Water In South Asia Research Articles

Integrated water resource management to address the growing demand for food and water in South Asia*

AbstractWith the increasing population and accelerated urbanization, demands for water are rising for different sectors around the world, including in South Asia. Integrated water resource management (IWRM) offers a promising potential to address multifaceted water demands. This study therefore aimed to address this issue by (i) reviewing key issues related to water, land, and food in South Asian countries, (ii) exploring the prevalent irrigation management strategies in those countries, and (iii) examining the IWRM situation based on a Nepalese case study, and it proposes some options to support effective implementation of IWRM.South Asia, the home to 24% of the world's population with only 15% and 7% of the world's arable and permanent crop land and water resources, respectively, is the worst‐affected region in the world from undernourishment. Surface irrigation is the dominant irrigation application method in the region, which incurs high water losses due to the lack of flexible water control structures in canal networks. The Nepalese case study revealed a lack of clear institutional arrangements to implement IWRM and disparate and conflicting views about IWRM. Creation and strengthening of basin‐level water user organizations, technological improvements, and awareness‐raising activities are some potential ways forward to implement IWRM.

Irrigation and hydrometeorological extremes

In the present study, the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology’s Earth System Model is used to investigate irrigation’s general effect on severe and extreme hydrometeorological regimes. Our idealized simulations show a large potential to modulate the magnitude and occurrence frequency of severe and extreme precipitation rates, indicating the possibility to mitigate some of the detrimental effects of future climate change, but also a substantial risk due to the declining water availability in drying regions. Irrigation almost exclusively reduces the magnitude and occurrence frequency of severely and extremely dry conditions and has the potential to counter the drying trends that result from the 21st century increase in greenhouse gas concentrations—according to the RCP4.5 scenario. At the same time, irrigation does not only have a mitigating effect, as it increases the occurrence frequency and intensity of severely wet conditions in many regions. The study aims at irrigation’s theoretical (maximum) impact and investigates a highly idealized trajectory in which global irrigation is being maximized within hydrologically sustainable limits. However, even for this scenario, we find large regions in which present-day water extractions are not sustainable as they often rely on exhaustible sources. Especially, a depletion of non-renewable ground water in South Asia would lead to a strong reduction in irrigation and, consequently, a substantial increase in the occurrence frequency of severely and extremely dry months throughout the region.

Re-Interpreting Cooperation in Transboundary Waters: Bringing Experiences from the Brahmaputra Basin

Several studies have demonstrated the continuum of cooperation on transboundary rivers, but have largely focused on government to government (Track 1) cooperation and formal diplomacy. Formal arrangements like treaties, agreements, joint mechanisms, joint bodies, joint commissions (e.g., river basin organizations), etc., fall within the scope of transboundary waters cooperation. However, in some transboundary rivers, often due to political constraints, Track 1 cooperation might not be a feasible option. When governmental cooperation is a non-starter, effort and progress made outside the government domain through informal dialogues can play a significant role. It is therefore important to re-examine the definition of cooperation as it applies to international rivers, and potentially to broaden its scope. Such an examination raises important questions: What does international cooperation in this context actually mean? Is it formal (Track 1) cooperation related to sharing of water, data, and information only, or does it have a broader meaning? What, precisely, can be the entry point for such cooperation? Are informal transboundary dialogues and water diplomacy itself an entry point for cooperation on international rivers? This paper aimed to answer these critical questions drawing from the “Brahmaputra Dialogue” project initiated in 2013 under the South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI), which involved the four riparian countries of the Brahmaputra Basin. Several important focal points of cooperation emerged through this sustained dialogue, which went beyond sharing hydrological data or signing a basin-level treaty, broadening the definition of “cooperation”. The paper, bringing evidence from the dialogue, argues that the Brahmaputra Dialogue process has led to a broader understanding of cooperation among basin stakeholders, which could influence water resource management of the basin in the future.

