Aviram Sharma | Universidade de Vigo (original) (raw)
Books by Aviram Sharma
(co-editor with Marcelo Sili, Andrés Kozel, Samira Mizbar and Ana Casado) The future in the Glo... more (co-editor with Marcelo Sili, Andrés Kozel, Samira Mizbar and Ana Casado)
The future in the Global South is viewed and perceived critically, from the inertia of a present that does not offer peace, justice, wealth and happiness, but from a view constructed from poverty, marginality, war and chaos. Exploring Hope seeks to qualify, question and even refute the monolithic ideas and images of the impossibility of building opportunities for improving the quality of life and overcome the different constraints of development in the Global South.
With contributions from Colombia, Chile, Cameroon, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, China, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Bhutan, authors identify innovative, successful projects and processes that are structurally impacting models of development, and that make it possible to imagine new developmental paths in the Global South. Split into five sections covering economic, demographic, political, social, cultural and environmental issues, each chapter presents cases where emerging initiatives are integrated into the current socio-technical regime and contextualised within regional needs.
Focusing on hope rather than challenges, this edited collection presents a powerful evocation of ongoing opportunities for building a better future in the Global South and beyond.
Papers and Book Chapters by Aviram Sharma
Handbook of Technology Assessment, 2024
The chapter explains the emergence, institutionalisation and practice of technology assessment (T... more The chapter explains the emergence, institutionalisation and practice of technology assessment (TA) in India. The maturation of Science and Technology (S&T) policies, the increasing role of scientific institutions and the focus on technology forecasting and assessment for socio-economic development led to the establishment of technology think tanks and the emergence of TA. The TA was supposed to provide continuing and systemic scientific advice to government agencies for the governance of S&T. Apart from TA, several other TA-like activities emerged during the last three decades for S&T governance. The TA in India remained expert-driven, government-centric, technocratic in vision and economistic in approach. The chapter ends with a reflection on the relationship of TA with TA-like activities and the future of TA in India.
Cleaner Water, 2024
Today, more than sixty per cent of the global bottled water manufacturing takes place in the coun... more Today, more than sixty per cent of the global bottled water manufacturing takes place in the countries of the global south. Despite being a low-tech sector, the industry is heavily influenced by the advancement and adoption of new water purification technologies and science-based regulations introduced by regulatory agencies. This paper examines the factors and mechanisms through which selection and adoption take place in this sector. The study draws upon firm-level surveys, expert interviews, ethnographic data, and select court cases and policy reports. We find that economic (firm’s size, firm’s age, and ownership structure) and socio-environmental factors (environmental subjectivities of major actors, regulatory (in-) capacity, role of supporting institutions) shape the pattern and combinations of technological adoption and technological changes at the firm level to meet the goals of “safety” and “quality”. However, the use of certain technologies are not devoid of serious environmental and public health concerns. The regulatory actors need to pay closer attention to the direct and indirect impacts of technology use on public health, the economy and the environment to make public policies more just and to meet sustainable development goals.
Exploring Hope: Case Studies of Innovation, Change and Development in the Global South, 2024
Exploring Hope: Case Studies of Innovation, Change and Development in the Global South, 2024
The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Natural Resources Law in India, 2024
This chapter focuses on regulations, policies, and laws developed in India to deal with water qua... more This chapter focuses on regulations, policies, and laws developed in India to deal with water quality and water pollution over the last seven decades. It traces the roots of the historical developments of regulatory and legal measures and chalks out the fundamental systemic challenges, such as weak institutions, ambiguous and conflicting goals, procedural inefficiencies, lack of coordination among institutions, and shifting goals, which create hurdles in the development of an effective regulatory and legal system to deal with water pollution and water quality concerns. In addition, the chapter discusses the emerging regulatory, judicial, and legal responses which are being devised to deal with the existing and emerging issues and challenges relating to water pollution and water quality regulation.
Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 2023
Groundwater supplies are progressively being degraded by anthropogenic pollution, making it chall... more Groundwater supplies are progressively being degraded by anthropogenic pollution, making it challenging to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of access to safe and clean drinking water (SDG 6.1 and 6.3) and reduction of illness and death from hazardous pollutants (SDG 3.9). Nitrate is one such widespread groundwater pollutant, mainly emanating from agricultural activities and improper waste disposal, posing global health concerns like blue baby syndrome, thyroid disorders, and cancers due to prolonged exposure to high concentrations. Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in India, is known for its intensive agricultural practices, which support a vast population of about 500 million people. This study aims to investigate the geospatial distribution of nitrate concentration in IGP, along with their potential sources and associated non-carcinogenic health risks (HHR). Employing PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, this paper reviews 94 peer-reviewed articles on nitrate pollution in the groundwater reported throughout the IGP. Specifically, north-western regions of IGP were more contaminated than eastern regions. From this systemic review, it was evident that land use was the determining factor for the sources of nitrate contamination in IGP. In agricultural areas, fertilizers and manures; whereas in settlement areas, open drains and leakage from the septic tank were the major sources. HHR assessment indicates that children of age group 0–6 years were at higher health risks than adults. HHR assessment of groundwater samples of the IGP reveals that consumption of 34%, 29.3%, and 25.2% of samples may cause a potential health risk for children, males, and females, respectively. Overall, the hazard index estimate illustrates that northern and western parts had a very high potential risk of diseases for all age groups, whereas eastern regions mostly appeared safe. This review provides a comprehensive outlook on the status of groundwater nitrate pollution in the IGP, which offers scientific rationale to the governments and policy makers to formulate appropriate interventions to protect the groundwater quality against nitrate pollution.
