Changing Hydrosocial Cycles in Periurban India

Carsten Butsch,Shamita Kumar,Leon M Hermans,Sharlene L Gomes,Shreya Chakraborty

doi:10.3390/land10030263

Abstract

India’s urbanisation results in the physical and societal transformation of the areas surrounding cities. These periurban interfaces are spaces of flows, shaped by an exchange of matter, people and ideas between urban and rural spaces—and currently they are zones in transition. Periurbanisation processes result inter alia in changing water demands and changing relations between water and society. In this paper the concept of the hydrosocial cycle is applied to interpret the transformation of the waterscapes of six periurban villages in the fringe areas of Pune, Hyderabad and Kolkata. In doing so, three specific aspects will be investigated: (1) the institutions shaping the hydro-social cycle, (2) the interplay between water as a livelihood-base and the waterscape, (3) the interplay between the waterscape and water as a consumption good. This approach opens new views on periurban interfaces as emerging mosaic of unique waterscapes. The meaning of water, the rights to access water and the water related infrastructure are constantly renegotiated, as permanently new water demands emerge and new actors enter the scene. Especially this process-based understanding links the theoretical lens of the hydrosocial cycle with the object of investigation, the periurban space.

Highlights

India’s current urbanisation process is mutually connected to transformations in various domains. It stimulates societal transformation—while being at the same time driven by this; it results in the physical transformation of spaces—while being dependent on the ecosystem services of the growing urban agglomerations’ hinterlands; it changes the economic situation of the country—while being fueled by the forces unleashed following the economic liberalization in 1991
The findings presented are based on two sources: (i) exploratory field work for the project H2OT2S (For further information please refer to the project’s website: http://saciwaters.org/t2speriurban/, accessed on 27 February 2020) and (ii) to a smaller extent based on data collected by the authors in earlier projects
Being shaped by comparable forces, they exemplify the broad variety of the periurban

Summary

Introduction

India’s current urbanisation process is mutually connected to transformations in various domains It stimulates societal transformation—while being at the same time driven by this; it results in the physical transformation of spaces—while being dependent on the ecosystem services of the growing urban agglomerations’ hinterlands; it changes the economic situation of the country—while being fueled by the forces unleashed following the economic liberalization in 1991. Land use for urban areas is predicted to grow from 25 m hectares in 2005 to 45 m hectares in 2050 [2] The effects of this powerful process are not limited to the cities proper, and affect the periurban spaces surrounding these cities. These periurban interfaces are spaces of flows, shaped by an exchange of matter, people and ideas between urban and rural spaces [3].

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Conclusion