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Water Scarcity and Sustainability in the Himalayas Editorial Introduction: Understanding Water Insecurity in South Asia Chandra L Volume 6 Number 1 2020 Water Scarcity and Sustainability in the Himalayas Editorial Introduction: Understanding Water Insecurity in South Asia Chandra L. Pandey, Dil Khatri, Hemant R. Ojha CHIEF EDITOR Dil Khatri, Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) SPECIAL ISSUE EDITORS Chandra Lal Pandey, School of Arts, Kathmandu University Dil Khatri Hemant Ojha, University of Canberra INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Hemant Ojha Andrea Nightingale, University of Oslo Fraser Sugden, University of Birmingham Siri Eriksen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Jon Ensor, University of York MANAGING EDITOR Gyanu Maskey, SIAS and Kathmandu University Design and Layout Pradip Dhakal ©Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies Sanjeeb Bir Bajracharya E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sias-southasia.org NEw Nepal Journal of Published by NPRN ANgLE Social Science and Hosted by SIAS Public Policy Available at www.nepalpolicynet.com 2020, Vol. 6 ( 1 ), pp.1-6 EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING WATER INSECURITY IN SOUTH ASIA Chandra L. Pandey1, Dil Khatri2, Hemant R. Ojha3 South Asia is home to over a fifth of the the Himalayan settlements, even in the world’s population. This is also the region rural areas due to the impacts of climate with the fastest rate of urbanisation, change. with increasing concentration of poverty in urban and peri-urban areas. Small The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of to medium-sized cities in the lower the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Himalayan regions of India and Nepal are Change (IPCC) suggests that climate undergoing rapid expansion, population change is going to have widespread growth, and economic transformation. impacts on South Asian society and the Although the Himalayas are considered natural environment. Climate change the ‘Water Towers’ of South Asia, urban in this region has wide ranging impacts regions downstream are facing increasing including flooding of settlements and water insecurity, due to the domino infrastructure, deterioration of public effects of various drivers such as increasing health, and food and water shortages population, changing lifestyles, rising (Dupar, 2019). Recent research findings economic status, and the intensifying suggested that Asia’s ‘Water Towers’ are impacts of climate change. The round-the- being threatened by climate change, while year supply of water is being disrupted in seasonal rainfall patterns are changing ¹ Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu, Nepal. Corresponding email: [email protected] 2 Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS), Kathmandu, Nepal 3 University of Canberra & Institute for Study and Development Worldwide (IFSD), Sydney, Australia © Pandey et al., 2020 1 New Angle: Nepal Journal of Social Science and Public Policy Vol. 6 ( 1 ), 2020 NEw Nepal Journal of Published by NPRN with shorter monsoon period and higher Water Management Plans for South Asia ANgLE Social Science and Hosted by SIAS post-monsoon precipitation, leading to (CAMPS) and others (Rai et al., 2019; Raut Public Policy Available at www.nepalpolicynet.com extended water scarcity months and et al., 2019; Pandey et al., 2019; Pandey 2020, Vol. 6 ( 1 ), pp.1-6 extreme rainfall periods (Pranuthi et al., and Bajracharya, 2017; Béné et al., 2014; 2014; Singh & Mal, 2014; Immerzeel et Mitlin and Satterthwaite, 2013; Seto et al., al., 2010). These studies also note that 2012) suggest high degree of vulnerability combined effects of temperature rise and of marginalised groups, particularly slum erratic rainfall would decrease the rate of residents, women, children, elderly and EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION: UNDERSTANDING WATER ground water recharge, leading to water people with low economic status, to stress in future. The latest report published climate change and water scarcity. Besides, INSECURITY IN SOUTH ASIA by NITI Aayog (2017) of India on water despite the proliferation of water policies security and springs contends that, in the and laws at national, provincial and local Himalayan region, the springs are drying levels, the cities of Nepal and India are Chandra L. Pandey1, Dil Khatri2, Hemant R. Ojha3 and discharge rate is gradually declining. facing worsening levels of water deficit and are in need of sustainable and climate The cumulative effects of changing climate adaptive solutions. South Asia is home to over a fifth of the the Himalayan settlements, even in the have affected agriculture, forest and bio- world’s population. This is also the region rural areas due to the impacts of climate diversity, and water resources, creating In fact, securing water has become a with the fastest rate of