Water security in the South Asia region: Challenges, experiences, and lessons learned

Over almost a decade of publishing on water governance, policy, and practice, and on the learning that supports them, World Water Policy (WWP) Journal has been growing under the inspirational motivation of our authors for leadership thinking and innovative practices. WWP has opened its doors to younger water professionals and academics, inviting them to publish their ideas, project impacts, and visions for the future of water problems and tangible solutions. So far, we have published 140 articles, discussion papers, and editorial pieces from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific. In 2023, WWP steps up to publishing four issues per year. This is our first Special Issue and one of two Special Issues we will publish in 2023. This Special Issue is dedicated to water security in South Asia, and it brings conclusions and recommendations from two relevant programs that are presented in the first and second of three parts of this issue. The choice is justified by several factors, as follows. Over the past two decades, there has been tremendous growth and development in Asia. However, despite these achievements, the region is center stage in experiencing water insecurity. Countries in the region are beginning to experience moderate-to-severe water shortages, brought about by the simultaneous effects of population growth, rapid urbanization, and progress in agriculture and industrial development (Asthana, 2017). Asia is also the most disaster-affected region in the world, requiring efforts to address risks from climate change, water-related disasters, health emergencies, and economic shock (Asia Development Bank, 2023). South Asia is home to 1.7 billion people (approximately 25% of the world's population), and hosts nearly half of the world's poor. The growing population, coupled with wasteful consumption, has led to a gradual decline in per-capita availability of water in the region by almost 80% since the 1950s (Asthana, 2017). South Asia lags in improved water supply and access to sanitation. Asia, and South Asia in particular, is challenged by the impact of rapid urbanization. Cities in South Asia, such as Chennai, are exploiting the water resources of the rural hinterlands in their vicinity, leading to conflict, and competing claims over the right to this resource. Concerns about Municipal sewage are a common concern, and open defecation remains high in South Asia. The region also is highly dependent on irrigation, as water is directly linked to crop yields and therefore to the production of food, which employs more than 50% of the population. Increased production and food security are key drivers of poverty reduction in the region, but this is highly dependent on the availability of fresh water. The frequency of extreme floods and the scope of flood-prone areas are increasing, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The impacts of climate change are already being felt in the region. Climate change impacts on the Himalayan and Hindu Kush glaciers directly affect Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. As early as 2050, water availability in Pakistan and Nepal is projected to be too low for self-sufficiency in food production (Asthana, 2017). Water and climate policy and implementation is lagging. In the case of Nepal, for example, Ojha et al. (2021) reviewed water and climate policy texts and the status of policy implementation in two Nepalese towns, concluding that current policy frameworks and strategies neglect opportunities to facilitate urban water adaptation to climate change. The neglect is seen in