Making out a case for holistic river water management
BY G. Kishan Reddy
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
(The Rime of the Ancient Mariner)
On August 9 this year, officials heaved a sigh of relief after 19.84 lakh cusecs of water was released into the Bay of Bengal, from the Dowlaisweram barrage near Rajahmundry. With this, the flooding caused by a swollen Godavari was no longer seen as a threat.
But there is the larger picture. This volume of water was the equivalent of more than 170 tmc ft of water. It would be easier to understand what this means when you compare it with what the reservoirs of large dams in India hold. For instance, the reservoir that feeds the Nagarjunasagar dam in Andhra Pradesh is considered to be one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, with a capacity of around 410 tmc ft. The Mettur dam reservoir in Tamil Nadu has a peak storage capacity of 150 tmc ft. The recent dispute between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh over the Bhabhli Project was over two tmc ft of water. In this context, the volume of water that was allowed to flow out was large.
Integrated flood management
Today, a retroactive approach to flood control is no longer the option. In its report, “Dams and Development”, the World Commission on Dams (WCD) has suggested an integrated approach to flood management, and this was as early as 2000. The three-pronged strategy was through structural and non-structural means, isolating the threat of floods through structural, technological and policy alternatives; and increasing people's capacity to cope with floods.
An integrated flood management approach must look at river basins as a whole and not as individual silos at a State-level. Therefore, it is distressing to note that the latest annual report of the Ministry of Water Resources (published at its website) sanctions 281 projects (worth Rs. 2,425.50 crore) but is silent on even a single project for flood management in the Krishna or Godavari basins. In hindsight, the floods of 2009, caused by the Krishna, which devastated parts of Karnataka and the Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, and now what happened in August, show the retroactive approach of “flood control” rather than a proactive one of “flood management” being in place.
Integrated Water Resource Management in river basins
The hurdle to an integrated water management strategy is the lack of legislation. Article 246 of the Constitution establishes the federal structure of our Government in enacting legislation. The responsibilities of the Centre are declared through a Union list. In this list, the entry 56 states: the regulation and development of inter-state rivers and river valleys is a core responsibility of the union. As 90 per cent of our rivers flow through States, it is important that there is legislation to protect the rights of all stakeholders.
The United Nations has been trying to ratify the Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses to protect the rights of all stakeholders for rivers with international boundaries. It is important that the legislation enacted in India is based on similar general principles — equitable and reasonable utilisation and participation by all actors, obligation not to cause significant harm, a general obligation to cooperate, regular exchange of data and information and a notification concerning planned measures with possible adverse effects. The WCD report also warns about the risks in legislation that treat water as a finite commodity and which tries to allocate it on a proportional basis. In times of water scarcity, this approach does not give the flexibility needed to meet multiple claims along a river course. In such circumstances, it is helpful to extend sharing agreements to include the benefits, much like the 1968 Columbia Treaty between Canada and the United States.
The other area that requires attention is to move the responsibilities of managing water. There must also be a team of people — termed as the Basin Authority — that involves all stakeholders in the river-basin including governments. This is to manage water, plan future use and leverage benefits to the entire river basin. The use of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), as in the Murray-Darling River basin in Australia, can be sensibly applied in India only if certain prerequisites are met. These include establishing a system of licensing and registering groundwater structures, a principle of developing a “user pays, polluter pays” method at the operational level, a rationalisation of electricity pricing and supply policies for agriculture and the creation of legal frameworks to facilitate institutional reform in irrigation systems, urban and rural water supply and sanitation systems.
Other alternatives
Other arid and semi-arid regions of the world have invested heavily in storage creation; Australia, Brazil, China and the U.S. have a per capita storage capacity that is 10-30 times that of India's capacity. In India, it is a mere 200 cubic metre/person, a figure on the decline because of a growing population.
As a country, we must increase our storage to regulate the vast amount of run-off. Some of this storage, especially that created in open basins, such as the Brahmaputra, the Ganga, the Mahanadi and the Godavari, may also need to be transferred to closed basins. For many years, policy makers have been suggesting the National River Linking Project (NRLP) to help sustain India's demand for water. The NRLP plans to transfer surplus waters of the four river basins mentioned, to water scarce basins in the southern and the western parts.
