1. Constituency water security
Defeating drought
Indira Khurana, PhD
IPE Global Limited

2. Global thirst When one man drinks while another can only watch,
Doomsday follows
– Turkish proverb
By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in regions or countries with absolute water scarcity. Already 1.2 billion are living in physical water scarcity.
Implications for world peace and equitable socioeconomic development.

3. India’s water resources
Utilisable Water available is 1,200 BCM
Rivers, groundwater, ponds, lakes, springs
By 2050, predictions of around 50 percent gap between demand and supply

4. Groundwater dependency
India is the largest groundwater extractor in the world
Agriculture accounts for 80 per cent of water use: 70 per cent is groundwater
More than 80 per cent of rural drinking water from groundwater.
Urban drinking water increasingly groundwater dependent
Industry increasingly groundwater dependent
Where is the water?

5. Water: Nature’s asset Water is A human right Drives growth
In Israel, every drop of water is used twice.
Is efficiency in use possible? Across all sectors?

6. Water pollution “The health of our water is
a principle measure of how we live on the land.”
Almost 70 per cent of surface water resources are polluted
Almost half of groundwater reserves contaminated and causing disease and death
Sources unsafe for human consumption and irrigation and industrial needs
How is India going to deal with this ticking quality bomb?

7. Can we be better prepared?
Drought devastation
Two-thirds of India drought prone
Between , nearly 1,061 million people were affected and 4.25 million lost their lives
As on May 4, 2016
330 million people, 256 districts, 10 states
Can we be better prepared?

8. Is drought proofing possible?
Drought devastation
Drought affects agriculture, industry, drinking water
Leading to:
GDP loss, poverty, mass migration, productivity loss, disease and death
Is drought proofing possible?

9. Implications of 2016 drought
Crop failure
Drinking water crisis
Mass migration
Poverty, hunger
Power plant shut down
Industry shut down
Healthcare facilities breakdown
Women and children at risk
Children education affected
Can something be done?

10. Rainwater harvesting must be up-scaled
Capturing rain
YES!
India is twice blessed:
Rainfall
Tradition of harvesting
This year a normal monsoon is predicted
Rainwater harvesting must be up-scaled

11. Towards water abundance and security
When you see clouds gathering, prepare to catch rainwater
- Gola People of Liberia
This is what we need to do

12. Capturing rain
Every corner of India has a tradition of water harvesting suited to geography, rainfall
These need to be revived and multiplied

13. Capturing rain

14. Capturing rain: learning from others
Other countries doing rainwater harvesting for drinking and other purposes
Germany
Japan
Singapore
Australia
China
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Nepal
Pakistan
Tanzania

15. Save India’s rivers Most small streams contribute to river flows
Small streams flow when saturated sub-surface flows release excess water
Droughts prevented when sub-surface flows are protected

16. Constituency water security What MPs can do
SHORT TERM
Form drought mitigation committees
Tanker water supply in areas of drinking water scarcity
Arrange for water and fodder for livestock in livestock camps
Use MPLAD, MGNREGA Funds
Implementation of the Right to Food (RTF), community kitchens
Restore/rehabilitate/ create water conservation structures

17. Constituency water security What MPs can do
LONG TERM
Adopt community centred approaches and involve civil society organisations
Constituency plan for rainwater conservation
Constituency plan for water use
Assessment for drinking water; protection of drinking water sources
Use MPLAD and other funds for rainwater conservation

18. Constituency water security What MPs can do
LONG TERM
Implement government pilot projects
Create water banks by artificial groundwater recharge
Restore/rehabilitate/ create water conservation structures
Water audits for new development projects
Promote agricultural crops which can grow in available water
Encourage water efficiency in agriculture
Promote water responsible industry

25. Thank you