escalating conflicts among institutions, an unclear framework for water rights, and inadequate incentives for catchment conservation. They highlight the need for a more coherent and risk-sensitive approach to water policy, underpinned by deliberative, research-informed, and learning-based strategies, a situation mirrored throughout much of South Asia, indeed, throughout most of the world. Difficult challenges lay ahead, but there is also plenty to be hopeful for. The 2023 World Water Conference and the 2023 World Water Development Report (United Nations, 2023) both highlighted the need, benefits, and opportunities arising from partnerships and collaboration to address the increasingly connected water and climate challenges around the world. In another example from the paper The political ecology of small freshwater bodies in Kerala, India, published in WWP earlier this year, Sankar and Suresh (2023) argued that a "politics of empty space" has resulted in a partial decommodification of rural waters in Kerala and, as a result, communities, especially the oppressed and the marginalized, have managed to co-produce ecological assets like rural ponds. Such efforts toward re-embedding the economy in society could be a starting point to address the water and the larger environmental crisis that we are in today. Many more examples are presented in this Special Issue. The first part of this volume 9 issue 3 includes the major lessons taken from "The Young Water Professionals Program" (YWP). We have invited Professor Basant Maheshwari of Western Sydney University as Guest Editor to collate articles reflecting the work done in this educational program. The program is an innovative professional training course led by Western Sydney University and the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati on behalf of the Australia India Water Centre (AIWC). The program is a collaboration between the Australian Water Partnership and the National Hydrology Project (NHP), Ministry of Jal Shakti in India under the ambit of a Memorandum of Understanding between Australia and India in the field of water resources management. Its program includes online interactive lectures, workshops, coaching, and project-based learning. Participants have opportunities to research a real-life "Situation Understating and Improvement Project" (SUIP), while internalizing transdisciplinary and sustainable water management concepts and approaches, dealing with complexity, communicating with clients, and leading and conducting a case study from start to finish. The training also prepares YWPs to deliver United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and incorporates gender equity and diversity for managing water in their workplace. It is expected that solutions, or recommendations, being proposed by participants through their SUIP, will be considered for adoption by their clients aiming for real-life impacts. This Young Water Professional training program is clearly designed to be experiential training and learning, with an emphasis on "learning by doing." To match the objectives of this Special Issue, our Guest Editor has covered five papers with a comprehensive editorial that explains the steps and results of the YWP program. In the second part of this Special Issue, Professors Nadarajah Sriskandarajah and Murugesu Sivapalan present, as Guest Editors, four papers that address the outcomes of Water Security through Participatory Action Research in the Northern Province (WASPAR), a project driven by the University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, since March 2020. The project itself and some of the significant outcomes over the 3-year first