Chapter 16 - The role of government in urban water management

Abstract

Deprived of water, a harmonious and resourceful improvement of social and economic pursuits is beyond the realm of imagination. A superior administration system ought to be created to conserve the accessible and available water reserves. Usually, water catastrophes occur due to water administration incompetence: overseeing water hazards to contaminated water can be very challenging. If the jobs and duties are not carried out as required, shareholders are either not involved properly or the data are not shared, and the restrictions are not appropriate to predict and handle the dangers. Data on water consumption indicates that the demand for water in different countries is increasing day by day. Rapid expansion of urban areas, insufficient conservation of water, increasing population and climate change are the major reason that may cause scarcity of potable water. Consequently, urban water management is a great challenge. There is a need for sustainable approaches to address the water security and offer improved services to residents. Precisely addressing these challenges necessitates evaluating the array of institutional, political, and administrative procedures, practices, and methods (official and unofficial) over which assessments are being made and executed. This chapter aims to express the current trend for the water resource management policies developed and adapted in India. This chapter also summarizes and provides insights on sources and events to find a solution to the worldwide water management and also aware to discourage wastage of water and to follow techniques of conservation and rainwater harvesting. The water resources sector can play an imperative role, although there is a need to refocus and reframe drastically. Comprehensive problem-solving is required to tackle urbanization, change in climate, hazards due to climatic shift, and challenges due to administrative incompetence.