Interaction of convective organization with monsoon precipitation, atmosphere, surface and sea: The 2016 INCOMPASS field campaign in India

AbstractThe INCOMPASS field campaign combines airborne and ground measurements of the 2016 Indian monsoon, towards the ultimate goal of better predicting monsoon rainfall. The monsoon supplies the majority of water in South Asia, but forecasting from days to the season ahead is limited by large, rapidly developing errors in model parametrizations. The lack of detailed observations prevents thorough understanding of the monsoon circulation and its interaction with the land surface: a process governed by boundary‐layer and convective‐cloud dynamics. INCOMPASS used the UK Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe‐146 aircraft for the first project of this scale in India, to accrue almost 100 h of observations in June and July 2016. Flights from Lucknow in the northern plains sampled the dramatic contrast in surface and boundary‐layer structures between dry desert air in the west and the humid environment over the northern Bay of Bengal. These flights were repeated in pre‐monsoon and monsoon conditions. Flights from a second base at Bengaluru in southern India measured atmospheric contrasts from the Arabian Sea, over the Western Ghats mountains, to the rain shadow of southeast India and the south Bay of Bengal. Flight planning was aided by forecasts from bespoke 4 km convection‐permitting limited‐area models at the Met Office and India's NCMRWF. On the ground, INCOMPASS installed eddy‐covariance flux towers on a range of surface types, to provide detailed measurements of surface fluxes and their modulation by diurnal and seasonal cycles. These data will be used to better quantify the impacts of the atmosphere on the land surface, and vice versa. INCOMPASS also installed ground instrumentation supersites at Kanpur and Bhubaneswar. Here we motivate and describe the INCOMPASS field campaign. We use examples from two flights to illustrate contrasts in atmospheric structure, in particular the retreating mid‐level dry intrusion during the monsoon onset.

Preliminary trace element analysis of arsenic in Nepalese groundwater may pinpoint its origin

Arsenic contamination of groundwater used as drinking water in South Asia poses a serious health threat to the inhabitants living on alluvial plains of the Himalayan foreland of countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Myanmar. Although the geological and geochemical conditions favoring the release of the highly poisonous contaminant from the sediments hosting the groundwater are meanwhile quite well understood, there is still a significant debate about the origin of arsenic. The sediments forming a huge proportion of the Terai (lowlands of Nepal) aquifers are derived from two main sources, (i) sediments deposited by large rivers that erode the upper Himalayan crystalline rocks and (ii) weathered meta-sediments carried by smaller rivers originating in the Siwalik foothills adjacent to the Terai. In this article a so far underestimated source of As is discussed: the peraluminous leucogranites found ubiquitously in the Nepal Himalaya. The relationship between the trace elements analyzed in the groundwater in the Terai and trace elements found in such felsic rocks reflect the origin of the arsenic in the high Himalayas of Nepal. In addition to the high concentration of As, a striking feature is the presence of the lithophile trace elements like Li, B, P, Mn, Br, Sr and U in the groundwater. The mentioned elements point to a felsic initial source like metapelites or leucogranites—all rocks showing a high abundance of especially B, P and As as well as Cd and Pb.

Building Peace over Water in South Asia: The Watercourses Convention and SAARC

Building Peace over Water in South Asia: The Watercourses Convention and SAARC

A Little Less Conversation? Track II Dialogue and Transboundary Water Governance

Foreign aid donors are increasingly investing in the good governance of freshwater resources in developing countries. One method used by many such programs is Track II Dialogue—informal discussions between government and non-government stakeholders facilitated by a neutral third party. There are many merits to participatory and discursive governance; however, there are also some limitations. This article considers the advantages and disadvantages of Track II Dialogue in transboundary water governance. It examines the relationship between discursive governance and water justice and analyses the role of the neutral third party facilitator. It also considers to what extent trust and cooperation must be present between riparians for deliberative processes to succeed. These observations are based on an analysis of foreign-led initiatives in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin. Foremost among these is the World Bank-funded South Asia Water Initiative, which aims to improve cooperation between riparian states by facilitating Track II Dialogue.