Science, Technology and Society, 2023
The paper contributes to the under-researched domain of standard setting for bottled water qualit... more The paper contributes to the under-researched domain of standard setting for bottled water quality in India. The paper opens-up the ‘black box’ of regulation-making by analysing the mandatory bottled water quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The regulation-making exercise is dominated by bureaucrats and technocrats representing government departments, publicly funded institutions and representatives of big industries. In the standard-setting committees, representation of NGOs, small firms, technology suppliers, independent experts, consumers and citizens are either missing or limited. The kind of experts enrolled by the technical committee and the practice and principles employed by BIS for decision-making have a strong bearing on the regulatory standards. The standard setting for bottled water was the outcome of a complex process that was significantly shaped by the views and values of the dominant regulatory actors, especially what was perceived as valid and superior ‘regulatory knowledge’. Discrete actors, such as bureaucrats, technocrats, big firms and NGOs, supported the wider adoption of international standards, but they had different rationales for advocating the adoption. However, the uncritical adoption of international standards has resulted in a disregard for incorporating environmental, epidemiological, dietary and diverse socio-economic factors into setting standards. Inclusion of socio-economic and other contextual factors could increase the validity and effectiveness of regulatory standards.
Habitat International, 2023
The paper engages with the water economies of Bodh Gaya, a small but prominent Buddhist town loca... more The paper engages with the water economies of Bodh Gaya, a small but prominent Buddhist town located in Bihar, India. We analysed the water economies using the neo-Polanyian idea of instituted economic processes. The anthropological approach to water economies helps us explain how drinking water has been produced, distributed, appropriated, and consumed in Bodh Gaya over the last seven decades. The paper argues that the centralised grid-based water supply system, which aims to provide universal access to drinking water to the whole town, has failed to develop. Water as a universal public good was never established in Bodh Gaya. Water was produced, distributed, appropriated and consumed in diverse ways by different groups of individuals and communities. Water remained a community-owned resource, a private, semi-public good, and recently, a commodity, but not purely a public good. Instead of relying on the ideals of centralised grid-based water supply networks to make water available for the whole populace, a more decentralised and hybrid service delivery institutions are needed to reach the diverse local population. The decentralised public water provisioning systems must be supported through appropriate regulatory measures and participatory planning initiatives to make it socially just and environmentally benign.
Water International, 2022
The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India’s capital Delhi, using ... more The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India’s capital Delhi, using a neo-Polanyian approach of instituted economic process. It analyses the systems of provision, distribution, appropriation and consumption of water, and the formation of scales of these economies of water. The paper systematically compares and analyses the spatially divided and partially overlapping economies of water in the planned colonies and slum-designated areas in the city. It describes the dynamics of growth and stagnation of the different economies of water within the waterscape of the capital and its implications for sustainability.
Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 2022
In the last decade, researchers have underscored the need for carrying out climate change analysi... more In the last decade, researchers have underscored the need for carrying out climate change analysis at regional and sub-regional levels. Against this backdrop, we analyzed the climatic variability and environmental changes that occurred during the last seven decades (1958–2019) and their impact on groundwater variability in South Bihar, India. We employed a mixed-method approach and analyzed both the quantitative scientific data and qualitative ethnographic data collected from the local farmers.The scientific data was compiled for the climatic parameters (rainfall and temperature), hydrological parameters (runoff, actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, and climate water deficit), terrestrial water storage, and groundwater storage capacity using TerraClimate model and Global Land Data Assimilation System. The public perception of climatic variability and environmental change was analyzed using farmers' understanding of environmental variability in selected villages of South Bihar. In terms of climatic variations, the historical climatic data showed rainfall variability over the last seven decades. Higher unpredictability in monsoon rainfall is evident from the 1990s onwards. The average temperature had gone up by 0.5 oC over the study period. The surface and groundwater deficit across South Bihar was relatively high (above 600 mm) with a significant sub-regional variation. From the public understanding perspective, the climatic variations were mostly narrated in terms of deficit and erratic rainfall, which increased in recent decades. Farmers explained the groundwater scarcity and associated environmental changes based on their lived experience. Both scientific and farmers' understanding of environmental variability explains the high climatic variability during the last three decades.
