This book investigates water development in India with a special focus on its most agriculturally advanced state, Punjab, as well as the global water scenario on a more general level. It explores and highlights the use and abuse of water, especially sub-soil water, in the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors. It also reveals the classic case of the virtual exportation of underground water from Punjab to the rest of India. In addition to analysing the fast depleting water table and emerging water insecurity, the study critically examines water governance and policy intervention. The book provides a number of important lessons for all those regions and countries that are encountering the twin issues of food and water scarcity and are grappling with the problem of sustainable development. This insightful text will be of much interest to students and researchers in the water sector and the field of sustainable development, as well as farmers, social scientists, policy makers, agricultural experts, environmentalists, and all those concerned with emerging water insecurity in the world.

When it comes to water, we flush and forget. We use, abuse and almost never recycle. Water sector in India, since the 1990s, has seen some new ideas formalised legally and institutionally, while others are still emerging and evolving. Confronting the reality of current water management strategies, this volume discusses the state of the Indian water sector to uncover solutions that can address the imminent water crises. This book: Analyses the growing water insecurity, increase in demand, inefficiency in water use, and growing inequalities in accessing clean water; Sheds light on water footprint in agricultural, industrial and urban use, pressures on river basin management, depleting groundwater resources, patterns of droughts and floods, watershed based development and waste water and sanitation management; Examines water conflicts, lack of participatory governance mechanisms, and suggests an alternative framework for water regulation and conflict transformation; Highlights the relationship between gender discourse and water governance; Presents an alternative agenda for water sector reforms. This volume, with hopes for a more water secure future, will interest scholars and researchers of development studies, environment studies, public policy, political studies, political sociology, and, NGOs, media and think tanks working in this area.

This book investigates water development in India with a special focus on its most agriculturally advanced state, Punjab, as well as the global water scenario on a more general level. It explores and highlights the use and abuse of water, especially sub-soil water, in the agricultural, industrial and domestic sectors. It also reveals the classic case of the virtual exportation of underground water from Punjab to the rest of India. In addition to analysing the fast depleting water table and emerging water insecurity, the study critically examines water governance and policy intervention. The book provides a number of important lessons for all those regions and countries that are encountering the twin issues of food and water scarcity and are grappling with the problem of sustainable development. This insightful text will be of much interest to students and researchers in the water sector and the field of sustainable development, as well as farmers, social scientists, policy makers, agricultural experts, environmentalists, and all those concerned with emerging water insecurity in the world.

Water: The Looming Crisis in India analyzes the key issues in developing national freshwater policies for the mainland countries of the South Asian sub-continent. Ray suggests that freshwater policy must cover all aspects of physical environment and human life, by noting that food and drought management are parts of freshwater policy and acknowledging that water is a scarce natural resource and has economic value. He calls for the development of basin-wide policies to minimize conflicts within riparian countries, as well as a freshwater policy baseline to minimize internal conflicts on water sharing arrangements. By pointing out the need for full participation of all stakeholders in developing a baseline policy including people displaced by the construction of large dams, Ray suggests a new system in which riparian countries are guaranteed that no water-related project proceeds without a transparently developed environmental impact assessment and evaluation of alternative options.

This book presents water insecurity issues in urban areas while developing a water security index and explores the innovative approaches to water development and management with examples from Asian cities. The urban water crisis is a global phenomenon, but it is more obvious in the megacities of the developing world. Urban drought, although not a familiar term, will pose a significant threat to humankind in the near future, especially in the context of increasing population in cities. Many cities are already unable to provide safe, clean water for their citizens. Some of the world’s largest cities depend heavily on groundwater for their water supply. It is unlikely that dependence on aquifers, which take many years to recharge, will be sustainable. As urban populations grow, water use will need to shift from agriculture to municipal and industrial uses, making decisions about allocating between different sectors difficult. Inefficient water-use practices by households and industries, fragmented management of water between sectors and institutions, climate-induced water shortages, environmental degradation of water sources, and inadequate use of alternate sources are also issues of major concern. Despite recent advances in the literature, there exists a considerable gap in attempting an integrated water-resource management approach. Covering all aspects of urban drought and water insecurity, this book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, academics, policy makers, and development practitioners.

Uncharted Waters: The New Economics of Water Scarcity

This Book includes selected papers that has been published in the Water journal Special Issue (SI) on Water Supply and Water Scarcity. Moreover, an overview of the SI is included. The papers selected for publication in the SI include review and research papers on water history, on water management issues under water scarcity regimes, on rainwater harvesting, on water quality and degradation, and on climatic variability impacts on water resources. Overall, the issue identify and highlight the main challenges in water sector, and particularly in management and protection of water resources and in use of alternative (non-conventional) water resources, especially in areas with demographic change and climate vulnerability in order to achieve sustainable and secure water supply. Furthermore, general guidelines and possible solutions for an improved and sophisticated water management system are proposed and discussed, such as the adoption of advanced technological solutions and practices that improve water-use efficiency and the use of alternative water resources, to address the growing environmental and health issues and to reduce the emerging conflicts among water users.