Lift Irrigation Schemes in Andhra Pradesh

Despite efforts by the Indian state to develop and maintain various irrigation strategies, many projects have not achieved the desired results, often due to systemic problems inherent in these initiatives. Meanwhile, the growing scarcity of water in South Asia propels new thinking about remedies. Based on detailed fieldwork, this article, which seems at first completely unrelated to matters of caste discrimination, assesses the sustainability of lift irrigation schemes (LIS) in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Asking critical questions about the management of such schemes, it also addresses the impact of new technologies on rural development, arguing that continuing technology-savvy engagement of the state in the irrigation sector is needed. While it is found that apart from issues of better management, increased use of solar energy could be a real boon for strengthening economic viability and environmental sustainability, the research identifies additional reasons, of a socio-political nature, which may explain why state support for marginal farmers in the area under examination is being withheld.

Hydrology: South Asia water supplies at risk.

Hydrology: South Asia water supplies at risk.

Dirty, Sacred Rivers: Confronting South Asia's Water Crisis. By Cheryl Colopy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 400 pp. Illustrations, maps, notes, glossary, select bibliography, and index. Cloth $34.95.

<i>Dirty, Sacred Rivers: Confronting South Asia's Water Crisis</i>. By Cheryl Colopy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 400 pp. Illustrations, maps, notes, glossary, select bibliography, and index. Cloth $34.95.

Higher risk of flooding fuels demand for South Asia water charter

Higher risk of flooding fuels demand for South Asia water charter

South Asia's water conundrum: hydroclimatic and geopolitical asymmetry, and brewing conflicts in the Eastern Himalayas

Few regions in the world are nearing a large-scale water crisis as rapidly as South Asia, especially the basins in the Eastern Himalayas. Despite being known to be a water-rich part of the world, lack of integrated planning, and unfavourable natural and political settings have pushed this populous region towards basin-wide water scarcity, flood hazards, water quality and ecosystem degradation, and public health problems. Rapid growth of population and an unforgiving future climate complicate the situation and put millions more at risk. Meanwhile, the riparian nations continue unilateral efforts to develop their water resources without addressing the ecological integrity of the complex transboundary river system. This article provides an overview of the asymmetry in hydroclimatic conditions and unhelpful political realities that have pushed the region towards a looming large-scale water conflict.

Contamination of surface and potable water in South Asia by Salmonellae: Culture-independent quantification with molecular beacon real-time PCR

Low numbers (15–100 CFU) of Salmonella in food or water may pose a public health risk. The management of infections caused by Salmonella spp. during outbreaks or forecasting of contamination of aquatic resources largely depends on rapid, sensitive and accurate diagnostic in few hours. In this study, a real-time PCR assay in Molecular-Beacon format was developed and culture-independent quantitative enumeration of Salmonella spp. in surface and potable water is being reported for the first time from northern part of India. Molecular Beacon was designed in highly conserved region of invA gene (present in wide range of Salmonella serotypes including all subspecies) encoding an essential component of the invasion associated specialized type Ø protein secretion apparatus for detection of Salmonella spp. in water. The assay could detect directly 10 and 1 genomic equivalent of Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 per PCR with detection probability of 100 and 20%, respectively. Further, the assay could detect 10 CFU/PCR or more of reference strain ( S. typhimurium ATCC 14028) without any enrichment in the presence of 10 8 CFU ml − 1 of non-pathogenic E. coli ( E. coli DH5α) with 100% detection probability. The assay could enumerate Salmonella spp. in surface ( n = 40) and potable waters ( n = 10) directly (without enrichment). Results indicate that northern India is at high risk of developing Salmonella borne infections. Further, real-time PCR assay in Molecular Beacon format can be used for identification of critical contamination points in natural water resources and potable water distribution systems, necessary to implement vaccination plan timely for prevention of waterborne outbreaks caused by Salmonella spp.

South Asia's water

Cooperation between South Asian countries in the management of their shared river systems lags far behind efforts in the rest of the world. Tensions carry a risk of conflict, with disputes within states having already taken violent forms. Scarcity and inefficient use of water could undermine economies and disrupt societies. However, new dialogues have begun and could in time be followed by steps to improve cooperation and shape new policies.

The Politics of Water in South Asia

Disputes over water are central to the political economy of development in South Asia. This paper looks at the way that the allocation of water is mediated by different kinds of state-society relations in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan by examining common property resource management issues from three different spatial scales: international, intra-national and intra-community. By doing so, we can begin to appreciate the complexity of problems in the management of water and the likely trends throughout the region. We do this by examining the contestations over rivers, canals, dams and groundwater. The role of agricultural change in contributing to the intensification of water usage in the rural areas is emphasised. Despite some diversification into non-agricultural activities in the rural areas and limited industrialisation in the urban areas, 70-80 percent of the region’s fresh water is utilised for agriculture at the present juncture.