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 2022
In India in recent decades, groundwater has emerged as a principal source for meeting drinking an... more In India in recent decades, groundwater has emerged as a principal source for meeting drinking and irrigation needs. As a result, groundwater depletion and overextraction are acknowledged as a major concern. Different policy interventions are being explored to augment the management of aquifers. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is one such intervention that is becoming popular among government agencies, developmental actors, and even farmers for recharging and recovering water from aquifers. However, the selection of a suitable location and appropriate aquifer for recharge is challenging. The main objective of this study was to classify site selection criteria for ASR installations in different types of aquifers in North India. In this study, both scientific indicators (i.e., rainfall, elevation, soil and aquifer characteristics, surface and groundwater quality) and social characteristics (tacit knowledge, land ownership, willingness to participate) were evaluated to create an integrated ASR site selection criterion. The results indicated that ASR sites could not be appropriately identified solely based on available metrological, geospatial, and geohydrological data. Socioeconomic parameters should be an integral part of the decision-making process for the site selection for ASR. Based on these scientific indicators and social characteristics, a total of seven potential ASR sites (three in the village of Nekpur and four in the village of Meyar) were selected at Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India. Although this integrated site-assessment framework was designed based on 12 indicators in the context of the marginal alluvial plains for the mid-Ganga regions in this study, the general principles adopted in this study can be applicable to other regions.
With (Prabhakar Sharma, Anurag Verma, Poornima Verma, Somnath Bandyopadhyay)
Being Human During COVID-19, 2022
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures, 2021
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable m... more United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. Despite tremendous efforts and progress made in the water sector, globally, two billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Most of the population without proper access to safe drinking water is primarily from the Global South. India is one of the major countries, which is lagging in meeting the SDG 6 targets. Millions of Indians do not have yet access to safe drinking
water. Compared to urban India, the population without access to safe drinking water is higher in rural India. Against this backdrop, the entry reviews the interventions and progress made in ensuring safe drinking water for all in rural India. In addition, the entry charts out the challenges for meeting SDG 6 in rural India.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures, 2021
Around 60% of the global urban population resides in urban spaces having less than 500,000 popula... more Around 60% of the global urban population resides in urban spaces having less than 500,000 population. Yet, the scholarly literature predominately focuses on megacities and large urban centers. The urban studies literature does not adequately engage with small towns’ socioeconomic and environmental dynamics. To fully comprehend the broad contours of twenty-first-century urbanization, it is crucial to understand the emerging socio-environmental dynamics and urban sustainability challenges of small towns. In this background, this entry engages with small towns in Asia, one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the world, and charts out the urban sustainability challenges emanating from such spaces.
Seminar, 2021
Ritika Rajput and Aviram Sharma
Photovoltaic Sustainability and Management, 2021
The PV industry has witnessed multiple cycles of hopes, hypes, promises, disappointments, and neg... more The PV industry has witnessed multiple cycles of hopes, hypes, promises, disappointments, and neglect over the last seven decades. In the last two decades, the PV industry has registered robust growth and demonstrated remarkable progress in several countries. However, the spread of PV is still quite uneven at the global level. In this background, the chapter reviews the current status of the global photovoltaic industry in terms of its spread and growth potential. The chapter also offers a comparative analysis of public policies that augmented and propelled the PV industry in selected countries. The chapter identifies the PV sector's innovation landscape and chalks out the emergence and maturation of the PV technologies. Finally, it discusses the challenges for promoting sustainable solar photovoltaic industry from a critical transition management perspective.
Sustainability, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Forum for Development Studies, 2021
Developmental actors are pushing the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies using dif... more Developmental actors are pushing the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies using different technology diffusion models in resource-constrained, underdeveloped agrarian regions of the Global South. Among the varied models, the hybrid model of technology diffusion and environmental governance has gained a lot of traction and support among the technology promoters in recent years. In this article, we analyse two cases of hybrid environmental governance employed for the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies in rural Bihar, India. The promoters of solar powered irrigation technologies wish to achieve environmental sustainability, enhance farmers income and mitigate climate change through promoting renewable-based technologies. The top-down framing of technology and environment in hybrid environmental models often uncritically negates the place-based embedded experiences of end-users and non-users. The paper argues that the role of end-users and non-users in hybrid environmental governance need to be understood using the bottom-up approach. The paper makes a case for acknowledging and incorporating the views and environmental subjectivities of end-users and non-users while planning developmental interventions. The paper ends up suggesting a few policy-relevant suggestions for hybrid models of technology and environmental governance.
