V. Raman Endowment lecture during 44~(th) Annual Convention 2012 of IWWA held at Raipur Water Resources Management: Issues and Perspectives

摘要

Comprising over 70% of the earth's surface and about 65% of human bodies, water is undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. The limited availability of fresh water and its unequal distribution make water pollution a matter of great concern. 70% of India's surface water resources and a growing number of its groundwater reserves have been contaminated by biological, organic and inorganic pollutants. In many cases, these sources have been rendered unsafe for human consumption as well as for other activities such as irrigation and industrial needs. This illustrates that water quality decline can in effect contribute to water scarcity as it limits the availability of water for both human use and the ecosystem. Water management is a composite area with linkage to various sectors of Indian economy including the agricultural, industrial, domestic and household, power, environment, fisheries and transportation sector. The water resources management practices should be based on increasing the water supply and managing the water demand under the stressed water availability conditions. For maintaining the quality of freshwater, water quality management strategies are required to be evolved and implemented. Decision support systems are required to be developed for planning and management of the water resources project. There is interplay of various factors that govern access and utilization of water resources and in light of the increasing demand for water it becomes important to look for holistic and people-centered approaches for water management.