Rural-urban water disputes are very likely to arise as climate change increases scarcity
Rural-urban water disputes are very likely to arise as climate change increases scarcity
UNESCO’s United Nations World Water Development Report 2022 has expressed global concern over the sharp increase in freshwater withdrawals from rivers, lakes, aquifers and man-made reservoirs, impending water stress and water scarcity in various parts of the world. In 2007, ‘Tackling water scarcity’ was the theme of? world Water Day (observed on 22 March). New Food and Agriculture Organization’s water report The United Nations (FAO) has voiced a note of caution regarding this silent crisis of global dimension, in which millions of people have been deprived of water to live and sustain their livelihood.
rising water pressure
Other than this, water shortage watch, an interactive webtool, shows that more than two billion people live in countries now facing high water stress; The number will keep increasing. The Global Drought Risk and Water Stress Map (2019) shows that major parts of India, especially parts of west, central and peninsular India, experience extreme water scarcity and water scarcity. A NITI Aayog report, ‘Composite Water Management Index’ (2018), has warned of the worst water crisis in the country, with over 600 million people facing severe water scarcity. In areas where water scarcity or scarcity is high, the typical response involves the transfer of water from the hinterland/upper catchment areas or drawing it from stored surface water bodies or aquifers. It triggers regional and regional competition; Rural-urban transfer of water is one such issue of global concern.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, many countries have seen an increase in cross-border transfers of water between rural and urban areas. A review paper published in 2019 reported that, globally, urban water infrastructure imports an estimated 500 billion liters of water per day over a combined distance of 27,000 km. At least 12% of the world’s major cities rely on inter-basin transfers. A United Nations report on ‘Transboundary Water Systems – Status and Trends’ (2016) linked this issue of water transfer with the various Sustainable Development Goals proposed to be achieved during 2015 to 2030. The report identified risks associated with water transfer in three categories of biophysical, socio-economic and governance. South Asia, including India, comes under the category of high biophysical and highest socio-economic risks.
urban water use
According to the 2011 census, the urban population in India is 34% of the total population distributed in 7,935 cities of all classes. It is estimated that the urban population component in India will cross 40% by 2030 and 50% by 2050 (World Urbanization Prospects, 2018). By the end of the last century the urban population was 50% of the total world population. Although India’s pace of urbanization is relatively slow, it is now urbanizing at a rapid pace – the size of the urban population is substantial. Water use in urban areas has increased as more and more people move to urban areas, and per capita water use in these centers increases, which will continue to increase as living standards improve.
Examining the urban water management trajectory, it is clear that when a city is small in the initial stages, it is concerned only with water supply; In the majority of cases, water is sourced locally, with groundwater meeting the bulk of the supply. As the city grows and water management infrastructure develops, the dependency shifts to surface water.
With further development of cities, water sources in the hinterland are further increased, or the allocation of urban water is increased at the expense of irrigation water. Almost all cities in India that depend on surface water experience this trend. The city’s water supply is now a matter of inter-basin and inter-state transfer of water.
Ahmedabad case
Ahmedabad is an interesting case in this context. By the mid-1980s, more than 80% of the city’s water supply came from groundwater sources. The depth of the groundwater level in confined aquifers reached up to 67 m. The city is now dependent on the Narmada canal for most of its water supply. Inter-state and inter-basin transfer of surface water is the change in canal water from local groundwater receiving supply.
Dependence on groundwater continues, especially in suburban areas, in almost all major cities that have switched to surface water sources. While surface water transfer from rural to urban areas is visible and can be calculated, recharge areas of groundwater aquifers extend beyond the city limits or its periphery.
Whatever the source, surface or groundwater, cities are largely dependent on rural areas for raw water supply, which has the potential to ignite rural-urban conflict. Available studies covering Nagpur and Chennai indicate the imminent problem of rural-urban water disputes that the country is going to face in the not-too-distant future as water scarcity continues to grow, exacerbated by climate change and Will increase
At present, rural-urban transfer of water is at a disadvantage in India as water is transported at the expense of rural areas and the agricultural sector; In cities, much of this water is gray water, with little recovery or reuse, which ultimately contributes to water pollution. Rural and urban areas use water from the same stock, that is, the country’s water resources. Therefore, it is important to strive for a win-win situation.
Such a situation is possible through a number of activities in rural and urban areas, which are mainly a governance challenge. A systems perspective and catchment scale-based approach are essential to link water redistribution with a broader discussion on development, infrastructure investment, promotion of rural-urban partnership and adoption of an integrated approach in water management.
Institutional strengthening can offer entry points and opportunities to build flexibility in water resource allocation at the regional level, enabling adjustment in rapidly urbanizing areas. In the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, it is time to examine the status of its water resources and ensure that the development process is not in jeopardy.
Sreekumar Chattopadhyay is a former Scientist, Center for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, and National Fellow of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation, Thiruvananthapuram