Energy Research & Social Science, 2021
Public participation plays a crucial role in achieving Renewable Energy Transitions (RET). Existi... more Public participation plays a crucial role in achieving Renewable Energy Transitions (RET). Existing research on energy transitions suggests that for seeking the active participation of all stakeholders, transition frameworks must be sensitive to the dynamic and complex interplay of power and agency. Knowledge politics that determine terms of engagement within energy transition projects often enable asymmetric agency resulting in vulnerability, exclusion and injustices. However, very little is known about how vulnerable and marginal groups resist subversion and re-define terms of engagement. This paper presents three cases of RET projects from India to engage with the interplay of knowledge politics, vulnerability and recognition-based energy justice. The cases bring comparable insights from RET projects on three different energy sources (second-generation bioethanol, advanced biogas and solar micro-grid), initiated by the government, industry and non-governmental actors in India. Based on the qualitative, empirical data gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographic field observations, we argue that non-participation is a mode of resistance against subversive knowledge politics. Despite projected benefits and “apparent needs”, people do not accept the pre-defined roles and identities prescribed for them in RET projects. In contrast, vulnerable and marginal social groups mobilize their agency by framing needs and priorities in relation to situated as well as emergent social, political and ecological identities and demand for recognition-based energy justice.
(co-editor with Marcelo Sili, Andrés Kozel, Samira Mizbar and Ana Casado) The future in the Glo... more (co-editor with Marcelo Sili, Andrés Kozel, Samira Mizbar and Ana Casado)
The future in the Global South is viewed and perceived critically, from the inertia of a present that does not offer peace, justice, wealth and happiness, but from a view constructed from poverty, marginality, war and chaos. Exploring Hope seeks to qualify, question and even refute the monolithic ideas and images of the impossibility of building opportunities for improving the quality of life and overcome the different constraints of development in the Global South.
With contributions from Colombia, Chile, Cameroon, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Ecuador, China, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Bolivia, Sri Lanka, Ghana and Bhutan, authors identify innovative, successful projects and processes that are structurally impacting models of development, and that make it possible to imagine new developmental paths in the Global South. Split into five sections covering economic, demographic, political, social, cultural and environmental issues, each chapter presents cases where emerging initiatives are integrated into the current socio-technical regime and contextualised within regional needs.
Focusing on hope rather than challenges, this edited collection presents a powerful evocation of ongoing opportunities for building a better future in the Global South and beyond.
Handbook of Technology Assessment, 2024
The chapter explains the emergence, institutionalisation and practice of technology assessment (T... more The chapter explains the emergence, institutionalisation and practice of technology assessment (TA) in India. The maturation of Science and Technology (S&T) policies, the increasing role of scientific institutions and the focus on technology forecasting and assessment for socio-economic development led to the establishment of technology think tanks and the emergence of TA. The TA was supposed to provide continuing and systemic scientific advice to government agencies for the governance of S&T. Apart from TA, several other TA-like activities emerged during the last three decades for S&T governance. The TA in India remained expert-driven, government-centric, technocratic in vision and economistic in approach. The chapter ends with a reflection on the relationship of TA with TA-like activities and the future of TA in India.
Cleaner Water, 2024
Today, more than sixty per cent of the global bottled water manufacturing takes place in the coun... more Today, more than sixty per cent of the global bottled water manufacturing takes place in the countries of the global south. Despite being a low-tech sector, the industry is heavily influenced by the advancement and adoption of new water purification technologies and science-based regulations introduced by regulatory agencies. This paper examines the factors and mechanisms through which selection and adoption take place in this sector. The study draws upon firm-level surveys, expert interviews, ethnographic data, and select court cases and policy reports. We find that economic (firm’s size, firm’s age, and ownership structure) and socio-environmental factors (environmental subjectivities of major actors, regulatory (in-) capacity, role of supporting institutions) shape the pattern and combinations of technological adoption and technological changes at the firm level to meet the goals of “safety” and “quality”. However, the use of certain technologies are not devoid of serious environmental and public health concerns. The regulatory actors need to pay closer attention to the direct and indirect impacts of technology use on public health, the economy and the environment to make public policies more just and to meet sustainable development goals.
Exploring Hope: Case Studies of Innovation, Change and Development in the Global South, 2024
Exploring Hope: Case Studies of Innovation, Change and Development in the Global South, 2024
The Oxford Handbook of Environmental and Natural Resources Law in India, 2024
This chapter focuses on regulations, policies, and laws developed in India to deal with water qua... more This chapter focuses on regulations, policies, and laws developed in India to deal with water quality and water pollution over the last seven decades. It traces the roots of the historical developments of regulatory and legal measures and chalks out the fundamental systemic challenges, such as weak institutions, ambiguous and conflicting goals, procedural inefficiencies, lack of coordination among institutions, and shifting goals, which create hurdles in the development of an effective regulatory and legal system to deal with water pollution and water quality concerns. In addition, the chapter discusses the emerging regulatory, judicial, and legal responses which are being devised to deal with the existing and emerging issues and challenges relating to water pollution and water quality regulation.
Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 2023
Groundwater supplies are progressively being degraded by anthropogenic pollution, making it chall... more Groundwater supplies are progressively being degraded by anthropogenic pollution, making it challenging to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of access to safe and clean drinking water (SDG 6.1 and 6.3) and reduction of illness and death from hazardous pollutants (SDG 3.9). Nitrate is one such widespread groundwater pollutant, mainly emanating from agricultural activities and improper waste disposal, posing global health concerns like blue baby syndrome, thyroid disorders, and cancers due to prolonged exposure to high concentrations. Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) in India, is known for its intensive agricultural practices, which support a vast population of about 500 million people. This study aims to investigate the geospatial distribution of nitrate concentration in IGP, along with their potential sources and associated non-carcinogenic health risks (HHR). Employing PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, this paper reviews 94 peer-reviewed articles on nitrate pollution in the groundwater reported throughout the IGP. Specifically, north-western regions of IGP were more contaminated than eastern regions. From this systemic review, it was evident that land use was the determining factor for the sources of nitrate contamination in IGP. In agricultural areas, fertilizers and manures; whereas in settlement areas, open drains and leakage from the septic tank were the major sources. HHR assessment indicates that children of age group 0–6 years were at higher health risks than adults. HHR assessment of groundwater samples of the IGP reveals that consumption of 34%, 29.3%, and 25.2% of samples may cause a potential health risk for children, males, and females, respectively. Overall, the hazard index estimate illustrates that northern and western parts had a very high potential risk of diseases for all age groups, whereas eastern regions mostly appeared safe. This review provides a comprehensive outlook on the status of groundwater nitrate pollution in the IGP, which offers scientific rationale to the governments and policy makers to formulate appropriate interventions to protect the groundwater quality against nitrate pollution.
Science, Technology and Society, 2023
The paper contributes to the under-researched domain of standard setting for bottled water qualit... more The paper contributes to the under-researched domain of standard setting for bottled water quality in India. The paper opens-up the ‘black box’ of regulation-making by analysing the mandatory bottled water quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The regulation-making exercise is dominated by bureaucrats and technocrats representing government departments, publicly funded institutions and representatives of big industries. In the standard-setting committees, representation of NGOs, small firms, technology suppliers, independent experts, consumers and citizens are either missing or limited. The kind of experts enrolled by the technical committee and the practice and principles employed by BIS for decision-making have a strong bearing on the regulatory standards. The standard setting for bottled water was the outcome of a complex process that was significantly shaped by the views and values of the dominant regulatory actors, especially what was perceived as valid and superior ‘regulatory knowledge’. Discrete actors, such as bureaucrats, technocrats, big firms and NGOs, supported the wider adoption of international standards, but they had different rationales for advocating the adoption. However, the uncritical adoption of international standards has resulted in a disregard for incorporating environmental, epidemiological, dietary and diverse socio-economic factors into setting standards. Inclusion of socio-economic and other contextual factors could increase the validity and effectiveness of regulatory standards.
Habitat International, 2023
The paper engages with the water economies of Bodh Gaya, a small but prominent Buddhist town loca... more The paper engages with the water economies of Bodh Gaya, a small but prominent Buddhist town located in Bihar, India. We analysed the water economies using the neo-Polanyian idea of instituted economic processes. The anthropological approach to water economies helps us explain how drinking water has been produced, distributed, appropriated, and consumed in Bodh Gaya over the last seven decades. The paper argues that the centralised grid-based water supply system, which aims to provide universal access to drinking water to the whole town, has failed to develop. Water as a universal public good was never established in Bodh Gaya. Water was produced, distributed, appropriated and consumed in diverse ways by different groups of individuals and communities. Water remained a community-owned resource, a private, semi-public good, and recently, a commodity, but not purely a public good. Instead of relying on the ideals of centralised grid-based water supply networks to make water available for the whole populace, a more decentralised and hybrid service delivery institutions are needed to reach the diverse local population. The decentralised public water provisioning systems must be supported through appropriate regulatory measures and participatory planning initiatives to make it socially just and environmentally benign.
Water International, 2022
The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India’s capital Delhi, using ... more The paper describes the emergence of multiple economies of water in India’s capital Delhi, using a neo-Polanyian approach of instituted economic process. It analyses the systems of provision, distribution, appropriation and consumption of water, and the formation of scales of these economies of water. The paper systematically compares and analyses the spatially divided and partially overlapping economies of water in the planned colonies and slum-designated areas in the city. It describes the dynamics of growth and stagnation of the different economies of water within the waterscape of the capital and its implications for sustainability.
Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 2022
In the last decade, researchers have underscored the need for carrying out climate change analysi... more In the last decade, researchers have underscored the need for carrying out climate change analysis at regional and sub-regional levels. Against this backdrop, we analyzed the climatic variability and environmental changes that occurred during the last seven decades (1958–2019) and their impact on groundwater variability in South Bihar, India. We employed a mixed-method approach and analyzed both the quantitative scientific data and qualitative ethnographic data collected from the local farmers.The scientific data was compiled for the climatic parameters (rainfall and temperature), hydrological parameters (runoff, actual evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration, and climate water deficit), terrestrial water storage, and groundwater storage capacity using TerraClimate model and Global Land Data Assimilation System. The public perception of climatic variability and environmental change was analyzed using farmers' understanding of environmental variability in selected villages of South Bihar. In terms of climatic variations, the historical climatic data showed rainfall variability over the last seven decades. Higher unpredictability in monsoon rainfall is evident from the 1990s onwards. The average temperature had gone up by 0.5 oC over the study period. The surface and groundwater deficit across South Bihar was relatively high (above 600 mm) with a significant sub-regional variation. From the public understanding perspective, the climatic variations were mostly narrated in terms of deficit and erratic rainfall, which increased in recent decades. Farmers explained the groundwater scarcity and associated environmental changes based on their lived experience. Both scientific and farmers' understanding of environmental variability explains the high climatic variability during the last three decades.
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 2022
In India in recent decades, groundwater has emerged as a principal source for meeting drinking an... more In India in recent decades, groundwater has emerged as a principal source for meeting drinking and irrigation needs. As a result, groundwater depletion and overextraction are acknowledged as a major concern. Different policy interventions are being explored to augment the management of aquifers. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is one such intervention that is becoming popular among government agencies, developmental actors, and even farmers for recharging and recovering water from aquifers. However, the selection of a suitable location and appropriate aquifer for recharge is challenging. The main objective of this study was to classify site selection criteria for ASR installations in different types of aquifers in North India. In this study, both scientific indicators (i.e., rainfall, elevation, soil and aquifer characteristics, surface and groundwater quality) and social characteristics (tacit knowledge, land ownership, willingness to participate) were evaluated to create an integrated ASR site selection criterion. The results indicated that ASR sites could not be appropriately identified solely based on available metrological, geospatial, and geohydrological data. Socioeconomic parameters should be an integral part of the decision-making process for the site selection for ASR. Based on these scientific indicators and social characteristics, a total of seven potential ASR sites (three in the village of Nekpur and four in the village of Meyar) were selected at Rajgir, Nalanda, Bihar, India. Although this integrated site-assessment framework was designed based on 12 indicators in the context of the marginal alluvial plains for the mid-Ganga regions in this study, the general principles adopted in this study can be applicable to other regions.
With (Prabhakar Sharma, Anurag Verma, Poornima Verma, Somnath Bandyopadhyay)
Being Human During COVID-19, 2022
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures, 2021
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable m... more United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030. Despite tremendous efforts and progress made in the water sector, globally, two billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Most of the population without proper access to safe drinking water is primarily from the Global South. India is one of the major countries, which is lagging in meeting the SDG 6 targets. Millions of Indians do not have yet access to safe drinking
water. Compared to urban India, the population without access to safe drinking water is higher in rural India. Against this backdrop, the entry reviews the interventions and progress made in ensuring safe drinking water for all in rural India. In addition, the entry charts out the challenges for meeting SDG 6 in rural India.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures, 2021
Around 60% of the global urban population resides in urban spaces having less than 500,000 popula... more Around 60% of the global urban population resides in urban spaces having less than 500,000 population. Yet, the scholarly literature predominately focuses on megacities and large urban centers. The urban studies literature does not adequately engage with small towns’ socioeconomic and environmental dynamics. To fully comprehend the broad contours of twenty-first-century urbanization, it is crucial to understand the emerging socio-environmental dynamics and urban sustainability challenges of small towns. In this background, this entry engages with small towns in Asia, one of the most rapidly urbanizing regions in the world, and charts out the urban sustainability challenges emanating from such spaces.
Seminar, 2021
Ritika Rajput and Aviram Sharma
Photovoltaic Sustainability and Management, 2021
The PV industry has witnessed multiple cycles of hopes, hypes, promises, disappointments, and neg... more The PV industry has witnessed multiple cycles of hopes, hypes, promises, disappointments, and neglect over the last seven decades. In the last two decades, the PV industry has registered robust growth and demonstrated remarkable progress in several countries. However, the spread of PV is still quite uneven at the global level. In this background, the chapter reviews the current status of the global photovoltaic industry in terms of its spread and growth potential. The chapter also offers a comparative analysis of public policies that augmented and propelled the PV industry in selected countries. The chapter identifies the PV sector's innovation landscape and chalks out the emergence and maturation of the PV technologies. Finally, it discusses the challenges for promoting sustainable solar photovoltaic industry from a critical transition management perspective.
