Analysis by S. M. Zaki Ahmad -Expert Faculty of Ecology & Environment
INTRODUCTION
A recent study conducted by the International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has revealed that the "Hindu Kush Himalayan
Region" is facing an acute crisis of water insecurity.
The 10-studies series of papers authored by a multi-disciplinary team of physical
and social scientists, anthropologists, geographers, and planners, highlights
the concerns around unplanned and
haphazard development in the region that is leading to problems of inequity in water supply and unequal
developmental outcomes.
These new researches assess the challenges of water management in 12 towns
from four corners of the Himalayan region. These include, from west to
east, Murree and Havelian in Pakistan;
Kathmandu, Bharatpur, Tansen, and Damauli in Nepal; Mussoorie, Devprayag,
Singtam, Kalimpong, and Darjeeling in India; and Sylhet in Bangladesh.
HINDU KUSH HIMALAYAN AREA
The 10
major rivers of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) region are:
1. Indus,
2. Ganges, 3. Brahmaputra, 4. Irrawaddy, 5. Salween, 6. Mekong, 7. Yangtze,
8. Yellow, 9. Amu Darya and 10. Tarim.
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The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH)
is characterized by complex topography, climate, hydrology, and hydrogeology.
Each of these factors plays an important role in determining the availability
of water for people living in the Himalayas.
The new report by the International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development (ICIMOD) based in Kathmandu,
Nepal, throws much-needed light on the drivers of water scarcity in the HKH region.
The water stress in the
Hindu Kush Himalayas
As water stored in mountains is
quickly disappearing because of a rising
demand and an excessive melting of glaciers accelerated by climate change, more than 1.9 billion people are already at the
risk of water shortage. The crisis is worsening. Half of the springs in the region – the major source of water
supply – have either turned from perennial
to seasonal or dried up completely.
According to the new study which
was done over two years, currently, 3% of the total Hindu Kush Himalaya
population lives in larger cities and 8% in smaller towns. But projections
by the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), by 2050 more than 50 per cent of the population in the
Hindu Kush Himalayan countries will live in hill cities.
CAUSES OF CRISIS
According to the research the five areas that intersect to cause the
crisis are:
1. Lack of sustainable sourcing of water: The HKH region is heating up faster than other parts of
the world. Increase in average temperatures has caused glacier melt and subsequent changes in hydrological regimes
in the region. Most towns in the HKH meet their water needs from springs, streams, ponds, and lakes,
which are largely interlinked systems, and their degradation and loss, are
leading to widespread water stress.
2. Failing models of water governance: The water insecurity is
attributed to poor water governance,
lack of urban planning, poor tourism
management during peak season, and climate-related risks and challenges.
Communities are coping via short-term strategies such as groundwater
extraction, which is proving to be unsustainable. There is a lack of long-term strategies for water
sustainability in urban centres, and this requires special attention by
planners and local governments.
3. Inequitable distribution of water: There are vast inequalities and differential
water rights for people. Experiences of water stress in the countries studied
varied greatly over the years and along with the class, caste and gender lines. Rich households in Kathmandu spend 38.2% less on the water than
poor households. Nearly 20% of
Kathmandu’s poor households do not have
access to formal water supply, such as that managed by civic bodies.
4. The ignored role of women in water governance: The women, who
almost always bear the burden of collecting water for the household. In a
number of cases, women have greater confidence in the establishment of women’s
groups and better local governance. Unfortunately, this ability of women
completely ignored in government planning.
5. The increasing impact of climate change: The climate change is
posing serious challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. The climate change has stressed urban
ecosystems by increasing the frequency,
severity and intensity of extreme weather events. The changing rainfall patterns and reduced availability of spring water
are the major concerns. Most of the studies link climate change in the
mountains with the melting of the glaciers. But the HKH critical problem is the
changing rainfall and the reducing springs.
INDIAN HIMALAYAN REGION
The Indian Himalayan region covering 10 states and four hill districts
about 50 million people and their
livestock depend on local springs to meet their drinking water and irrigation
needs. Situations of the Indian Himalayan region are the following:
What
is Dhara Vikas?
