Training, research and application in hydrology and water resources development and management – how to bridge the gap?

Abstract

AS mentioned in the National Water Policy (2012) water a scarce natural resource, is fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development. India has more than 18% of the world’s population, but has only 4% of world’s renewable water resources and 2.4% of world’s land area. With rapidly growing population and improving living standards, the pressure on our water resources is increasing and per capita availability of water resources is reducing day by day. Due to spatial and temporal variability in precipitation, the country faces the problem of flood and drought syndrome. Overexploitation of groundwater is leading to reduction in river flow, declining groundwater resources, and salt water intrusion in aquifers of the coastal areas. Over canal irrigation in some of the command areas has resulted in water-logging and salinity. The quality of surface and groundwater resources is also deteriorating because of increasing pollutant loads from point and non-point sources. Some major urban areas already face serious water shortages compounded by water pollution crisis, the latter often originating from water-dependent and water impacting agricultural and industrial activities. The climate change impacts are expected to affect populations directly by more frequent extreme events such as floods and droughts, rising sea levels, changes in the seasonal distribution and amount and type of precipitation such as snow and rain, storage components of the water cycle such as glaciers, snow pack and groundwater via recharge. So far, the data collection, processing, storage and dissemination have not received adequate attention. Low awareness about water scarcity and its life sustaining and economic value results in its mismanagement, wastage, and inefficient use, as also pollution and reduction of flows below minimum ecological needs. In addition, there are inequities in distribution and lack of a unified perspective in planning, management and use of water resources. Further, questions relating to water resources management and usage cut across many economic and social sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, industry, urban development, energy, environment, tourism and public health.