Integrated water resources management with special reference to water security in Rajasthan, India INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO WATER SECURITY IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA (original) (raw)

WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN RAJASTHAN

Water has been an important symbol in the legends and histories of many ancient cultures. Unlike people living in the urban, industrialized nation of 21st century, most humans through out history knew that their water resources could run out, and they developed a healthy respect for conserving whatever water they found. Suddenly it is so clear : India is running out of fresh water. Humanity is polluting, diverting, and depleting the well spring of life at a starting rate with every passing day. Our demand for fresh water out poces its availability and thousands more people are put at risk. Already, the social, political and economic impacts of water scarcity are rapidity becoming a destabilizing force, with water related conflincts springing up around the country. Quite simply, unless we dramatically change our ways, between one-half and two-third of humanity will be living with severe fresh water shortages within the next quarter century.

Integrated Water Resources Management With Special Reference to Water Security in Rajasthan, India

2015

Fresh water is valuable natural resource for living organisms, which is being continuously depleted. Water Security means regular access and equity to safe potable water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene thereby leading to an acceptable physical and social well being. Integrated water resources management (IWRM) practices are needed to create sustainable water security. IWRM is a conceptual stakeholder participatory framework that could manage and develop the water resources in a sustainable and balanced way. It is based on the principles of social equity, economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. IWRM has been globally accepted as the water management doctrine for the 21st century. This paper presents a critical review of IWRM approach and highlights the challenges related to Rajasthan. This state is considered to be most crucial due to the insufficient water resources. State receives an average annual rainfall of 575 mm. The surface water availability in the state i...

Some Thoughts on Water Resource Issues and Management in India

Background India is endowed with a rich and vast diversity of natural resources, with water being one of them. Its development and management play a vital role in agricultural production. Integrated water management is vital for poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, and sustainable economic development. The National Water Policy of India envisages that the water resources of the country should be developed and managed in an integrated manner. This article presents some thoughts on water resources issues and management in India.

Water Resources in India: Need for Holistic Development and Cautious Exploitation

2003

Water resources occupy a special place among other natural resources. Water is also fundamental for sustaining a high quality of life and economic and social development. From the very beginning, humanity has realised the vital importance of water in principle but has been reckless about its use in practice. If we see the global water supply and demand, less than one per cent of all the water on our planet is fresh and available for use. The estimates suggest that the earth's hydrosphere contains a huge amount of water, but 97.5 per cent of this is saline water, and only 2.5 per cent is fresh water. Out of available fresh water, 68.7 per cent is in the form of ice and permanent snow cover in polar and high mountainous regions. Fresh groundwater comprises 29.9 per cent of fresh water resources. Only 0.26 per cent of the total amount of fresh water on the earth is concentrated in lakes, reservoirs and river systems (Shiklomanov, 2000). Realising the severity of problem, the National Water Policy was first adopted in September 1987. Since then, a number of issues and challenges have emerged in the development and management of the water resources. It was further reviewed and the new National Water Policy was released in April 2002 (Government of India, 2002 a). The Policy emphasises on development of database regarding water availability, actual water use, comprehensive and reliable projections of future demands of water for diverse purposes. A need was felt to develop non-conventional methods for utilisation of water such as through inter-basin transfers, artificial recharge of ground water and desalination of brackish or sea water as well as traditional water conservation practices like rainwater harvesting, including roof-top rainwater harvesting. The Policy gave highest priority to drinking water followed by irrigation, hydropower, ecology, agro-and non-agricultural industries and lastly, navigation and other uses. The involvement and participation of the beneficiaries and other stakeholders right from the project planning stage itself was also emphasised. Irrigated agriculture is the dominant user of water, accounting for about 80 per cent of global and 86 per cent of developing country water consumption. The multiple roles and values of agricultural water must be recognised, evaluated and taken into account for the development and management of water resources (Third World Water Forum, 2003). India has made large strides in agriculture and irrigation

Water Resources Issues and Management in India

Water is one of the most essential natural resources for sustaining life. Its development and management play a vital role in agriculture production. Integrated water management is vital for poverty reduction, environmental sustenance, and sustainable economic development. In view of the rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization, the demand for water for meeting various requirements is continuously increasing. Therefore, we are facing numerous challenges in the water sector, which include reducing per capita water availability, the decline in groundwater table in many areas, and saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers. The quality of surface water and groundwater is also deteriorating because of increasing pollutant loads from various sources. Climate change may also adversely affect the availability and distribution of water resources. This article presents an overview of relevant issues pertaining to development and management of water resources in India.

Water resources development and management in the Cuddapah district, India

Environmental Geology, 2000

According to a Greek philosopher, the best of all things is water (Stewart, 2008). This view is not surprising since the need for water, throughout human history, has always been appreciated. Water is constantly in motion, passing from one state to another and from one location to another (Biswas, 2008). Whether the water is in motion, or stationary, it invariably contains extraneous materials, some due to natural causes but others because of human activities. All these, plus natural variations in water availability, makes its rational planning and management a very complex and difficult task under the best of circumstances. Water may be everywhere, but its use has always been dictated by its availability in terms of quantity and quality (James et al, 2003). Water resources management problems of this region are neither homogenous, nor constant or consistent overtime. They vary from one region to another, sometimes even within a single state, from one season to another, and also from one year to another. Solutions to water resources management problems depend not only on water availability, but also on many other factors, among which are the processes through which water is managed, competence and capacities of the institutions that manage them, prevailing socio-political conditions and expectations which affect water planning, development and management processes and practices, appropriateness and implementation status of the legal and regulatory frameworks, availability of investment funds as needed, climatic, social and environmental conditions, levels of available and usable technology, national, regional and international attitudes and perceptions, modes of governance including issues like political interference, transparency, corruption, etc., educational and development conditions; and quality, effectiveness and relevance of research that are being conducted to solve the national, sub-national and local water resources management problems (Oyebande, 2006). Water Resources Management is of direct interest to the society as a whole, as well as to most development related public institutions at central, state and municipal levels, academia, private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) (Okeke and Uzoh 2009). Such widespread interest in water is not a unique situation, as many water professionals have often claimed: it is equally applicable to other important sectors like food, energy, the environment, health, communication or transportation (Akpor and Muchie, 2011). All these issues command high levels of social and political attention in all modern societies, although their relative importance may vary from one state to another, and also overtime. In an increasingly interrelated and complex world, many issues are of high interest for assuring good quality of life of the people (Velayutham, 1999).

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN INDIA

The present paper examines the issues and challenges of water resource management in India. The National Water Policy has suggested various measures for effectively managing the water resources. It suggests to understand the availability of water and scarcity. Besides, the economic value of water has to be understood where huge amount of water is misused, wasted and inefficiency usage. Reforms has to bring changes in local bodies and water users association. Without the financial support of the Government, the association cannot complete the mission in managing water bodies. The paper suggest to the Government to draft policies for creating new water users associations for managing the water bodies in the country

Water in India: situation and prospects

Water Policy, 2014

Although significant progress is being made in the development of water resources in India, problematic management issues remain despite increased funding, a sizeable resource base (though with remarkable spatial and temporal variation) and a vast land resource. A large population and increasing demand pose challenges for water resource professionals, and mean that India continues to struggle to meet its water requirements. A comprehensive review of the water sector was undertaken to provide perspectives on the way forward. Based on an extensive review of the secondary literature and five regional consultations with key stakeholders, the pressures and drivers in the sector were examined. These included changes in water availability and access, and the role of the State and water programmes, the community, market and civil society in providing access and control over water for the people. Recommendations are made and compared with two other significant sector reviews at a national an...