Sustainability, 2021
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Forum for Development Studies, 2021
Developmental actors are pushing the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies using dif... more Developmental actors are pushing the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies using different technology diffusion models in resource-constrained, underdeveloped agrarian regions of the Global South. Among the varied models, the hybrid model of technology diffusion and environmental governance has gained a lot of traction and support among the technology promoters in recent years. In this article, we analyse two cases of hybrid environmental governance employed for the diffusion of solar powered irrigation technologies in rural Bihar, India. The promoters of solar powered irrigation technologies wish to achieve environmental sustainability, enhance farmers income and mitigate climate change through promoting renewable-based technologies. The top-down framing of technology and environment in hybrid environmental models often uncritically negates the place-based embedded experiences of end-users and non-users. The paper argues that the role of end-users and non-users in hybrid environmental governance need to be understood using the bottom-up approach. The paper makes a case for acknowledging and incorporating the views and environmental subjectivities of end-users and non-users while planning developmental interventions. The paper ends up suggesting a few policy-relevant suggestions for hybrid models of technology and environmental governance.
Energy Research & Social Science, 2021
Public participation plays a crucial role in achieving Renewable Energy Transitions (RET). Existi... more Public participation plays a crucial role in achieving Renewable Energy Transitions (RET). Existing research on energy transitions suggests that for seeking the active participation of all stakeholders, transition frameworks must be sensitive to the dynamic and complex interplay of power and agency. Knowledge politics that determine terms of engagement within energy transition projects often enable asymmetric agency resulting in vulnerability, exclusion and injustices. However, very little is known about how vulnerable and marginal groups resist subversion and re-define terms of engagement. This paper presents three cases of RET projects from India to engage with the interplay of knowledge politics, vulnerability and recognition-based energy justice. The cases bring comparable insights from RET projects on three different energy sources (second-generation bioethanol, advanced biogas and solar micro-grid), initiated by the government, industry and non-governmental actors in India. Based on the qualitative, empirical data gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and ethnographic field observations, we argue that non-participation is a mode of resistance against subversive knowledge politics. Despite projected benefits and “apparent needs”, people do not accept the pre-defined roles and identities prescribed for them in RET projects. In contrast, vulnerable and marginal social groups mobilize their agency by framing needs and priorities in relation to situated as well as emergent social, political and ecological identities and demand for recognition-based energy justice.
Area Development and Policy, 2020
South-South Intellectual Meeting, Madrid 2024, Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain, 2024
South-South Intellectual Meeting, Madrid 2024, 2024
Neuchâtel Graduate Conference of Migration and Mobility Studies, 2024
Tulika Bourai, Sailaja Nandigama, Aviram Sharma
9th International Congress & Exhibition on Arsenic in the Environment, at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology , 2024
(with Anurag Verma, Prabhakar Sharma, Shyam Phartyal, Anand Kumar)
Historical Materialism Barcelona International Conference , 2024
Intermediareis Workshop, Heidelberg University, Germany, 2024
DSA 2024, 2024
With Tulika Bourai and Sailaja Nandigama - Birla institute of technology and science (BITS) , Pilani
10th International Degrowth Conference and 15th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 2024
10th International Degrowth Conference and 15th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 2024
Moderated the session on Rethinking Innovation, which was addressed by Alejandra Boni (Ingenio - ... more Moderated the session on Rethinking Innovation, which was addressed by Alejandra Boni (Ingenio - UPV), Adrian Smith (University of Sussex) and Andrea Jiménez (University of Sheffield).
Symposium on Green Energy and Semiconductors: Pioneering Sustainable Technologies for Viksit Bharat, 2024
DST-CPR, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
International Conference on Intersections of Knowledge: Exploring Discourses and Beyond in Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, 2024
AGU , 2023
(With Anurag Verma, Shyam Phartyal, Rakesh Kumar and Prabhakar Sharma)
Global Drinking Project Workshop, Aarhus University, Denmark , 2023
Exploring the energy transitions in India, South Africa and Spain, 2023
STS Austria Conference 2023 - Digging Where We Stand: Activism, Community and the Politics of STS, 2023
Guest Lecture, Environmental Studies, SUNY Binghamton, USA , 2023
Seminar - Department of Environmental Studies, Ashoka University, India, 2023
Science and Democracy Network 22nd Annual Meeting, Harvard University, USA, 2023
Department of Sociology, Lady Shri Ram College of Women, Delhi University, India (Online Lecture), 2023
Guest lecture for Center for Political Economy and Philosophy, Jindal School of International Affairs, OP Jindal Global University, 2023
iHuman blog, the University of Sheffield, UK, 2022
With Poonam Pandey
Down to Earth Blog, 2022
With Prabhakar Sharma
Report - Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research, 2021
This publication is published by ACIAR ABN 34 864 955 427. Care is taken to ensure the accuracy o... more This publication is published by ACIAR ABN 34 864 955 427. Care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However ACIAR cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained in the publication. You should make your own enquiries before making decisions concerning your interests.