For all the rhetoric for and against the NRLP, it may become necessary that we plan inter-basin water transfers to meet future needs. However, we need to ensure that there is focus on policies that concern artificial groundwater recharge, a pragmatic approach to rain water-harvesting techniques that do not compromise on downstream flows, improvement in crop productivity and agriculture diversification along with looking at alternate sources for fresh water that include the setting up of desalination plants along our coastline.
Long-term Plan: Year 2050
According to the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), the total demand for water in India will have increased by 22 per cent by 2025, and a further eight per cent by 2050 due to population increase and lifestyle choices. It will be fuelled by industrial and domestic use even though agriculture use for irrigation is set to fall.
The challenge of increased industrial usage means that industry discharges need to be treated and reused. Policy making and planning around water resources management is complex and multi-disciplinary in nature. This work cannot be done in isolation and co-operation must ensue between disciplines.
In spite of a mandate to meet every quarter, the Committee of Environmentalists, Social Scientists and other Experts on Inter-Linking of Rivers last met in March 2010, after seven months.
It is time that the government ensured that a concrete policy evolves that aims at transforming India into a ‘Sujalam' (richly-watered), ‘Suphalam' (richly-fruited), ‘Sasya Shyamalam' (richly-harvested) country.
(G. Kishan Reddy is the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Andhra Pradesh and the floor leader of the BJP in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The statistical, data and research inputs were provided by Yudofud Public Strategies, www.yudofud.com)
Showing posts with label WATER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WATER. Show all posts
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Milking fog: the science of collecting drinking water
DPA
There is more to fog than you might think. Hundreds of litres of water, for example, and most of it of such a high quality that it can be drunk. It is possible to capture that water using nets and a group of experts in Germany have been discussing the concept of “milking fog” to supply drinking water in arid regions of the earth.
London once had a reputation as a foggy city but less well known is the mist of Iquique in northern Chile. However, this coastal city on the Pacific is a Mecca for fog scientists, according to Professor Otto Klemm. The climatologist’s eyes light up every time he mentions the place. “The fog is very dense there -- perfect for milking.” Klemm works at the Institute of Landscape Ecology at the University of Munster. By “milking” he means capturing fog for the purpose of scientific study. But the enormous nets Klemm and other scientists place in the landscape of South America and elsewhere are also used to collect drinking water.
The subject was discussed at the recent fifth International Conference on Fog, Fog Collection and Dew in Munster in northern Germany. Some 140 experts on fog from over 30 nations came together for the first time in Europe to discuss the topic.
Dry regions of the earth such as Iquique, which lies at the edge of the Atacama desert, have plenty of fog, a fact that could prove very useful to coming generations. Desert fog can supply water to areas where it is in short supply or where it may be scarce in future. “We’re not just talking about South America or Africa. Spain, for example, will probably experience a shortage of water in 50 to 100 years time.” Spain is already considering diverting rivers and building huge desalination plants.
A few regions in Spain, however, have plenty of fog. “There is a mountain chain on Spain’s eastern coast, for example, in the region around Valencia close to the sea. It has a similar geography to the Pacific coast of South America and Africa’s east. Clouds form over the sea, move over the land and fog is trapped by the mountains which can be milked,” says Klemm. But he also points out that milking fog cannot solve the problem of water shortage -- “at least not on a big scale.” But the German charity the Water Foundation is increasingly looking at fog as a source of water. “A few years ago we were laughed at. But we managed to achieve some success supplying water to small farmers and schools in Eritrea,” says Ernst Frost from the foundation. “In the foggy season it is possible to collect up to 170 litres of top quality water a day with a net. That’s enough for a really big family.” It has proven to be difficult, however, to train locals to maintain the nets. Frost says more education must be invested in that area. Because many Africans cannot afford to buy water from a tanker truck many women and children must walk miles to the next waterhole.
Klemm also highlights the low cost of collecting water with a net that costs about 13 dollars. The frame to support the net can be made of materials found at the site where it’s used. It is also not necessary to specially manufacture the nets. “The nets are made from woven synthetic fibres and are the same nets already used in many hot regions to provide shade from the sun,” he says.
