Your search found 68 records
1 Chapman, G. P.; Thompson, M. (Eds.) 1995. Water and the quest for sustainable development in the Ganges Valley. New York, NY, USA: Mansell. xv, 208p. (Global development and the environment)
Sustainability ; Water management ; Environment ; Policy ; Economic situation ; Irrigation systems ; Land use ; Water resources ; River basin development ; Water quality / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.91 G635 CHA Record No: H017225)
2 Wahid, uz-Z. 1995. Modelling of sediment transport in river system. ICID Journal, 44(2):109-117.
Rivers ; Sedimentation ; Siltation ; Mathematical models ; Simulation models ; Computer models / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Gorai-Madhumati
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: PER Record No: H018371)
3 1996. Regional Seminar on Integrated River Basin Management, 2-5 September, 1996, Malacca, Malaysia: Proceedings vol.2 - Special lectures and country experiences/case studies. Malacca, Malaysia: Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. v.p.
River basin development ; Rivers ; Legal aspects ; Water law ; Water resource management ; Simulation models ; Drainage ; Design ; Flood control / Egypt / Taiwan / Thailand / Singapore / Malaysia / Iran / India / Bangladesh / Sri Lanka / Mekong Basin / Nile River / Muda River Basin / Tanshui River Basin / Mun River Basin / Melaka River / Karkheh River / Ganges River Basin / Brahmaputra River Basin / Meghna River Basin
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 REG Record No: H019203)
4 Haque, M. A. 1996. Water resources management in the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna River basins in Bangladesh. In Regional Seminar on Integrated River Basin Management, 2-5 September, 1996, Malacca, Malaysia: Proceedings vol.2 - Special lectures and country experiences/case studies. Malacca, Malaysia: Malaysian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. pp.8/2/1/-14.
Water resources ; Water resource management ; River basin development ; Water demand ; Water resources development ; Institutions / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Brahmaputra River Basin / Meghna River Basin
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 REG Record No: H019211)
5 Salman, S. M. A. 1998. Sharing the Ganges waters between India and Bangladesh: An analysis of the 1996 treaty. In Salman, S. M. A.; de Chazournes, L. B. (Eds.), International watercourses: Enhancing cooperation and managing conflict - Proceedings of a World Bank Seminar. Washington, DC, USA: World Bank. pp.127-153.
River basins ; Water resource management ; International cooperation ; Legal aspects / India / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Farakka Barrage
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 SAL Record No: H023204)
6 Er Rashid, H.; Kabir, B. 1998. Case study: Bangladesh - Water resources and population pressures in the Ganges River Basin. In de Sherbinin, A.; Dompka, V.; Bromley, L. (Eds.), Water and population dynamics: Case studies and policy implications. Report of a workshop, October 1996, Montreal, Canada. Washington, DC, USA: IUCN; PRB; USAID; AAAS. pp.171-194.
River basins ; Population dynamics ; Water resource management ; Policy ; Women ; Waterlogging ; Aquifers ; Case studies / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Yamuna River
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 DES Record No: H025380)
7 Sharma, Bharat R.; Sharma, Devesh. 2008. Impact of climate change on water resources and glacier melt and potential adaptations for Indian agriculture. Keynote Address at the 33rd Indian Agricultural Universities Association Vice Chancellors’ Annual Convention on Climate Change and its Effect on Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India, 4-5 December 2008. 20p.
