Hydro-geology and water resources of Indus-Gangetic Basin: comparative analysis of issues and opportunities

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cg.coverage.countryIndia
cg.coverage.countryTibet
cg.coverage.countryBangladesh
cg.coverage.countryNepal
cg.coverage.countryPakistan
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2IN
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2BD
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2NP
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2PK
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Asia
cg.coverage.subregionIndus Basin Irrigation System
cg.coverage.subregionBhakra Nangal Project
cg.coverage.subregionSunsari Morang Irrigation Project
cg.coverage.subregionGanges-Kobadak Project
cg.issn0570-1791en
cg.river.basinINDUSen
cg.river.basinGANGESen
dc.contributor.authorSharma, Bharat R.en
dc.date.accessioned2014-06-13T14:48:09Zen
dc.date.available2014-06-13T14:48:09Zen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/40667
dc.titleHydro-geology and water resources of Indus-Gangetic Basin: comparative analysis of issues and opportunitiesen
dcterms.abstractThis paper gives an overview of water resources, its availability and use, problems and constraints, the present and future challenges and the ensuing opportunities in water resource sector of one of the most populated river basins of the world; the Indus-Gangetic basin. Large-scale development of water resources in the Indus basin has led to the resource base being depleted, both in terms of quantity as well as quality. Well-developed surface irrigation systems in the Indus basin tap most of the surface water available in the basin, leaving only 10% of the net runoff to the sea, whereas from Ganges basin, the net runoff flowing to the sea is about 40%. Groundwater, which is expected to serve as buffer source to compensate for the reduced surface water availability, is also getting depleted. Energy and agricultural sector policies followed also favour large scale exploitation of groundwater resources in the basin, which has led to water table decline and a reduction in environmental flows. In the Gangetic part of the basin, it is the economic water scarcity which is more prominent. Equally important is the deterioration of water quality of Ganges river, especially when it flows along the plains accumulating municipal, industrial and domestic waste from the rapidly growing cities situated along its banks. Compounded with these issues is the role played by climate change. Since both Indus and Ganges rivers are heavily dependent on snow and glacier melts, the streamflow in these rivers is highly sensitive to climate change. Recent years have witnessed some responses to the water scarcity problem in IG basin the form of popularization of resource conservation practices, growing high yielding short duration varieties of paddy, micro and precision irrigation, regulations to control groundwater use and management. The article presses the need for water resources in the basin to be managed in a conjunctive manner, considering rain water, surface water, soil water and groundwater in continuum. Considering the inter-linkage between groundwater extraction, energy and food policies, groundwater management strategies should have a focus on energy pricing, food pricing and procurement policies also. Nevertheless, devising long-term strategies on water resource management in the basin need not overlook the likely impacts that the changing climate is going to have on water resources.en
dcterms.accessRightsLimited Access
dcterms.bibliographicCitationSharma, Bharat R. 2009. Hydro-geology and water resources of Indus-Gangetic Basin: comparative analysis of issues and opportunities. Annals of Arid Zone, 48(3&4):1-31.en
dcterms.extentp. 1-31en
dcterms.issued2009
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.subjectgroundwater rechargeen
dcterms.subjectarsenicen
dcterms.subjectwater scarcityen
dcterms.subjectwater pollutionen
dcterms.subjectfloodingen
dcterms.subjectclimate changeen
dcterms.subjectriver basinsen
dcterms.subjecthydrogeologyen
dcterms.subjectanalysisen
dcterms.subjectprecipitationen
dcterms.subjectevaporationen
dcterms.subjectrunoffen
dcterms.subjectwater qualityen
dcterms.subjectwater tableen
dcterms.subjectwater governanceen
dcterms.subjectgroundwater managementen
dcterms.subjecttube wellsen
dcterms.subjectirrigation programsen
dcterms.typeJournal Article

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