Wetlands and Water Management:
Finding a Common Ground
Ritesh Kumar, Harsh Ganapathi and Santosh Palmate
Abstract Wetlands, ecosystems at the interface of land and water, have a significant role in ensuring water and climate security of India given their role in the
water cycle and multiple hydrological functions. The rapid loss of natural wetlands
as has been experienced lately is as much a threat to water and climate security, as
is an environmental crisis. The supply-side hydrology which characterized water
sector for long has tended to overlook this role of wetlands, and at several instances,
in an attempt to ‘develop’ these ecosystems, created several adverse ecological and
socio-economic impacts. With broadening of thinking on water resources management from run-off to precipitation-based management incorporating land use,
the role of ecosystems such as wetlands in building water system resilience
becomes highly significant in Indian context. Forging ‘natural infrastructure’ of
wetlands with the conventional ‘physical infrastructure’ of water resources can
bring multiple advantages to the water sector and provide the required flexibility to
address climate change-induced uncertainties and risks. Using catchment as a
planning unit and a harmonized understanding of wetlands and their hydrological
functions is the foundation step for collaboration between water and wetlands
sectors. Communication between the two sectors can be bridged by wetlands
managers articulating water needs and hydrological functions of wetlands in terms
useful to water sector, and the latter, incorporating wetlands as nature-based
solutions for meeting water management objectives.
Keywords Wetlands Á Trend index Á Nature-based solutions Á Ecosystem
services Á Resilience
R. Kumar (&) Á H. Ganapathi Á S. Palmate
Wetlands International South Asia, New Delhi, India
e-mail: ritesh.kumar@wi-sa.org
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Chadha and A. B. Pandya (eds.), Water Governance and Management in India,
Water Resources Development and Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1472-9_5
105
Finding a Common Ground
Ritesh Kumar, Harsh Ganapathi and Santosh Palmate
Abstract Wetlands, ecosystems at the interface of land and water, have a significant role in ensuring water and climate security of India given their role in the
water cycle and multiple hydrological functions. The rapid loss of natural wetlands
as has been experienced lately is as much a threat to water and climate security, as
is an environmental crisis. The supply-side hydrology which characterized water
sector for long has tended to overlook this role of wetlands, and at several instances,
in an attempt to ‘develop’ these ecosystems, created several adverse ecological and
socio-economic impacts. With broadening of thinking on water resources management from run-off to precipitation-based management incorporating land use,
the role of ecosystems such as wetlands in building water system resilience
becomes highly significant in Indian context. Forging ‘natural infrastructure’ of
wetlands with the conventional ‘physical infrastructure’ of water resources can
bring multiple advantages to the water sector and provide the required flexibility to
address climate change-induced uncertainties and risks. Using catchment as a
planning unit and a harmonized understanding of wetlands and their hydrological
functions is the foundation step for collaboration between water and wetlands
sectors. Communication between the two sectors can be bridged by wetlands
managers articulating water needs and hydrological functions of wetlands in terms
useful to water sector, and the latter, incorporating wetlands as nature-based
solutions for meeting water management objectives.
Keywords Wetlands Á Trend index Á Nature-based solutions Á Ecosystem
services Á Resilience
R. Kumar (&) Á H. Ganapathi Á S. Palmate
Wetlands International South Asia, New Delhi, India
e-mail: ritesh.kumar@wi-sa.org
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
G. Chadha and A. B. Pandya (eds.), Water Governance and Management in India,
Water Resources Development and Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1472-9_5
105