Climate change ; River basins ; Water scarcity ; Environmental effects ; Temperature ; Rain ; Drought ; Flooding ; Sea level ; Water resource management / India / Himalaya / Ganges River Basin / Indus River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H041717)
http://cpwfbfp.pbworks.com/f/Keynote-Climatechange_BRSHARMA_.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041717.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041717.pdf
8 Villholth, K. G.; Mukherji, Aditi; Sharma, Bharat R.; Wang, J. 2009. The realities and challenges of contemporary groundwater-based smallholder irrigated farming across the Indus, Ganges and Yellow River basins. In Taniguchi, M.; Dausman, A.; Howard, K.; Polemio, M.; Lakshmanan, E. (Eds.). Trends and sustainability of groundwater in highly stressed aquifers: proceedings of Symposium JS.2 at the Joint Convention of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Hyderabad, India, 6–12 September 2009. Wallingford, UK: International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS). pp.89-102. (IAHS Publication 329)
Groundwater irrigation ; Pipes ; Energy consumption ; Wells ; Costs ; Crop production ; Farmers attitudes ; Poverty ; Water market / South Asia / India / China / Pakistan / Bangladesh / Nepal / Indus River basin / Ganges River basin / Yellow River basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042276)
(0.33 MB)
Groundwater has played an increasing role in irrigated farming, livelihood support, poverty alleviation, and national food security in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal since the advent of the green revolution in the 1960s. This paper presents a synthesis of the results of a cross-regional research effort, based on surveys in more than 60 villages, to map the contemporary realities and constraints of groundwater use and adaptation in irrigated agriculture within smallholder farmer communities across the alluvial plains of the major Indus, Ganges and Yellow river basins in Asia. The results show a general over-exploitation of groundwater resources in Pakistan, western India, and China and relative under-utilization in eastern India and Bangladesh. But more interestingly, and despite its great significance, practically nowhere is groundwater managed in an integrated manner. As a result, its use is sub-optimal where smallholders today employ a range of adaptation and coping strategies to uphold groundwater benefits. The research findings point to various axes along which to identify solutions and focus equitable and sustainable policies and management interventions.
9 Cai, Xueliang; Sharma, Bharat R. 2009. Remote sensing and census based assessment and scope for improvement of rice and wheat water productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Science in China Series E: Technological Sciences, 52(11):3300-3308. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-009-0346-3]
Remote sensing ; Water productivity ; Cropping systems ; Rice ; Wheat ; Evapotranspiration ; Models ; Mapping ; River basins / South Asia / India / Pakistan / Bangladesh / Nepal / China / Afghanistan / Indus River Basin / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042410)
(0.50 MB)
Understanding of crop water productivity (WP) over large scale, e.g., river basin, has significant impli-cations for sustainable basin development planning. This paper presents a simplified approach to combine remote sensing, census and weather data to analyze basin rice and wheat WP in In-do-Gangetic River Basin, South Asia. A crop dominance map is synthesized from ground truth data and three existing LULC maps. National statistics on crop area and production information are collected and the yield is interpolated to pixel level using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Crop evapotranspiration is mapped using simplified surface energy balance (SSEB) model with MODIS land surface temperature products and meteorological data collected from 56 weather stations. The average ET by rice and wheat is 368 mm and 210 mm respectively, accounting for only 69% and 65% of potential ET, and 67% and 338% of rain-fall of the crop growth period measured from Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). Average WP for rice and wheat is 0.84 and 1.36 kg/m3 respectively. WP variability generally follows the same trend as shown by crop yield disregarding climate and topography changes. Sum of rice-wheat water productivity, however, exhibits different variability leading to better understanding of irrigation water management as wheat heavily relies on irrigation. Causes for variations and scope for improvement are also analyzed.
10 Hosterman, H. R.; McCornick, P. G.; Kistin, E. J.; Pant, A.; Sharma, Bharat R.; Bharati, Luna. 2009. Water, climate change, and adaptation: focus on the Ganges River Basin. Durham, NC, USA: Duke University, Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. 34p. (Nicholas Institute Working Paper NI WP 09-03)
Climate change ; Ecosystems ; River basins ; Groundwater ; Public health / Asia / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / China / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H042415)
(2.10 MB)
11 Treffner, J.; Mioc, V.; Wegerich, Kai. 2010. International river basins. In Wegerich, Kai; Warner, J. (Eds.). The politics of water: a survey. London, UK: Routledge. pp.321-369.