urbanisation, change. risks to human wellbeing in the region global challenge, given there is very with increasing concentration of poverty (Singh et al., 2011; Negi et al., 2012). Studies limited freshwater available for human in urban and peri-urban areas. Small The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of have also identified that climate change is use. Across the planet, only 2.5 percent to medium-sized cities in the lower the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate impacting the water resources, implying of all the water is fresh-water and almost Himalayan regions of India and Nepal are Change (IPCC) suggests that climate that the urban water supply and demand 2% of it is frozen. As there is small amount undergoing rapid expansion, population change is going to have widespread management system would become of usable water available, achieving water growth, and economic transformation. impacts on South Asian society and the adversely affected if improved practices security has become difficult. Here, by Although the Himalayas are considered natural environment. Climate change are not adopted in a timely manner water security, we mean access to enough the ‘Water Towers’ of South Asia, urban in this region has wide ranging impacts (Pandey et al., 2019; Dahal et al., 2019; water for domestic, social, economic, and regions downstream are facing increasing including flooding of settlements and Pandey & Bajracharya, 2017). The existing ecosystem development, together with an water insecurity, due to the domino infrastructure, deterioration of public body of literature on water and climate institutional capacity to overcome technical effects of various drivers such as increasing health, and food and water shortages change suggests that the combined effect and environmental barriers (Pandey, 2020; population, changing lifestyles, rising (Dupar, 2019). Recent research findings of hydrological variability, socio-economic Ojha et al., 2020; GWP, 2000). The ever- economic status, and the intensifying suggested that Asia’s ‘Water Towers’ are extremes, fragmented water institutions increasing threat to global water security impacts of climate change. The round-the- being threatened by climate change, while and policies and inadequate infrastructure, makes it imperative to understand the year supply of water is being disrupted in seasonal rainfall patterns are changing inter alia, make water systems particularly causes and consequences and to find vulnerable to climate change at global, possible pathways for achieving sustainable regional, national and local scales (Grey management of water resources. Hence, it ¹ Kathmandu University School of Arts, Kathmandu, Nepal. Corresponding email: [email protected] and Sadoff, 2007; MacDonald, et al., 2011; has been critically important to understand 2 Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS), Kathmandu, Nepal Pandey et al., 2019). the barriers and prospects of addressing urban water scarcity in the Himalayan 3 University of Canberra & Institute for Study and Development Worldwide (IFSD), Sydney, Australia Studies undertaken by researchers working cities in the context of rapid urbanisation with a project called Climate Adaptive and climate change. © Pandey et al., 2020 2 1 Pandey et. al. Understanding water insecurity in South Asia Against this background, the goal of this from Critical Analysis of ‘Sectoral Policies’ special issue entitled, ‘Water Scarcity in Nepal (Maskey et al., 2020) investigates and Sustainability in the Himalayas’ is whether and how the sectoral policies on to consolidate emerging yet scattered climate change, urban development and evidence of water scarcity to contribute to water address critical urban water issues, the understanding of the dynamics of water and how these policies are linked (or not insecurity, with particular focus on policy linked). It presents the plight of cities in and institutional responses of the cities in the global South highlighting that these lower Himalayas of Nepal and India. Four cities are facing complex challenges of key questions investigated in this special climate change, unplanned development issue include: 1) How climate change is and ageing water infrastructure. The impacting water resources, already scarce paper notes that climate change is likely freshwater and water sustainability? 2) to undermine the ability of urban water What are the challenges cities are facing for supply systems to meet both the present managing water resources in the context and future needs of the population and of rapid urbanisation and climate change? there are serious concerns about the 3) How are climate, water and urban existing water management policies failing policies related or unrelated and what are to address the challenges of climate change the policy and institutional dimensions of and unplanned urban development. Based water governance? 4) How are upstream- on the
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