Managing Water Resources: Policies, Institutions and Technologies

Conflicts over water are a grim reality today, and this volume traces the reasons for these conflicts from the micro to the global level. The essays look at how the cumulative effect of gross negligence and mismanagement of water resources over the years have created water scarcity. They point out that the problem is not due to shortage of water, but due to the absence of proper mechanisms for its conservation, distribution, and efficient use. The essays are organized under three sub-themes—irrigation water, drinking water and sanitation, and gender and decentralization in water management. They address the problem of water resource management from the perspectives of policies, institutions, and technologies and emphasize the need to have a multifaceted policy approach for an accelerated growth plan. Water is a leading policy issue in the twenty-first century, and the volume draws attention to the need for focused policies on proper water resource management. It further stresses on the need for policymakers, scholars, researchers, and civil society to suggest ways of reducing water conflicts through better water management practices. The volume also gives importance to the active involvement of local communities, panchayati raj institutions, water associations, and other stakeholders in improving the efficiency of water distribution systems. The essays in this volume provide valuable insights into a broad array of issues and problems afflicting the water sector across states in India.