Water is often referred to as a synonym for life, as it is vital for survival.
Unfortunately, it is also a resource that is getting scarcer by the day across the
globe.
As per the World Bank, estimates show that at the current rate of population growth
combined with existing water usage patterns and practices, we are likely to
experience close to a forty percent (40%) deficit between projected demand and
availability of usable water, as early as by 2030. By 2050, feeding nine billion mouths
is likely to result in a 60% increase in agricultural production, which might consume
70% of the available water resources, consequently resulting in up to a 15%
increase in water withdrawals.
The World Bank also states that, “Estimates indicate that 40% of the world
population live in water-scarce areas, and approximately ¼ of world’s GDP is
exposed to this challenge. By 2025, about 1.8 billion people will be living in regions
or countries with absolute water scarcity.” India is no exception to water scarcity.
The growing uncertainties of climate change have in fact made a bad situation
worse, sooner we might encounter unprecedented levels of water scarcity across the
country.
What is Water Management?
World Bank defines water resource management or water management as the
“process of planning, developing, and managing water resources, in terms of both
water quantity and quality, across all water uses. It includes the institutions,
infrastructure, incentives and information systems that support and guide water
management.”
Water management, therefore, is a facet of water cycle management that considers
all existing and projected demands for water, then allocates available water
resources as fairly as possible to satisfy all, or as many, such demands, as possible.
The objective of a successful water management strategy is to ensure the availability
of sufficient water of adequate quality to cover all water needs, including drinking,
sanitation, agriculture, and ancillary food production, energy generation, inland water
transport, etc. while simultaneously sustaining and protecting healthy water
ecosystems and preventing devaluation of the aesthetic and spiritual values of
natural water bodies.
Water management strategies also consider water-related risks, whether natural
calamities like floods or drought, or contamination of the natural resource. Also, the
complexities involving the available water resources and their usage across
households, economies, and ecosystems form the basis of water management.
Unfortunately, like most other resource management planning, the ideal distribution
of water resources seems to be a distant dream.
Water Security
The Ultimate Goal of Water
Management
The World Bank differentiates “water security” from the concepts of food security or
energy security, as the challenges associated with conserving water are not limited
to just ensuring adequate resource provision. Proper management of water bodies
and risks associated with the same, when mismanaged, are some of the key
components of water security.
“Water security is achieved when water’s productive potential is leveraged and its
destructive potential is managed,” says the World Bank. It further states that, “Water
security suggests a dynamic construct that goes beyond single-issue goals such as
water scarcity, pollution or access to water and sanitation, to think more broadly
about societies’ expectations, choices and achievements with respect to water
management. It is a dynamic policy goal, which changes as societies’ values and
economic well-being evolve, and as exposure to and societies’ tolerance of water-
related risks change.”
Water security is a significant, escalating challenge for many countries, including
India, and effective water management strategies are being increasingly touted as
the means to achieve the end goal of water security.
Availability and equitable distribution of water are constrained by several aspects,
namely a rapidly growing population and urbanization thereof, climatic and non-
climatic uncertainties, etc. Attaining water security in this backdrop is complicated.
Hence, proper planning and water resources management need to concentrate on
building capacity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of these hardships.
Significance of Saving Water,
Especially in Rural India
According to the World Bank, “chronic water scarcity, hydrological uncertainty and
extreme weather events (floods and droughts) are perceived as some of the biggest
threats to global prosperity and stability. Acknowledgment of the role that water
scarcity and drought are playing in aggravating fragility and conflict is increasing.”
India is no exception to this. Especially in the summers, like most tropical countries,
vast portions of the country receive little rainfall and experience high temperatures.
Since agriculture is still the main consumer of water resources, not just in India but
worldwide, preparing for the summers by treating and storing water throughout the
other seasons has become a necessity.
Water Management: Scope in
Rural India
Some water management strategies have been successfully adopted by several
Indian villages already.
Back in 2009, Chellapur, about 150 kilometres from Hyderabad, was severely
affected by a dry spell, but the nearby areas of Mahbubnagar and Anantapur in
Andhra Pradesh were largely unaffected. The World Bank backed a pilot project in
the area, in association with the Andhra Pradesh Drought Adaptation Initiative
(APDAI), which saw the villagers in Mahbubnagar & Anantapur get together to pool
in groundwater and share the same with the villagers in Chellapur. Borewells were
connected through underground pipelines spanning close to 2 kilometres, and those
who did not own borewells were also allowed to use this community-shared water.
Several villages in Panchgani, Maharashtra, benefited from a movement that started
in 2010 for the revival of several springs identified as important water sources. As
pumping water from dams was not viable due to the geographic location and
prohibitive costs, villages in the area successfully managed their water requirements
through borewells and these revived natural springs.
In 2015, the borewells of Sandharsi, Patiala, Punjab, failed drastically – constant use
of groundwater had resulted in severe depletion of water levels, and good quality
water was available only below 1000 feet or more. To combat this, the villagers
came together and built ponds within their farmlands. This served two purposes.
During dry spells, water from these ponds was used for irrigation, and during
monsoons, the ponds resisted floods by collecting and storing the excess water.
Challenges of Water
Management in Rural India
The biggest challenge faced by the water management and administration
authorities in India is the significant investment required in setting up the initiatives
across the rural areas. The second hurdle is the availability and utilization of
electricity.
Challenges of Water
Management in Rural India
The biggest challenge faced by the water management and administration
authorities in India is the significant investment required in setting up the initiatives
across the rural areas. The second hurdle is the availability and utilization of
electricity.