phase of research are outlined here. WASPAR took inspiration from two emerging fields of study: sociohydrology and environmental communication. WASPAR acknowledged the limitations of existing institutional and social structures and their fragmented ways of water management. Instead, it put forward the search for a holistic, trans-disciplinary, and multistakeholder approach to water security. Work to date on the project involves quantitative data gathered through empirical research within the project and in the field. Further reflective analysis of the qualitative data obtained from the participatory research processes is to be published later. Altogether, WASPAR project has made preliminary but promising steps in progressing toward informing, influencing, and educating stakeholders, domain experts, and decision-makers on the need for and merits of participatory decision-making, generating a sense of community, and the development of institutional infrastructure. This second part is framed within the editorial piece of the two Guest Editors, who share with us the continuation of these efforts, and anticipation of increased participation of the research community in the universities during the next phase of this project to foster the governance approach and support a water secure future for the province. In the third part of this Special Issue on South Asia, we have eight contributions selected by us to contribute to the topic. In the first of two discussion papers, Arooj Naveed discusses the disastrous 2022 floods in Pakistan, which impacted millions of lives and submerged one-third of the country. Reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of the National Water Policy, the author presents some thoughts on what can be learned from the event and what steps are needed for building a more water-resilient Pakistan. Kushal Pokharel then introduces Critical Environmental Justice (CEJ), an emerging area of scholarship focusing on the recognition and analysis of contextual and historical dimensions in environmental decisions. The author suggests that integrating CEJ concerns into development plans is an urgently needed step to address systemic inequalities and injustices in water security and improve interactions and synergies among water-based institutions and the communities affected by them. Subham Mukherjee and Trude Sundberg then use the example of Kolkata, India to create a comprehensive framework for measuring and evaluating water security for cities. The authors argue that a water justice approach is particularly important in emerging countries and can be effectively applied where urban growth and shrinking resources have created complicated and fragile systems. Bhavna Brar, Kushal Thakur, Danish Mahajan, Dixit Sharma, Sunil Kumar, Sachin Upmanyu, and Rakesh Kumar present the results of their study mapping water quality parameters in Baner and Gaj Rivulets, drawing insights into the potential impact on River Beas in Himachal Pradesh, India. The authors note that while the study found an abundance of aquatic species in both rivulets, human activities such as riverbed mining negatively impacted water quality at some locations, with implications for river management. Presenting their study on trends in rainfall and temperature and subsequent river impacts in the Ranganadi catchment, which originates in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh, India, Ananya Kalita, Ankur Saikia, and Arnob Bormodoi found significant shifts in the river, which has caused significant social and economic problems for local communities. The authors discuss the need for more investigation on the impact of temperature changes on river