Water Balance Evaluation of Chandigarh Region, India.

Abstract

The water balance is an accounting of the inputs and outputs of water. The water balance of a place, whether it is an agricultural field, watershed, or continent, can be determined by calculating the input, output, and storage changes of water at the Earth's surface. The assessment also takes into account the existing supply of stocks and future appropriation of these stocks. Water inputs are brought by precipitation. Outputs are from the combination of evaporation and the transpiration of plants, called evapotranspiration. Both quantities are estimated in terms of the amount of water per surface unit, but they are generally translated into water heights, the most currently used unit being the millimeter. Usually, the planning and implementation of water use is undertaken in silos with little or no interaction between and across sectors. This leads to frequent water scarcity and water pollution. About 30% of people in India live in cities that are expected to double in population by 2050. With a growing economy and changing lifestyles the pressure on already strained water resources is increasing. The government has shown an interest in Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) as a new framework and approach for thenation.