The Ganges River Basin: Status and Challenges in Water, Environment and Livelihoods

ISBN-13: 9781138900325 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 328 str.

Luna Bharati; Bharat R. Sharma; M. a. Sattar Mandal

Opis

The Ganges is one of the most complex yet fascinating river systems in the world. The basin is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity from climatic, hydrological, geomorphological, cultural, environmental and socio-economic perspectives. More than 500 million people are directly or indirectly dependent upon the Ganges River Basin, which spans China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. While there are many books covering one aspect of the Ganges, ranging from hydrology to cultural significance, this book is unique in presenting a comprehensive inter-disciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region. Contributors from the three main riparian nations assess the status and trends of water resources, including the Himalayas, groundwater, pollution, floods, drought and climate change. They describe livelihood systems in the basin, and the social, economic, geopolitical and institutional constraints, including transboundary disputes, to achieving productive, sustainable and equitable water access. Management of the main water-use sectors and their inter-linkages are reviewed, as well as the sustainability and trade-offs in conservation of natural systems and resource development such as for hydropower or agriculture.

Recenzje

"This book is a comprehensive treatment of the important aspects of the river, its basin and the millions of people inhabiting it. The scientific rigor and treatment of the varied subjects by the eminent researchers and authors from the three riparian countries – India, Nepal and Bangladesh – and those with international experience makes the chapters excellent pieces for understanding and appreciation of the complex issues related to this unique river system. I consider this book as an humble offering to the service of 'Ma Gange' and all those interested in its divinity, river science and technology, irrigation and hydropower, people, policies and governance and transboundary cooperation, and more importantly restoring its health and glory, shall find it very useful." – From the Foreword by Ravi Chopra, People Science Institute, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Spis treści

Foreword  Ravi Chopra  Part 1: Resources and Uses  1. Introduction  Luna Bharati, Bharat Sharma and Vladimir Smakhtin  2. Surface Water Resources  Sharad Kumar Jain, Marc A. Jeuland, Luna Bharati and Zahirul Haque Khan  3. Groundwater Resources  Dipankar Saha, Anwar Zahid, Surendra Raj Shreshtha and Paul Pavelic  4. Climate Change and the Ganges Basin  Marc A. Jeuland  5. Managing Variability: Floods and Droughts  Giriraj Amarnath, A.K.M. Saiful Islam and M. S. Shrestha  6. Agriculture and Water Use: Implications for Sustainable Intensification  Bharat Sharma, Alok K. Sikka, Ram Pratap Sah and Xueliang Cai  7. Hydropower: The Status and Challenges  Dwarika N. Dhungel, Santa Bahadur Pun, Sonali Mittra and M. Monirul Qader Mirza  8. Water-Food-Energy Nexus: Challenges and Opportunities  Christopher A. Scott, Arica Crootof, Bhuwan Thapa and Rashmi Kiran Shreshtha  9. Ganges Water Machine: One Solution to Basin Water Problems?  Upali A. Amarasinghe and Lal Mutuwatte  Part 2: Environment  10. Environmental Flows: Keeping the Basin Rivers Alive  Vladimir Smakhtin and Luna Bharati  11. Ecosystem Services and Conservation Assessment of Freshwater Biodiversity  Asghar Nawab, Ravindra Kumar Sinha, Paul M. Thompson and Subodh Sharma  12. Arsenic in the Eastern Ganges Basin: Extent and Impact on Food Chain and Human Health  Rajmohan Natarajan, Dipankar Chakraborti and Sanmugam Prathapar  13. Ganges Water Quality: Dirty Past, Promising Future  Javier Mateo-Sagasta and Vinod Tare  Part 3: Governance and Livelihoods  14. Institutions and Policies Governing Water Resources Management  M. Dinesh Kumar, Dwarika N. Dhungel, M. Monirul Qader Mirza and Diana Suhardiman  15. Poverty, Inequalities and Vulnerability of the Rural Poor  Upali A. Amarasinghe, Fraser Sugden and Floriane Clement  16. Gender, Agricultural Investment and Productivity in an Era of Out-migration  Fraser Sugden, Panchali Saikia, Niki Maskey-Amatya and Paras Pokhrel  17. Can there be Progress on Transboundary Water Cooperation in the Ganges?  Mark Giordano, Dipak Gyawali, Ainun Nishat and Uttam Kumar Sinha  18. Basin Water Challenges: An Agenda for Accelerated Reform  Tushaar Shah, Prachanda Pradhan and Golam Rasul