Impact of Climate Change: Challenges in Water Management in the Coastal Megacities of India

Código

I-EBHE0099

Tema

WG 1.03: Urban Water - Urbanization phenomenon & adequate water management

Resumo

Managing water under a changing climate has become a complicated issue in the coastal megacities - Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata - of India. Millions of poor and unaccounted population with limited adaptation capacity living in slums and coastal zones are highly vulnerable to climate change. Providing basic facilities such as reliable water and sanitation becomes difficult. Increasing seasonality and intensity of rainfall creates floods during monsoons. Indiscriminate encroachment into wetlands, waterways and paddy fields, inadequate capacity of drains and improper maintenance of the drainage infrastructure worsens floods, resulting in casualties and outburst of epidemics. The cities face threat from the sea level rise, increased wave action and surges associated with increasing frequency and severity of tropical storms. Salinity intrusion in coastal aquifers increasingly affects water quality. Size and population of cities are fast expanding. Setbacks in rural agriculture as a result of climate extremes promote uncontrolled urban migration. Perhaps the most serious impact of climate change and population expansion on cities is the decreasing availability of reliable water. Shortage of water and coastal inundation may lead to internal migration in near future. Illegal inflow of environmental refugees from neighbouring countries may add to this. Decreasing availability of reliable water leads to competition for water and conflicts among different groups and regions. Changing climate leads to serious water-related health issues. Area prone to malaria is likely to extend to Mumbai soon (Bhattacharya et al., 2006). Current strategies for climate change impact mitigation and policy for adaptation to climate change are not efficient. Implementation often fails because of various administrative, social, political and economic reasons. This paper analyses the multiple issues associated with the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on water and the challenges in water management in the coastal megacities of India. Extremes in hydrometeorological conditions have been analysed and changes in water availability in the coming decades have been assessed using hydrological model (Thornthwaite & Mather (1955), Nair (1987). Current policies and strategies related to climate change have been critically reviewed. India still lacks an adequate urban policy. In the national missions for urban development, climate change has not been considered seriously. Urban life is becoming miserable. Satellite cities with all basic facilities, well-planned to accommodate environmental changes and population inflow are to be developed. More rural employment opportunities can discourage further migration. Poverty eradication schemes can be implemented with the help of private sector and NGOs. Measures to modernise the urban infrastructure to cope with the changing demographic and climate pattern are essential. Water treatment and stormwater management should be given priority in urban planning. India needs an appropriate and frequently updated climate change adaptation policy and an efficient strategy for the mitigation of impacts, with special consideration to the urban centres. Guidelines for this have been provided.