Keywords Water management Á Water security Á Sustainability Á Circular
economy Á Demand side management
1 Context Setting
Water not only has a basic function in maintaining the integrity of the natural
environment but is also a key driver of health, gender equality, resilience, inclusive
cities, life below water, terrestrial ecosystems and peaceful and inclusive societies,
which in turn are indicators of Socio-economic development. Thus, the sustainable
management of water is extremely vital and increasingly considered as a requisite
for India’s growth and ecosystem sustainability. India is home to *17% of the
world’s population but has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. Its per
capita water availability is around 1100 cubic meter (m
3 ), which is well below the
internationally recognized threshold of water stress of 1700 m
3 per person per year,
and precariously close to the threshold for water scarcity of 1000 m
3 per person per
year. According to a Water Risk Filter assessment by WWF, nearly one-third of the
100 cities in the world which are susceptible to ‘water risk’—which range from
droughts to floods—are in India. Evidence also suggests that, 11 out of 20 largest
cities in India face an extreme risk of water stress. This data is based on the
sub-national Water Stress Index, formulated by London-based risk analytics firm
Verisk Maplecroft. According to the index, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among the cities facing ‘extreme risk’.
After accounting for all the loss, the water supply is only 25 L/day per capita which
is considerably lower than the demand of 210 L/day per capita.
The annual utilizable water resources in the country are 690 billion cubic meter
(BCM) from surface sources and 447 BCM from groundwater. In spite of possessing surface water resources, India is highly dependent on groundwater
resources for day-to-day survival. Presently, India is facing the challenge to fulfill
its demand through its existing but depleting resources. To supplement its present
resources, the country has to find unconventional solutions involving recycling and
reuse of water and rainwater harvesting. It is estimated that 214 BCM of surplus
monsoon runoff can be conserved in groundwater reservoirs. In view of the limited
availability of water resources and rising demand for water, sustainable management of water resources has assumed critical importance.
1
Water is a life shaping resource. However, water as a public good is not used
very efficiently. Adding to it, the infrastructure development and well-regulated
demand interventions have also not kept pace with the population and economic
growth. Thus, the increased scarcity of water is affecting the broad spectrum of
economic, social and developmental activities of the country. Paradoxically, India
is also one of the major net exporters of virtual water (the amount of water required
1
ibid.
24
K. Singh and S. Mahanta
economy Á Demand side management
1 Context Setting
Water not only has a basic function in maintaining the integrity of the natural
environment but is also a key driver of health, gender equality, resilience, inclusive
cities, life below water, terrestrial ecosystems and peaceful and inclusive societies,
which in turn are indicators of Socio-economic development. Thus, the sustainable
management of water is extremely vital and increasingly considered as a requisite
for India’s growth and ecosystem sustainability. India is home to *17% of the
world’s population but has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources. Its per
capita water availability is around 1100 cubic meter (m
3 ), which is well below the
internationally recognized threshold of water stress of 1700 m
3 per person per year,
and precariously close to the threshold for water scarcity of 1000 m
3 per person per
year. According to a Water Risk Filter assessment by WWF, nearly one-third of the
100 cities in the world which are susceptible to ‘water risk’—which range from
droughts to floods—are in India. Evidence also suggests that, 11 out of 20 largest
cities in India face an extreme risk of water stress. This data is based on the
sub-national Water Stress Index, formulated by London-based risk analytics firm
Verisk Maplecroft. According to the index, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,
Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among the cities facing ‘extreme risk’.
After accounting for all the loss, the water supply is only 25 L/day per capita which
is considerably lower than the demand of 210 L/day per capita.
The annual utilizable water resources in the country are 690 billion cubic meter
(BCM) from surface sources and 447 BCM from groundwater. In spite of possessing surface water resources, India is highly dependent on groundwater
resources for day-to-day survival. Presently, India is facing the challenge to fulfill
its demand through its existing but depleting resources. To supplement its present
resources, the country has to find unconventional solutions involving recycling and
reuse of water and rainwater harvesting. It is estimated that 214 BCM of surplus
monsoon runoff can be conserved in groundwater reservoirs. In view of the limited
availability of water resources and rising demand for water, sustainable management of water resources has assumed critical importance.
1
Water is a life shaping resource. However, water as a public good is not used
very efficiently. Adding to it, the infrastructure development and well-regulated
demand interventions have also not kept pace with the population and economic
growth. Thus, the increased scarcity of water is affecting the broad spectrum of
economic, social and developmental activities of the country. Paradoxically, India
is also one of the major net exporters of virtual water (the amount of water required
1
ibid.
24
K. Singh and S. Mahanta