Dhara
Vikas is an innovative programme to revive
and maintain drying springs in the north-eastern state of Sikkim. A
robust climate adaptation strategy for drought-prone districts, Dhara Vikas (meaning, spring-shed
development) is helping to alleviate the problem of rural water scarcity
by reducing surface runoff of rainwater and allowing more water to percolate
down to recharge underground aquifers, which, in turn, ensures increased
discharge from springs. Besides its
significant impact on crop patterns and yields, the programme has also worked
on developing a village spring atlas and a water source atlas for the state. Water
access to the population through this initiative has also led to improved
sanitation practices.
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Two towns
in the Indian Himalayan region – Mussoorie
and Devprayag (Uttarakhand) — finds in the current scenario of a changing
climate (erratic rainfall, rising heat), natural springs, which are a source of
water for the local people, are drying up.
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As springs
dry up in the Indian Himalayan region, a
number of hill states have launched their own springshed development programmes
to revive these local water sources. These states are:
v
Sikkim: Sikkim is one of
the first states to launch a programme way back in 2008-09 — Dhara Vikas —
to revive springs. Dhara Vikas
involves villagers in reviving springs and streams that provide drinking water
to over 80% of the state’s rural
households.
What
is Springshed development initiative?
Springshed development
initiative was started in the year 2015 in convergence with People Science
Institute (PSI) and watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY). It seeks to address the issues of regenerating
springs, streams and underground flows. The prime focus is to identify
recharge area of springs and streams and enhance the recharge through
community-led (participatory) actions and for proper management and equitable
distribution of water.
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v
Meghalaya: In September
2016, Meghalaya launched its own springshed
management programme after receiving funds under the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change. It is estimated the state has around 60,000 springs and
about 68 per cent of the state’s
population depends on these springs for drinking purposes and farming.
v
Mizoram: In Mizoram, 20 springshed development plans are
under preparation. Spring recharge activities on pilot basis have been
undertaken in five critical springs in Aizwal district.
v
Manipur:
In Manipur, the revival of nine springs is underway with the support of NABARD.
v
Nagaland:
The land resources department of the Nagaland government is implementing
its own springshed management programme since October 2015.
Springshed development works have
revived several springs in the hill state of Uttarakhand and local communities
have taken ownership to maintain and protect these water sources.
SUGGESTIONS FOR ADAPTATION
The research focuses on five
major points that can help in adapting to the issue of water scarcity and the
looming crisis induced by climate change in Himalayan towns and cities. These
are:
I. There is a need to source water sustainably to bridge the gap between supply and
demand. This could be done by reviving and protecting springs, increased water
harvesting, and having multiple sources of water. More budgetary allocations
could be made towards the above, so that water sources are protected and
managed sustainably.
II. The governance and management of water
beyond water utilities. Polycentric governance, meaning multiple governing
bodies and institutions interacting with one another towards a coherent goal of
providing access to water, could be a more suitable way to comprehend water
governance in Himalayan towns and cities.
III. The equitable distribution of water
needs more attention. Because the poor and marginalized are most affected when
water supply dwindles. Many cities are faced with the challenge of providing
access to safe water for the poor especially in the dry season when supply
dwindles.
IV. More appreciation is needed for women’s
multiple roles in water management and how they could be part of the planning
and decision-making processes to provide solutions.
V. Mountain
cities need to be viewed in the broader context of mountain water, environment,
and energy. Climate change impacts
on these sectors are presenting new and growing challenges that Himalayan towns
and cities have to grapple with.
Conclusion:
The communities of HKH were
coping through short-term strategies such as groundwater extraction, which is
proving to be unsustainable. The mountain cities need to be viewed in the
broader context of mountain water, environment, and energy. A holistic water
management approach that includes spring shed management and planned adaptation
is therefore paramount.
References:
S. M. Zaki Ahmad is an expert faculty of Ecology & Environment @ Lukmaan IAS, New Delhi. He was also associated with various environmental movements including Narmada Bachao Andolan.