Science and Public Policy, 2017
A Study of Bottled Water Quality Standards in India
Although water quality is immensely crucial for human wellbeing, it is a highly neglected area of... more Although water quality is immensely crucial for human wellbeing, it is a highly neglected area of research. My M.Phil dissertation explored the dynamics of bottled water quality standards in India. In many modern industrial economies, complex regulatory systems emerged for governance of drinking water quality standards during the last few decades. The standards for public supply of drinking water in India vary across regions, but standards for bottled water are mandatory and uniform across the country. This study traced that how the simple perceptions based notion of water quality has given way to science and technology based standards. It also analysed the distinctive standards promulgated by Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for packaged drinking water and further analysed how and why the BIS standards differed from the other regulatory standards. In addition, with help of a primary survey the study also attempted to understand the public perception of regulatory decision making in India.
“Environment and Society” explores the changing relationship between nature and society in differ... more “Environment and Society” explores the changing relationship between nature and society in different socio-temporal contexts at multiple scales (global, regional, national, and local). There will be emphasis on Asian experiences. The course aims to develop the capacity to think across different social science perspectives to understand complex environmental changes and challenges faced by today’s world. Students will be exposed towards major theoretical debates in social science literature around environment and society. The theoretical understanding will be supported with the help of empirical cases. Students will be encouraged to make sense of the changing society and environment relation while doing field work around the university (local level).
COURSE SUMMARY Over the last four decades, several environmental policies have been formulated at... more COURSE SUMMARY Over the last four decades, several environmental policies have been formulated at the international and national level to tackle emerging environmental challenges. Environmental policies are a result of complex interaction of science, politics, economics, and socio-cultural values in different spatio-temporal contexts. The course attempts to explore multiple dimensions of environmental policies, such as, how to understand the nuances of various environmental policies? In what context environmental policies are formulated? How the environmental policies are formulated? What are the linkages between national policies with international treaties and conventions and vice versa? In other words, this course will introduce students to the complex process of environmental policies formulation for addressing " wicked " environmental problems. The course will account different models of policy formulation and tools for policy analysis. Further it will feature selected environmental policies (international, national, regional) to help students learn from the successful environmental policies and policies which failed to achieve the desired goals. By the end of the course, students will acquire skills to understand and evaluate environmental policies.
This course examines the dynamic relationship among environment, technology and society in Asia. ... more This course examines the dynamic relationship among environment, technology and society in Asia. During the first seven weeks the students would be exposed to the major theoretical, conceptual and analytical frameworks for the study ofinteractions between society and technology. Themes covered during this period will include: what is technology? How our understanding of technology evolved over the years? How society’s influence on environment was/is mediated through use of various technologies? In the last seven weeks, the course will focus on case studies from Asian regions/countries to develop a nuanced understanding of major environmental challenges/issues in Asia. The course will draw upon theoretical and empirical literature from multiple disciplines, such as, science and technology studies, environmental studies, economic sociology, and development studies.
The course will introduce students to a variety of research methods employed in Environmental Stu... more The course will introduce students to a variety of research methods employed in Environmental Studies from an interdisciplinary perspective drawing from different social science disciplines. The course will provide in-depth understanding of both theoretical underpinnings and empirical tools required for carrying interdisciplinary research in Environmental Studies. The course will provide opportunity to learn selected methods in detail.
Independent Study is an opportunity to involve students in an independent academic work that is a... more Independent Study is an opportunity to involve students in an independent academic work that is augmented and supervised by required interactions with a dedicated faculty member, the Supervisor. The subject of an independent study may arise from the student's own experience and interests or may derive from a class. Plans, and outcomes, of an Independent Study are developed and monitored rigorously, supplemented with formal approval and evaluation processes. This study provides the student with an opportunity to participate in the creation of academic learning experiences geared to individual needs, interests, aptitudes and desired outcomes.
Climate change has emerged as one of the greatest risks to environmental security and, consequent... more Climate change has emerged as one of the greatest risks to environmental security and, consequently, for sustainable development. The nature of this risk is primarily a broad range of uncertainty among key environmental and developmental parameters. This course will help assess the current state of knowledge in mitigation and adaptation approaches by unpacking various economic factors, policy instruments, and implementation approaches.
(Co-instructor)