Climatic Change — Implications for India’s Water Resources

Rapid industrialization and urbanization in India are responsible for the huge increase in the demand for water. The inefficient management of the resource has led to deterioration in water quality, posing new challenges for water management and conservation. Today, the hydrological cycle has altered in most of India’s river basins due to land use change, inter–basin transfers, irrigation and drainage. Sustainable management of water has therefore gained considerable importance in recent years. An assessment of the availability of water resources, taking account of the multiplying demands and likely impacts of climate change and variability is critical for planning and sustainable development as a basis for economic and social development. This paper focuses on some aspects of water resources and the potential for water–related developments, keeping in view the impacts of climate change to meet the foreseeable demand in India.