The Politics of Water in South Asia: The Case of the Indus Waters Treaty

Because could be a major source of future conflicts among states (what some have called the coming of the water wars), it is extremely important that steps be taken to resolve these issues and ensure greater access to water. Such efforts are especially needed in South Asia. The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is an agreement between India and Pakistan to share the waters of the Indus river system that the two countries signed in 1960. The IWT is also one of the few such international agreements on the sharing of river waters that has been a success, despite the ongoing rivalry between India and Pakistan. This paper lays out a role for U.S. policy to help resolve the current dispute between India and Pakistan over the IWT, and explains how it can be used to help achieve larger and broader U.S. policy goals. The lack of sufficient mutual trust among the main partners to the treaty requires the intervention of a third party that is not perceived as biased and yet can be an effective mediator. The paper argues that this policy of intervention is in alignment with U.S. interests and will be a step toward meeting the U.S. goal of stability in this volatile region.

EXPERIENCES IN TRAINING AND RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY IN INDIA – THE CASE OF ARSENIC IN DRINKING WATER WITH SPECIAL FOCUS ON CHILDRENʼS HEALTH

ISEE-279 Although knowledge on the association between exposure to environmental agents and short and long term effects on children's health has increased over the last decade, there is a need for related training to support local researchers in conducting epidemiological studies in many countries. Health researchers and professionals from developing and transitional countries and regions should be enabled to conduct well designed epidemiological studies to investigate exposure and suspected health effects related to local priorities, such as from arsenic contaminated drinking water in South Asia. In different parts of India and Bangladesh millions of people including young children and women in child bearing age, are exposed to arsenic contaminated drinking water from natural geological sources, and often the population is not well informed about contaminated sources and risks. Children are thought to be at particular risk, and factors such as inadequate nutrition and living conditions may differentially increase their risk. The US NIH Fogarty program on International Training and Research in Environmental and Occupational Health (ITREOH) provides the framework for training and research collaboration between the US and developing countries. In our Fogarty funded ITREOH program in India, trainees work on specific research projects and are provided with the methodology and support to build their own capacity in India. Technology transfer is a key part of the program. Examples of successful training activities include intensive courses, regular lectures, and continuous support to local research projects and qualifications (e.g. PhD thesis on child development and arsenic, nutritional aspects of arsenic toxicity) in India, as well as training visits to UC Berkeley, during which specific skills are obtained. Lectures and exercises on the basic principles of epidemiology, as well as the development of specific study protocols and instruments for the individual studies are part of the training. As a feature of this effort, local networking among researchers is promoted. Special effort is required in West Bengal and other Asian countries and regions, to establish methods for meaningful intervention studies to test the effectiveness and feasibility of arsenic mitigation and integrated water safety programs under the specific local conditions. The overall goal of this project is to increase the local capacity in India in a sustainable way. This may support the implementation of effective interventions and policies to particularly protect the health of children and future generations.

Moving South Asia's economies beyond the Indo-Pakistan paradigm in the South Asian Regional Association for Cooperation

The effectiveness of the South Asian Regional Association for Cooperation (SAARC) hinges upon its dominant Indo-Pakistan axis. A stronger Indo-Pakistan relationship would realise multiple benefits for all the countries of the region, including reduced defence expenditure, enhanced economic growth from increased trade and the sharing of South Asia's water, oil and natural gas resources, and would increase the scope for further integration. However, this article argues that the failure of India and Pakistan to normalise their political and trade relationship hinders the growth of SAARC, including the possibility of its future as a viable trading bloc. Nonetheless, argues this article, the relative inaction of the Indo-Pakistan axis in SAARC must not prevent other countries in the region from entering into bilateral, sub-regional and extra-regional agreements to reap the benefits of enhanced co-operation. Although such arrangements would undermine the efficacy of SAARC, it would be a move forward from the existing SAARC framework, which Indo-Pakistan intransigence has made virtually obsolete.