The experts attending the conference also discussed ideas for using satellites to locate fog. Such information is already used by weather forecasters and by air traffic controllers. “But much of our work is basic research. We investigate what constitutes fog, how it develops, how polluted it is and what chemical reactions are taking place in the fog.” Klemm is conducting part of that research in a fog—rich forest in Taiwan. He has spent many nights there with local researchers trying to learn more of the secrets that are hidden in fog.
DPA
There is more to fog than you might think. Hundreds of litres of water, for example, and most of it of such a high quality that it can be drunk. It is possible to capture that water using nets and a group of experts in Germany have been discussing the concept of “milking fog” to supply drinking water in arid regions of the earth.
London once had a reputation as a foggy city but less well known is the mist of Iquique in northern Chile. However, this coastal city on the Pacific is a Mecca for fog scientists, according to Professor Otto Klemm. The climatologist’s eyes light up every time he mentions the place. “The fog is very dense there -- perfect for milking.” Klemm works at the Institute of Landscape Ecology at the University of Munster. By “milking” he means capturing fog for the purpose of scientific study. But the enormous nets Klemm and other scientists place in the landscape of South America and elsewhere are also used to collect drinking water.
The subject was discussed at the recent fifth International Conference on Fog, Fog Collection and Dew in Munster in northern Germany. Some 140 experts on fog from over 30 nations came together for the first time in Europe to discuss the topic.
Dry regions of the earth such as Iquique, which lies at the edge of the Atacama desert, have plenty of fog, a fact that could prove very useful to coming generations. Desert fog can supply water to areas where it is in short supply or where it may be scarce in future. “We’re not just talking about South America or Africa. Spain, for example, will probably experience a shortage of water in 50 to 100 years time.” Spain is already considering diverting rivers and building huge desalination plants.
A few regions in Spain, however, have plenty of fog. “There is a mountain chain on Spain’s eastern coast, for example, in the region around Valencia close to the sea. It has a similar geography to the Pacific coast of South America and Africa’s east. Clouds form over the sea, move over the land and fog is trapped by the mountains which can be milked,” says Klemm. But he also points out that milking fog cannot solve the problem of water shortage -- “at least not on a big scale.” But the German charity the Water Foundation is increasingly looking at fog as a source of water. “A few years ago we were laughed at. But we managed to achieve some success supplying water to small farmers and schools in Eritrea,” says Ernst Frost from the foundation. “In the foggy season it is possible to collect up to 170 litres of top quality water a day with a net. That’s enough for a really big family.” It has proven to be difficult, however, to train locals to maintain the nets. Frost says more education must be invested in that area. Because many Africans cannot afford to buy water from a tanker truck many women and children must walk miles to the next waterhole.
Klemm also highlights the low cost of collecting water with a net that costs about 13 dollars. The frame to support the net can be made of materials found at the site where it’s used. It is also not necessary to specially manufacture the nets. “The nets are made from woven synthetic fibres and are the same nets already used in many hot regions to provide shade from the sun,” he says.
The experts attending the conference also discussed ideas for using satellites to locate fog. Such information is already used by weather forecasters and by air traffic controllers. “But much of our work is basic research. We investigate what constitutes fog, how it develops, how polluted it is and what chemical reactions are taking place in the fog.” Klemm is conducting part of that research in a fog—rich forest in Taiwan. He has spent many nights there with local researchers trying to learn more of the secrets that are hidden in fog.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
NEED FOR CLEAN WATER
Polluted water kills more people than war: UN
Polluted drinking water claim more lives than all forms of violence, including war, a UN report has said, highlighting the need for clean water.
The report, released on the occasion of World Water Day by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday, said one child under the age of five dies every 20 seconds from water-related diseases.
According to the report titled ‘Sick Water’, the sheer scale of dirty water means more people now die from contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence including wars.
“These deaths are an affront to our common humanity, and undermine the efforts of many countries to achieve their development potential,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking Word Water Day.