River basins ; International waters ; River basin development ; River basin management ; International cooperation / Central Asia / USA / Mexico / Turkey / Syria / Iraq / India / South America / South East Asia / Australia / South Africa / Europe / Aral Sea / Amu Darya River Basin / Syr Darya River Basin / Rio Grande River Basins / Colorado River Basin / Tijuana River Basin / Danube River Basin / Euphrates River Basin / Tigris River Basin / Ganges River Basin / Brahmaputra River Basin / Meghna River Basin / Indus River Basin / Jordan River Basin / La Plata River Basin / Mekong River Basin / Murray-Darling / Nile River Basin / Okavango River Basin / Rhine River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 333.91 G000 WEG, e-copy SF Record No: H043030)
12 Sharma, Bharat R.; Amarasinghe, Upali; Cai, Xueliang; de Condappa, D.; Shah, Tushaar; Mukherji, Aditi; Bharati, Luna; Ambili, G.; Qureshi, Asad Sarwar; Pant, Dhruba; Xenarios, Stefanos; Singh, R.; Smakhtin, Vladimir. 2010. The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure. Water International, 35(5):493-521. (Special Issue on "Water, Food and Poverty in River Basins, Part 1" with contributions by IWMI authors). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2010.512996]
River basins ; Groundwater management ; Electrical energy ; Water productivity ; Irrigation water ; Rice ; Wheat ; Evapotranspiration ; Cropping systems ; Water governance ; Watercourses ; Water conservation ; Water costs ; Water policy ; Multiple use ; Rural poverty / India / Pakistan / Nepal / Bangladesh / Indus River Basin / Ganges River Basin / Bhakra Irrigation System
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H043246)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2010.512996
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H043246.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H043246.pdf
(8.90 MB) (1.77MB)
The basins of the Indus and Ganges rivers cover 2.20 million km2 and are inhabited by more than a billion people. The region is under extreme pressures of population and poverty, unregulated utilization of the resources and low levels of productivity. The needs are: (1) development policies that are regionally differentiated to ensure resource sustainability and high productivity; (2) immediate development and implementation of policies for sound groundwater management and energy use; (3) improvement of the fragile food security and to broaden its base; and (4) policy changes to address land fragmentation and improved infrastructure. Meeting these needs will help to improve productivity, reduce rural poverty and improve overall human development.
13 Cai, Xueliang; Sharma, Bharat R.; Matin, Mir Abdul; Sharma, D.; Gunasinghe, Sarath. 2010. An assessment of crop water productivity in the Indus and Ganges River Basins: current status and scope for improvement. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 22p. (IWMI Research Report 140) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2010.232]
Water productivity ; Crops ; Yields ; Rice ; Wheat ; River basins ; Models ; Remote sensing ; Evapotranspiration ; Mapping / India / Pakistan / Bangladesh / Nepal / Indus River Basin / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H043713)
(1.12MB)
The Indus and Ganges River Basin, being the most populous in the world, is under extreme pressure to sustain food security. Production resources including water are being exploited to various levels from underdevelopment to heavy overexploitation. This report provides a bird’s eye view of the basin and focuses on the nexus between agricultural production and water consumption, making it possible to pinpoint the areas with high/low water productivity and identify the factors behind this, which helps to promote informed decision making in light of environmental sustainability.
14 Sharma, Bharat R.; Amarasinghe, Upali; Ambili, G. K. (Eds.) 2010. Tackling water and food crisis in South Asia: insights from the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Synthesis report of the Basin Focal Project for the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). 120p. (CPWF Project Report 60)
River basin management ; Development projects ; Water governance ; Water allocation ; Water demand ; Water productivity ; Wheat ; Rice ; Fisheries ; Institutions ; Electricity ; Diesel oil ; Prices ; Water market ; Groundwater ; Tenancy ; Poverty / India / Pakistan / Nepal / Bangladesh / Indus Rive Basin / Ganges River Basin / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044046)
http://mahider.ilri.org/bitstream/handle/10568/3939/PN60_IWMI_Project%20Report_Mar10_final.pdf?sequence=1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044046.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044046.pdf
(6.56 MB) (5.13MB)
15 Sharma, Bharat; de Condappa, D.; Bharati, Luna. 2011. Opportunities for harnessing the increased contribution of glacier and snowmelt flows in the Ganges Basin. Keynote speech presented at the International Conference on Cooperation on the Ganges: Barriers, Myths, and Opportunities, Institute of Water Policy, LKY School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 13-14 November 2010. 16p.
