This book focuses on governance and management issues in the much publicized 'Ganga Rejuvenation Project', led by the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. Attempts over the past three decades to clean up and rejuvenate one of the world's greatest rivers have proved futile. The major reasons for the lack of success are absence of long-term planning, poor co-ordination and failure to sustain whatever little infrastructure for water and sewage treatment could be developed. Focusing on these broad aspects, the book explores spaces for better governance through active community participation, knowledge management, prospects of Public-Private-Partnership, e-governance, youth education, waterfront development, lessons from past failures, comparative international analogies, utilization of external aid and global expertise in successful implementation of a sustainable long-term plan for a river basin's integrated development of both the economy and environment. A host of activities, such as, improving pollution monitoring systems, new development plans for tourism enhancement; river dredging and sewering riparian cities are already being carried in the hope of quick results. The Government of India has also appointed a task force for preparation of a long-term strategy. However, substantial knowledge gaps persist especially with regard to governance. This book aims to address the governance and policy issues and will be a very timely contribution to cleaning as well as rejuvenating Ganga, a river that is lifeline of millions of people.

This edited book offers coverage towards SDG 15 in particular, but it provides for all the SDGs in general. The book is an inclusive comprehension on ecosystem restoration and sustainability including agricultural and ecosystem resilience, the role of biodiversity, climate change and water resources, hydrological modelling, extreme events, disaster risk and management, sustainable policy making on disaster management. The world is facing diverse and severe challenges. Millions of people are suffering from the catastrophic effects of extreme disasters, climate emergencies, water and food insecurity, and the repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic. Ecosystems are essential players in people’s capacity to meet these challenges. Hence, managing them and protecting their resources in sustainable ways is crucial. The book ‘Ecosystem Restoration: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Development’ provides comprehensive information on fundamentals, approaches and latest developments in the field of ecosystem restoration, resilience and sustainability. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, climate change scientists, and valuable source of reference to the professionals and students in the relevant disciplines. Besides, the book serves as additional reading for graduate students of water, ecology, restoration forestry, soil science, and environmental sciences. National and international ecological policy makers, scientists and planners will also find this to be a useful read.

This comprehensive volume explores the interface between politics and policy making in the water management sector of India. The authors discuss the nature of the political discourse on water management in India, and what characterizes this discourse. They also explore how this discourse has influenced the process of framing water related policies in India, particularly through the ‘academics-bureaucrat-politician’ nexus and the growing influence of the civil society groups on policy makers, which are the defining feature of this process, and which have produced certain policy outcomes that are not supported by sufficient scientific evidence. The book reveals that the social and management sciences, despite being increasingly relevant in contemporary water management, are unable to impress upon traditional, engineer-dominated water administration to seek solutions to complex water problems owing to a lack of interdisciplinary perspective in their research. The authors also examine the current deadlock in undertaking sectoral reforms due to existing water policies not being honoured. This collection includes several research studies which suggest legal, institutional policy alternatives for addressing the problems in areas such as irrigation, rural and urban water supply, flood control and adaptation to climate variability and change. It was originally published as a special issue of the International Journal of Water Resources Development.

Your Guide to Effective Groundwater Management Groundwater Assessment, Modeling, and Management discusses a variety of groundwater problems and outlines the solutions needed to sustain surface and ground water resources on a global scale. Contributors from around the world lend their expertise and provide an international perspective on groundwater management. They address the management of groundwater resources and pollution, waste water treatment methods, and the impact of climate change on groundwater and water availability (specifically in arid and semi-arid regions such as India and Africa). Incorporating management with science and modeling, the book covers all areas of groundwater resource assessment, modeling, and management, and combines hands-on applications with relevant theory. For Water Resource Managers and Decision Makers The book describes techniques for the assessment of groundwater potential, pollution, prevention, and remedial measures, and includes a new approach for groundwater modeling based on connections (network theory). Approximately 30 case studies and six hypothetical studies are introduced reflecting a range of themes that include: groundwater basics and the derivation of groundwater flow equations, exploration and assessment, aquifer parameterization, augmentation of aquifer, water and environment, water and agriculture, the role of models and their application, and water management policies and issues. The book describes remote sensing (RS) applications, geographical information systems (GIS), and electrical resistivity methods to delineate groundwater potential zones. It also takes a look at: Inverse modeling (pilot-points method) Simulation optimization models Radionuclide migration studies through mass transport modeling Modeling for mapping groundwater potential Modeling for vertical 2-D and 3-D groundwater flow Groundwater Assessment, Modeling, and Management explores the management of water resources and the impact of climate change on groundwater. Expert contributors provide practical information on hydrologic engineering and groundwater resources management for students, researchers, scientists, and other practicing professionals in environmental engineering, hydrogeology, irrigation, geophysics, and environmental science.

This book examines the relationship between natural resource management, sustainable development, and governance with case studies from India and other places covering disaster risk reduction, conflict resolution, capacity building, climate change adaptation and resilience, citizen engagement and ecological conservation. Though the studies focus mostly on cases in India, the volume discusses how governance can be employed to help develop and implement sustainable practices globally through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. Readers will learn how to integrate concepts of resource management, sustainable development, and governance to improve human resilience to global environmental change, and to assess the proper development approaches to assist economically stressed and resource-deprived individuals. The book will be of use to graduate students and academics, policy makers, planners, and nonprofits.

The book is the first of its kind to deal with almost the entire swath of water resources assessment, development and sustainable management. The idea of the book crystallized during the long journey of the Editors on various facets of water issues in India and abroad during their extended association, at all levels with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, as well as International Organizations dealing with water. Currently water-stressed, India is likely to become water scarce in not too distant a future. The global freshwater supply and its sustainable use for human consumption, and conservation of the ecosystem have never come under such a rigorous scrutiny before. The unplanned and reckless exploitation of this precious resource have led to a crisis situation, compounded by a real threat of climate change. This book is, therefore, timely and of particular relevance not only to India but the entire world. The book contains 20 chapters, beside the lead article by the Editors. The chapters are contributed by the eminent professionals, researchers, academicians and civil society representatives having an in-depth understanding of the issues. The contents of the chapters have been chosen to represent all aspects of water. The assessment of water resources using satellite data and in-depth analyses of groundwater sector like, the Aquifer Mapping Programme initiated by Government of India, application of gravity satellite data to assess the resource build up, artificial recharge of aquifers and its contamination, are dealt with by eminent experts. The articles on sustainable management of water through good governance by community participation and involvement of civil society are placed. Flood management both through a basin level approach as well as by building resilience in vulnerable areas is discussed. Other critical issues like water bodies management, constitutional provisions, water governance and financial issues, hydro-power and need of research and development in this sector are also dealt with aptly. In view of emerging crisis and complexities in this sector the future pathways and the paradigm shift that is required in administrative and policy level is also discussed.

Groundwater Economics and Policy in South Asia is a reference guide focusing on groundwater management and groundwater economics in South Asia. The author compares the regional variations across South Asia and the public policies that shaped the groundwater sector and presents the most up-to-date information on groundwater management using practical case-studies and empirical data. With the inclusion of strong methodological solutions for sustainable groundwater management, scholars in the fields of geohydrology, agricultural sciences, water resource economics, and professionals in water science and policy will get access to the latest policies and methods used in groundwater research in South Asia. - Presents a comprehensive overview of water management issues and governance in South Asia - Includes detailed case studies and applications to guide the reader - Contains the most recent developments in the literature, along with empirical data