factors as climate, geology, relief, drainage,
rainwater absorption, vegetation and soil, which
generally examines the man–environment relationship. All these aspects are more directly
related to the water supply problems of rural
areas where man is primarily in contact with his
environment than the urban areas.
The objective of providing safe water supply
to the rural masses is of paramount importance
because it is a minimum need and without this no
improvement can take place in the living standards of rural people. In spite of concerted effort,
it requires more to be achieved toward the
objective of providing safe drinking water to
each and every segment of rural population. It
must also be borne in mind that the available
statistics relating to the status of rural water
supply does not fully reflect the hardship and
inconvenience that is encountered by the poor,
particularly the women and the children. Water is
scarce, inadequate or polluted. It is needless to
say, this gigantic task of active cooperation of the
local people, voluntary agencies, economists,
scientists and engineers are to be enlisted. It also
requires to ensure that the facilities of potable
water supply that are already available in the
rural areas are made actually available to rural
people in large measure.
The access to safe water is an essential condition for the realization of economic, social and
cultural rights. UN Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights indicated the following relevant remarks:
Water is required for a range of different purposes,
besides personal and domestic uses, to realize
many of the [rights contained in the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights]. For instance, water is necessary to produce food (right to adequate food) and ensure
environmental hygiene (right to health). Water is
essential for securing livelihoods (right to gain a
living by work) and enjoying certain cultural
practices (right to take part in cultural life). Nevertheless, priority in the allocation of water must
be given to the right to water for personal and
domestic uses. Priority should also be given to the
water resources required to prevent starvation and
disease, as well as water required to meet the core
obligations of each of the Covenant rights (CESCR
2003: p.3).
1992 International Conference on Water and
the Environment, dubbed the Dublin Conference,
had come and gone water problems remained
critical across the globe, and to this day many
human communities still do not have access to
clean water despite the noble promises that were
made at the conference. Since then Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM) has
increasingly become an important rallying theme
for addressing the governance and management
of water resources. The IWRM has become
the most preferred framework for attaining
water resources management (Manyanhaire and
Nyaruwata 2014). IWRM is an important tool to
water resources management in which waterrelated ecological/ environmental, social and
economic needs within an area (which could be a
water basin, hydrological zone or an entire
country) are met simultaneously. Integrated
water resource management is a process that
promotes the comprehensive development and
management of water, land and other resources
to maximize economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Gallego-Ayala and Juizo (2011) define
IWRM as an approach to water development
management that seeks a balance among the
three dimensions of sustainable development,
namely economic efficiency, social equity and
environmental sustainability. Economic development can influence the protection and use of
water resource directly or indirectly (Shengwu
2010). First of all, because of different ways,
styles and speed from economic development
can directly influence the water resource protection. Secondly, economic development can
indirectly influence environmental consciousness, social custom, environmental policy to the
water resource protection and use. Therefore,
except the qualitative analysis of regional economic development and water resource protection, it also needs quantitative analysis to them.
Rivers constitute the main inland water
resources for domestic, industrial and irrigation
purpose and they play a major role in assimilation or carrying off municipal, industrial
252
B. W. Pandey and S. Anand
rainwater absorption, vegetation and soil, which
generally examines the man–environment relationship. All these aspects are more directly
related to the water supply problems of rural
areas where man is primarily in contact with his
environment than the urban areas.
The objective of providing safe water supply
to the rural masses is of paramount importance
because it is a minimum need and without this no
improvement can take place in the living standards of rural people. In spite of concerted effort,
it requires more to be achieved toward the
objective of providing safe drinking water to
each and every segment of rural population. It
must also be borne in mind that the available
statistics relating to the status of rural water
supply does not fully reflect the hardship and
inconvenience that is encountered by the poor,
particularly the women and the children. Water is
scarce, inadequate or polluted. It is needless to
say, this gigantic task of active cooperation of the
local people, voluntary agencies, economists,
scientists and engineers are to be enlisted. It also
requires to ensure that the facilities of potable
water supply that are already available in the
rural areas are made actually available to rural
people in large measure.
The access to safe water is an essential condition for the realization of economic, social and
cultural rights. UN Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights indicated the following relevant remarks:
Water is required for a range of different purposes,
besides personal and domestic uses, to realize
many of the [rights contained in the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights]. For instance, water is necessary to produce food (right to adequate food) and ensure
environmental hygiene (right to health). Water is
essential for securing livelihoods (right to gain a
living by work) and enjoying certain cultural
practices (right to take part in cultural life). Nevertheless, priority in the allocation of water must
be given to the right to water for personal and
domestic uses. Priority should also be given to the
water resources required to prevent starvation and
disease, as well as water required to meet the core
obligations of each of the Covenant rights (CESCR
2003: p.3).
1992 International Conference on Water and
the Environment, dubbed the Dublin Conference,
had come and gone water problems remained
critical across the globe, and to this day many
human communities still do not have access to
clean water despite the noble promises that were
made at the conference. Since then Integrated
Water Resources Management (IWRM) has
increasingly become an important rallying theme
for addressing the governance and management
of water resources. The IWRM has become
the most preferred framework for attaining
water resources management (Manyanhaire and
Nyaruwata 2014). IWRM is an important tool to
water resources management in which waterrelated ecological/ environmental, social and
economic needs within an area (which could be a
water basin, hydrological zone or an entire
country) are met simultaneously. Integrated
water resource management is a process that
promotes the comprehensive development and
management of water, land and other resources
to maximize economic and social welfare in an
equitable manner without compromising the
sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Gallego-Ayala and Juizo (2011) define
IWRM as an approach to water development
management that seeks a balance among the
three dimensions of sustainable development,
namely economic efficiency, social equity and
environmental sustainability. Economic development can influence the protection and use of
water resource directly or indirectly (Shengwu
2010). First of all, because of different ways,
styles and speed from economic development
can directly influence the water resource protection. Secondly, economic development can
indirectly influence environmental consciousness, social custom, environmental policy to the
water resource protection and use. Therefore,
except the qualitative analysis of regional economic development and water resource protection, it also needs quantitative analysis to them.
Rivers constitute the main inland water
resources for domestic, industrial and irrigation
purpose and they play a major role in assimilation or carrying off municipal, industrial
252
B. W. Pandey and S. Anand