River basins ; Climate change ; Glaciers ; Snowmelt ; Environmental temperature ; Upstream ; Downstream ; Mountains / South Asia / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044143)
(0.71 MB)
The topography of Ganges basin (GB) is much contrasted with upstream steep mountainous region of the Himalayas and downstream large fertile plains in eastern India and Bangladesh. The Himalays are partly covered by snow and glaciers that seasonally release water to the river network of GB and provide cushion against the annual fluctuations. The contribution from the glaciers to the streamflows is supposed to be significant although spatilly distributed quantification is unavailable. Moreover, there is uncertainity on the impact of climate change on glaciers and the resultant streamflows. We set up an application of the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP)model which contained an experimental glaciers module that accounts for snow and glaciers processes in the GB. The model also examined the possible impacts of an increase in temperature of +1, +2 or +3 degree Celsius over 20 years of the simulation period (1982-2002). The average annual stream flows in the GB that comes from melting of snow and ice in glaciated areas is significant (60-75%) in the Upper Ganga and in the Nepalese sub-basins. The share, however, reduces significantly further downstream, falling to about 19% at Farakka as flows from glaciated areas are diluted by streamflows generated by rainfall/ runoff processes. Climate change-induced rise in temperature logically increases the quantity of snow and ice that melts in glaciated areas , causing an augmentation of streamflows. However, this impact decreases from upstream ( +8% to +26% at Tehri Dam in Uttaranchal in India) to downstream (+1% to +4% at Farakka in West Bengal). Such increases in streamflows may create flood events more frequently or of higher magnitude in the Upper Ganga or in the mountainous sub-basins. In terms of water use, most of the extra water from glaciated areas do not flow when water is most required i.e. during the lean flow winter and early summer season. Potential strategy to exploit this additional water may include construction of new dams/ reservoir storages that could be used locally or within the transboundary agreements or to capture this extra water just at the end of the dry season (April-June) when flows from glaciated areas become noticeable. Enhancing the development of groundwater in the basin (from the present low level of ~ 30 per cent) through managed aquifer recharge and other suitable options shall be an equally viable option. The riparian states within India and India-Nepal- Bangladesh may harness this opportunity to alleviate physical water scarcity and transboundary water conflicts.
16 Bharati, Luna; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Jayakody, Priyantha; Kaushal, N. 2011. Use of hydrological modeling in environmental-flows assessment in the Ganges [Abstract only]. In Habersack, H.; Schober, B.; Walling, D. (Eds.). Conference abstract book: International Conference on the Status and Future of the World's Large Rivers, Vienna, Austria, 11-14 April 2011. Vienna, Austria: University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences. pp.40.
River basin management ; Hydrology ; Models ; Environmental flows ; Assessment ; Water allocation ; Runoff / India / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044362)
http://www.iahs.info/conferences/CR2011/2011_WLR_Vienna/files/WLR_Abstract_Book_final.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044362.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H044362.pdf
(0.20 MB) (5.89MB)
Allocation of river water to cities, industries and agriculture has been a common practice in river basin planning and management. It is now widely accepted that water also needs to be allocated for aqautic environment- alongside the demands of other users. Discharge data are a pre-requisite for calculating such nvironmental demands - environmental flows (EF) - regardless of the EF assessment method used. This paper describes the application of a distributed hydrological model (SWAT) to simulate discharges, which were then used for EF assessment in the Upper Ganges River in India (total area: 87000 km 2). The EF assessment was done using a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder approach (Building Blocks methodology). The EF method involved several stakeholder workshops with various expert groups and extensive field studies. This is the first time that a comprehensive EF assessment has been done in India. The characteristic feature of the study is that cultural and religious water demands were also incorporated into the assessment of EF requirements as the conservation of the river’s spiritual traits were recognized by the stakeholders as being as important as the maintenance of its ecological integrity. The assessment resulted in EF requirements ranging from 72% of Mean Annual Runoff (MAR) in the upper stretches to 45% of (MAR) in the lower stretches, which is coherent with the ecological and spiritual status of the reaches. The EF estimates are now being considered in the simulation modeling of basin development scenarios under conditions of current climate and projected climate changes.
17 Bruijnzeel, L. A.; Bremmer, C. N. 1989. Highland-lowland interactions in the Ganges Brahmaputra River Basin: a review of published literature. Kathmandu, Nepal: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). 136p. (ICIMOD Occasional Paper 11)
Highlands ; Lowland ; River basins ; Plains ; Geomorphology ; Geology ; Hydrology ; Climate change ; Precipitation ; Rain ; Evaporation ; Vegetation ; