basin management project, provided us tremendous support. Mr. Sunjoy Joshi, Director, ORF, has always been encouraging, and followed the project with keen interest. In the same vein, we acknowledge Dr. Samir Saran and his team at ORF Delhi. We would also like to acknowledge Prof. Rakhahari Chatterji, Adviser, ORF Kolkata, and all the faculty members of ORF-Kolkata for their support and helpful comments at various stages of this research.

Indian and Chinese urbanization is rich with possibility for global urban design theory and pract... more Indian and Chinese urbanization is rich with possibility for global urban design theory and practice because the village city systems in India and China offer a reevaluation of what we consider a city to be and how design is to be engaged within it. The mix of urban and rural has very different definitions in India and China, which again are different than those in the United States and Europe. This chapter, which is paired with a drawing set, is a study of this urban form in order to support better India-China interactions and to question the reproduction of unsustainable heterogeneous mixes globally. In the context of the rapid urban transition of today it is important to imagine ways that an inclusive, but not totalizing, regional outlook can support action against environmental unsustainability. This chapter is a contribution toward this goal.

thethirdpole.org

The mountains were traditionally marginalized in global environmental policy making. For the Rio ... more The mountains were traditionally marginalized in global environmental policy making. For the Rio Earth Summit 1992 that marginalization was present to start with. An international group of mountain scholars strongly advocated for a chapter in Agenda-21 on the mountains. The Secretariat of the Earth Summit accepted their suggestion and a chapter (No:13) was inserted in mid-course of the preparatory process. The success of this chapter led the N t declare 2002 as the International Year of thee Mountains and 11 December as the International Day of the Mountains.