function. The Ganga and Indus riverine systems are the major freshwater resources in the western Himalayas. Megha Choudhary, Brar Kushal, Sunil Kumar, Sunil, Mahajan Dixit, Rakesh Kumar, and Danish Mahajan present their analysis of the status of inland fisheries in these river systems, finding that the abundance of some native species is decreasing and are increasing. The authors discuss the implications of these changes for conservation and management strategies for the sustainable development of fishery resources in India in the future. Last but not least, Subha Sinha presents his analysis of trends in groundwater levels in 37 districts of Bahar State, India. Declining groundwater levels are a major cause for concern in India and, with this study showing that Bahar State is no exception, the author discusses the implications for sustainable management of groundwater in the state. We do hope this Special Issue brings solid influence through its articles and editorials, and strong waves of inspiration to all our readers to help face the increasing challenges and threats in our aquatic world! With our very best wishes, Susana Neto and Jeff Camkin Editors-in-Chief *Chinese Translation* 《世界水政策杂志》 第9卷, 第3期:南亚特刊 封面社论——作者:Susana Neto 与Jeff Camkin 《南亚地区的水安全:挑战、经验与教训》 近十年来, 《世界水政策杂志》(WWP)就水治理、政策、实践以及"支持这些主题的学习"不断发表文章, 并在作者倡导领导力思维和创新实践的激励下不断发展。WWP向年轻的水务专业人员和学者敞开了大门, 邀请他们发表自己的想法、项目影响以及对水问题未来的愿景和切实的解决方案。迄今为止, 我们已发表来自亚洲、非洲、欧洲、美洲和太平洋地区的140篇文章、讨论文和社论。 从2023年开始, WWP将每年出版四期内容。这是我们的第一期特刊, 也是2023 年预计出版的两期特刊之一。本期特刊聚焦于南亚的水安全, 并在本期内容(由三部分组成)前两个部分中介绍了两个相关计划的结论和建议。这一选择的合理性取决于以下几个因素。 过去二十年, 亚洲取得了巨大的增长和发展。然而, 尽管取得了这些成就, 该地区仍处于水不安全的中心。由于人口增长、快速城市化以及农业和工业发展带来的同步影响, 该地区国家开始经历中度至严重缺水(Asthana, 2017)。亚洲也是世界上受灾害影响最严重的地区, 需要一系列措施以应对气候变化、水相关灾害、突发卫生事件和经济冲击带来的风险(ADB, 2022)。 南亚拥有17亿人口(约占世界人口的25%), 世界近一半的贫困人口居住于此。自20世纪50年代以来, 不断增长的人口, 加上浪费性消费, 导致该地区人均水资源供应量逐渐下降近80% (Asthana, 2017)。南亚在改善供水和卫生设施获取方面落后于其他地区。亚洲, 特别是南亚, 面临着快速城市化带来的挑战。金奈等南亚城市正在开发其附近农村腹地的水资源, 导致了冲突以及对这一资源权利的争夺。对城市污水的担忧是一个普遍关切, 并且露天排便现象在南亚仍然很严重。该地区还高度依赖灌溉, 因为水与农作物产量直接相关, 因此与粮食生产直接相关, 粮食生产雇用了50%以上的人口。提高产量和粮食安全是该地区减贫的关键驱动力, 但这在很大程度上取决于淡水的可用量。 极端洪水的频率和洪水易发地区的范围正在增加, 特别是在印度、巴基斯坦和孟加拉国。 该地区已经感受到气候变化的影响。气候变化对喜马拉雅山和兴都库什冰川的影响直接影响到阿富汗、孟加拉国、不丹、印度、尼泊尔和巴基斯坦。巴基斯坦和尼泊尔的可用水量预计在2050年就不足以实现粮食生产的自给自足(Ashana, 2017)。 水和气候方面的政策及实施发展缓慢。以尼泊尔为例, Ojha等人(2021)研究了水和气候政策文本以及尼泊尔两个城镇的政策实施状况, 得出的结论是, 当前的政策框架和战略忽视了一系列用于促进城市水资源适应气候变化的机会。这种忽视体现在机构之间的冲突不断升级、水权框架不明确、以及流域保护的激励措施不足。作者强调, 需要对水政策采取更加连贯和风险敏感的方法, 并以"审议式、基于研究和学习"的战略为基础, 这种情况在南亚大部分地区乃至世界大部分地区都有所反映。 困难的挑战摆在面前, 但充满希望的事也有很多。"2023世界水大会"和《2023年联合国世界水发展报告》均强调了通过伙伴关系和协作所带来的需求、效益和机遇, 用于应对全球日益紧密的水挑战和气候挑战。今年上半年发表在本刊的一篇论文题为《印度喀拉拉邦小型淡水体的政治生态学》, 作者Sankar和Suresh(2023)认为, "空白空间的政治"导致了喀拉拉邦农村水体的部分去商品化, 因此, 社区(特别是受压迫和边缘化的社区)成功地合作生产了农村池塘等生态资产。这种将经济重新嵌入社会的举措可能成为解决我们今天面临的水和更大的环境危机的起点。本期特刊提供了更多示例。 第9卷第3期的第一部分包括从"青年水务专业人员计划"(YWP)中汲取的主要经验。我们邀请了西悉尼大学的Basant Maheshwari教授作为客座编辑来整理一系列反思该教育计划成果的文章。该计划是由西悉尼大学和印度理工学院古瓦哈蒂分校代表澳大利亚-印度水中心(AIWC)领导的创新专业培训课程。该计划是澳大利亚水伙伴关系和印度Jal Shakti部国家水文项目(NHP)在澳大利亚和印度水资源管理领域谅解备忘录范围内的合作项目。其项目包括在线互动讲座、研讨会、指导和基于项目的学习。参与者有机会研究现实生活中的"情况理解及改善项目"(SUIP), 同时内化跨学科和可持续水管理概念和方法, 应对复杂性, 与客户沟通, 并从头到尾领导和进行案例研究。该培训还帮助YWP作好实现联合国可持续发展目标(SDG)的准备, 并将性别平等和多样性融入工作场所的水管理。预期则是, 参与者通过其SUIP提出的解决方案或建议将被其客户考虑采用, 以产生现实影响。该青年水务专业人员培训计划显然旨在实现体验式培训和学习, 强调"边做边学"。 为了符合本期特刊的目标, 我们的客座编辑用一篇全面的社论介绍了五篇论文, 解释了 YWP计划的步骤和结果。 在本期特刊的第二部分中, Nadarajah Sriskandarajah教授和Murugesu Sivapalan教授作为客座编辑介绍了四篇论文, 后者讨论了"斯里兰卡北部省通过参与式行动研究实现水安全"项目(WASPAR)的成果, 该项目于2020年3月由贾夫纳大学启动。概述了该项目本身以及为期3年的第一阶段研究的部分重大成果。WASPAR的灵感来自两个新兴研究领域:社会水文学和环境传播。WASPAR承认现有制度结构和社会结构的局限性及其分散的水管理方式。相反, 它提出寻求一种整体的、跨学科的、涉及多利益攸关方的水安全方法。迄今为止, 该项目的工作涉及通过项目内和现场的实证研究收集的定量数据。对参与式研究过程中获得的定性数据的反思性分析将在未来发表。总体而言, WASPAR项目取得了初步但有希望的进展, 即提供信息、影响和教育利益攸关方、领域专家和决策者有关参与式决策的必要性和价值、产生社区意识、以及发展制度基础设施。 