“Day after day, we pour millions of tons of untreated sewage and industrial and agricultural wastes into the world’s water systems. And the poor continue to suffer first and most from pollution, water shortages and the lack of adequate sanitation.”
The report said that some two million tons of waste is being discharged daily into rivers and seas causing the spread of disease and damage of ecosystems.
The report has described wastewater as a “cocktail of fertilizer run-off and sewage disposal alongside animal, industrial, agricultural and other wastes”.
“If the world is to thrive, let alone to survive on a planet of six billion people heading to over nine billion by 2050, we need to get collectively smarter and more intelligent about how we manage waste including waste waters,” said Achim Steiner, the head of the UNEP.
“The facts and figures are stark - pollution from wastewater is quite literally killing people, indeed at least 1.8 million children die annually as a result of contaminated water,” he added.
Notably, the UN has declared 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Life.”
River pollution would remain a burden for the rural people of India for quite sometime, as the pollution is man-made, said Chief of Water and Environmental Sanitation of UNICEF, Lizette Burgers, here on Monday.
Speaking during a workshop on adaptive strategies for Water Conservation and Water Quality challenges as part of the celebrations to mark the World Water Day, Ms. Burgers said: “It will continue to be a burden to the rural people for quite sometime to come. Sources; previously considered to be not contaminated are being identified as contaminated by the time and new contaminants are also coming to light like heavy metals and radioactive elements. Many of these, if not ....most are most likely to be a result of manmade pollution.”
Ms. Burgers also said that India has a lot to be proud of as it has achieved a lot in the last couple of years. There have been positive developments in the area of water supply. India has already achieved its MDG target of 86 pr cent of access to improved sources of drinking water. However, there are many challenges in front of us. “We see that out of 150 million, 134 million living in rural India have no access to water. It is also critical to look at safety of water as it is directly linked to health and social stability.”
Polluted drinking water claim more lives than all forms of violence, including war, a UN report has said, highlighting the need for clean water.
The report, released on the occasion of World Water Day by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Monday, said one child under the age of five dies every 20 seconds from water-related diseases.
According to the report titled ‘Sick Water’, the sheer scale of dirty water means more people now die from contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence including wars.
“These deaths are an affront to our common humanity, and undermine the efforts of many countries to achieve their development potential,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking Word Water Day.
“Day after day, we pour millions of tons of untreated sewage and industrial and agricultural wastes into the world’s water systems. And the poor continue to suffer first and most from pollution, water shortages and the lack of adequate sanitation.”
The report said that some two million tons of waste is being discharged daily into rivers and seas causing the spread of disease and damage of ecosystems.
The report has described wastewater as a “cocktail of fertilizer run-off and sewage disposal alongside animal, industrial, agricultural and other wastes”.
“If the world is to thrive, let alone to survive on a planet of six billion people heading to over nine billion by 2050, we need to get collectively smarter and more intelligent about how we manage waste including waste waters,” said Achim Steiner, the head of the UNEP.
“The facts and figures are stark - pollution from wastewater is quite literally killing people, indeed at least 1.8 million children die annually as a result of contaminated water,” he added.
Notably, the UN has declared 2005-2015 as the International Decade for Action “Water for Life.”
River pollution would remain a burden for the rural people of India for quite sometime, as the pollution is man-made, said Chief of Water and Environmental Sanitation of UNICEF, Lizette Burgers, here on Monday.
Speaking during a workshop on adaptive strategies for Water Conservation and Water Quality challenges as part of the celebrations to mark the World Water Day, Ms. Burgers said: “It will continue to be a burden to the rural people for quite sometime to come. Sources; previously considered to be not contaminated are being identified as contaminated by the time and new contaminants are also coming to light like heavy metals and radioactive elements. Many of these, if not ....most are most likely to be a result of manmade pollution.”
Ms. Burgers also said that India has a lot to be proud of as it has achieved a lot in the last couple of years. There have been positive developments in the area of water supply. India has already achieved its MDG target of 86 pr cent of access to improved sources of drinking water. However, there are many challenges in front of us. “We see that out of 150 million, 134 million living in rural India have no access to water. It is also critical to look at safety of water as it is directly linked to health and social stability.”
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