Environ Sci Pollut Res DOI 10.1007/s11356-014-2812-0
CONFERENCE REPORT
Water sustainability: reforming water management in new global era of climate change Kavita Shah & Prashant Kumar Sharma & Ipsita Nandi & Nidhi Singh
Received: 5 February 2014 / Accepted: 17 March 2014 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract The National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM-2014) on 10–11 January 2014 organised by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development and Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University, witnessed the presence of experts from environmentalists, industrialists and experts on water resources and its management. The deliberations and scientific discussions led to the conclusion that it is not just the resource but the natural capacity to sustain it that requires monitoring, understanding and stewardship. The focus of governance in India needs to move at a faster pace from conventional methods of sectorbased water management to more integrated approach for sustainable water resource management. It is more of the people participation that is the future key towards sustainable water resource management in India. Keywords Climate change . Management . Resource . Sustainability . Water In January 2014, environmentalists, industrialists and experts on water resources and its management gathered at Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Banaras Hindu University to discuss the present new water management techniques. The seminar addressed the present scenario of water resources available to human and the various modes of their management with special reference to India. The four key themes were discussed with invited lectures and discussions leading to scientific inputs for future water management in a sustainable way (Fig. 1). Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues K. Shah (*) : P. K. Sharma : I. Nandi : N. Singh Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India e-mail: [email protected]
The National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM-2014) on 10–11 January 2014 organised by Dr. Kavita Shah, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD) and Department of Environmental Science and Technology, BHU, witnessed the presence of experts from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAgSc) BHU, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Information Technology (MNNIIT) Allahabad, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIT) BHU. The theme Water as a natural resource emphasised the importance of water as elixir of life. Due to erratic shift in precipitation pattern, perhaps there occurred water scarcity leading to the destruction of some ancient civilizations in the past. This certainly calls for a shift in post modernity policy making decisions, considering the strong opinion and direct involvement of local/tribal people who since ages conserved the natural resources, including water, through their robust religious beliefs for sustained living; this sets an example as to how environment and religion complement each other. Today, there is a need that environment and religion go hand in hand using people participation in solving the major issues of the Millennium Development Goals. Sustainable use of water in industrial and urban sector focused on the accelerated water demand in Anthropocene era, lowering of ground water table, altered hydrological cycle and proper intervention to improve water quality for narrowing down the gap between demand of water and supply. Some of the techniques viz community filters, terracotta filters and Nalgonda techniques for treating metal contamination were discussed. The role of aerosols and CALYPSOderived vertical profile technique in detecting the global change in hydrological cycle were also addressed by the experts (Fig. 2).
Environ Sci Pollut Res
Fig. 1 Dignitaries on the dais at the inaugural session of the National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in an Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM), January 10–11, 2014
India is an agrarian economy, and sustainable use of water in agriculture explored the promising social and technical innovation creating opportunities for lesser irrigation and demand of water in crop or vegetable production or horticulture
Fig. 2 Delegates and students at NSWRM
which included micro-irrigation, surface drip, sub-surface drip, sprinklers, micro-sprinklers, mulching, container gardening and xeriscaping. The Theme Water and health: A sustainability challenge discussed the problem of metal contamination in water, like As, Hg, Pb and Cd that have unfortunately led to stupendous increase in chances of reproductive complications viz appearance of double-headed sperm and occurrence of endocrine depleting substances in water. The major outcome of the seminar and the discussions that followed during the sessions led to the conclusion that it is not just the resource but the natural capacity to sustain it that requires monitoring, understanding and stewardship. The focus of governance in India needs to move at a faster pace from conventional methods of sector-based water management to more integrated approach for sustainable water resource management. It is more of the people participation that is the future key towards sustainable water resource management in India.
CONFERENCE REPORT
Water sustainability: reforming water management in new global era of climate change Kavita Shah & Prashant Kumar Sharma & Ipsita Nandi & Nidhi Singh
Received: 5 February 2014 / Accepted: 17 March 2014 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
Abstract The National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM-2014) on 10–11 January 2014 organised by the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development and Environmental Science and Technology, Banaras Hindu University, witnessed the presence of experts from environmentalists, industrialists and experts on water resources and its management. The deliberations and scientific discussions led to the conclusion that it is not just the resource but the natural capacity to sustain it that requires monitoring, understanding and stewardship. The focus of governance in India needs to move at a faster pace from conventional methods of sectorbased water management to more integrated approach for sustainable water resource management. It is more of the people participation that is the future key towards sustainable water resource management in India. Keywords Climate change . Management . Resource . Sustainability . Water In January 2014, environmentalists, industrialists and experts on water resources and its management gathered at Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Banaras Hindu University to discuss the present new water management techniques. The seminar addressed the present scenario of water resources available to human and the various modes of their management with special reference to India. The four key themes were discussed with invited lectures and discussions leading to scientific inputs for future water management in a sustainable way (Fig. 1). Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues K. Shah (*) : P. K. Sharma : I. Nandi : N. Singh Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India e-mail: [email protected]
The National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM-2014) on 10–11 January 2014 organised by Dr. Kavita Shah, Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development (IESD) and Department of Environmental Science and Technology, BHU, witnessed the presence of experts from the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAgSc) BHU, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Information Technology (MNNIIT) Allahabad, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIT) BHU. The theme Water as a natural resource emphasised the importance of water as elixir of life. Due to erratic shift in precipitation pattern, perhaps there occurred water scarcity leading to the destruction of some ancient civilizations in the past. This certainly calls for a shift in post modernity policy making decisions, considering the strong opinion and direct involvement of local/tribal people who since ages conserved the natural resources, including water, through their robust religious beliefs for sustained living; this sets an example as to how environment and religion complement each other. Today, there is a need that environment and religion go hand in hand using people participation in solving the major issues of the Millennium Development Goals. Sustainable use of water in industrial and urban sector focused on the accelerated water demand in Anthropocene era, lowering of ground water table, altered hydrological cycle and proper intervention to improve water quality for narrowing down the gap between demand of water and supply. Some of the techniques viz community filters, terracotta filters and Nalgonda techniques for treating metal contamination were discussed. The role of aerosols and CALYPSOderived vertical profile technique in detecting the global change in hydrological cycle were also addressed by the experts (Fig. 2).
Environ Sci Pollut Res
Fig. 1 Dignitaries on the dais at the inaugural session of the National Seminar on Sustainable Water Resource Management in an Era of Changing Climate (NSWRM), January 10–11, 2014
India is an agrarian economy, and sustainable use of water in agriculture explored the promising social and technical innovation creating opportunities for lesser irrigation and demand of water in crop or vegetable production or horticulture
Fig. 2 Delegates and students at NSWRM
which included micro-irrigation, surface drip, sub-surface drip, sprinklers, micro-sprinklers, mulching, container gardening and xeriscaping. The Theme Water and health: A sustainability challenge discussed the problem of metal contamination in water, like As, Hg, Pb and Cd that have unfortunately led to stupendous increase in chances of reproductive complications viz appearance of double-headed sperm and occurrence of endocrine depleting substances in water. The major outcome of the seminar and the discussions that followed during the sessions led to the conclusion that it is not just the resource but the natural capacity to sustain it that requires monitoring, understanding and stewardship. The focus of governance in India needs to move at a faster pace from conventional methods of sector-based water management to more integrated approach for sustainable water resource management. It is more of the people participation that is the future key towards sustainable water resource management in India.