本期特刊的第二部分是在两位客座编辑的社论中加以描述的, 他们与我们分享了这些继续进行的研究, 并期望在该项目的下一阶段中增加大学研究界的参与, 以培养治理方法并支持该省的水安全未来。 本期南亚特刊的第三部分中, 我们收录了八篇文章, 为该主题作贡献。两篇为讨论文, 其中一篇的作者Arooj Naveed探讨了2022年巴基斯坦发生的灾难性洪灾, 后者影响了数百万人的生命, 并淹没了该国三分之一的土地。通过反思国家水政策的优缺点, 作者就能从该事件中学到什么以及建设一个更具水韧性的巴基斯坦需要采取哪些步骤一事提出了一些想法。Kushal Pokharel随后介绍了批判环境正义(CEJ)这一新兴的学术领域, 其聚焦于环境决策中情境和历史维度的识别与分析。作者认为, 将CEJ的关切纳入发展计划一事刻不容缓, 以期应对水安全方面的系统性不平等和不正义, 并改善"水机构和受其影响的社区"之间的互动和协同作用。接下来, Subham Mukherjee和Trude Sundberg以印度加尔各答为例, 创建了一个衡量和评价城市水安全的综合框架。作者认为, 水正义方法在新兴国家中尤其重要, 并且能有效应用于因城市增长和资源萎缩而造成复杂且脆弱系统的地方。Bhavna Brar、Kushal Thakur、Danish Mahajan、Dixit Sharma、Sunil Kumar、Sachin Upmanyu和Rakesh Kumar介绍了其绘制Baner和Gaj 溪流水质参数的研究结果, 深入了解了水质参数对印度喜马偕尔邦比亚斯河的潜在影响。作者指出, 虽然研究发现两条小溪中都有丰富的水生物种, 但河床开采等人类活动对某些地点的水质产生了负面影响, 这对河流管理具有启示。Ananya Kalita、Ankur Saikia和Arnob Bormodoi在其研究中介绍了发源于印度阿鲁纳恰尔邦山区的Ranganadi流域的降雨趋势和温度趋势、以及随后的河流影响。作者发现, 河流发生了重大转变, 这为地方社区带来了重大的社会经济问题。作者认为, 需要更多研究调查温度变化对河流功能的影响。恒河和印度河水系是喜马拉雅山西部的主要淡水资源。Megha Choudhary、Brar Kushal、Sunil Kumar、Sunil、Mahajan Dixit、Rakesh Kumar和Danish Mahajan介绍了他们对这些河流系统的内陆渔业状况的分析, 发现一些本地物种的丰度正在减少, 另一些正在增加。作者讨论了这些变化对印度未来渔业资源可持续发展的保护及管理战略的启示。最后, Subha Sinha介绍了他对印度巴哈尔邦37个地区的地下水位趋势的分析。地下水位下降在印度是一个重要关切, 这项研究表明巴哈尔邦也不例外。作者探讨了对该邦地下水可持续管理的启示。 我们衷心希望本期特刊的文章和社论带来坚实的影响力, 并为所有读者带来强烈的灵感, 以帮助我们应对水世界中日益增长的挑战和威胁! 献上美好的祝愿 Susana Neto / Jeff Camkin 主编 ____________________ 参考文献 Asia Development Bank, (n.d.). What we do: Water. Asia Development Bank. Available at https://www.adb.org/. Accessed on 26 June 2023. *Translation into Spanish* WORLD WATER POLICY JOURNAL Vol 9. Número 3: Número especial sobre el sur Asia Susana Neto Jeff Camkin Asia sobre sobre el World Water Policy Journal el WWP a a ideas, el el 140 Asia, el In 2023 WWP steps up to publishing four issues per year. This is our first Special Issue and one of two Special Issues we will publish in 2023. This Special Issue is dedicated to water security in South Asia, and it brings and recommendations from two relevant programs that are presented in the first and second of three parts of this issue. The choice is justified by several factors, as follows. Asia. a el a a el el industrial (Asthana, 2017). Asia el el el sur Asia a el a el a gradual per (Asthana, 2017). sur Asia el Asia, el sur Asia particular, el el sur Asia, Chennai, el a sobre el sur Asia. el el a el a India, Bangladesh. Hindu Kush a Bangladesh, India, Nepal 2050, Nepal 2017). el el Nepal, Ojha et (2021) el Nepal, el sur Asia 2023 el sobre el el 2023 2023) el Kerala, India, World Water Policy a Sankar Suresh (2023) Kerala el crisis especial Número 3 (YWP). Basant Maheshwari Western Sydney el Western Sydney el Australia India (AIWC). el (NHP), Jal Shakti India el Australia India el a a YWP a el Young Water Professional el editorial Nadarajah Sriskandarajah Murugesu Sivapalan Water Security through Participatory Action Research in the Northern Province (WASPAR), Sri Lanka, 2020. 3 WASPAR WASPAR el a el el WASPAR el sobre el editorial el especial sobre el sur Asia, el Arooj Naveed 2022 a sobre el sobre Kushal Pokharel Critical Environmental Justice (CEJ), el CEJ Subham Mukherjee Trude Sundberg el Kolkata, India, el Bhavna Brar, Kushal Thakur, Danish Mahajan, Dixit Sharma, Sunil Kumar, Sachin Rakesh Kumar Baner Gaj Rivulets, sobre el River Beas Himachal Pradesh, India el el Ananya Kalita, Ankur Arnob sobre Arunachal Pradesh, India, el sobre el el el Megha Choudhary, Brar Kushal, Sunil Kumar, Sunil, Mahajan Dixit, Rakesh Kumar Danish Mahajan el India el no Subha Sinha 37 India. India el Bahar no el el especial a a Susana Neto / Jeff Camkin ____________________ Asia Development Bank, (n.d.). What we do: Water. Asia Development Bank. Available at https://www.adb.org/. Accessed on 26 June 2023.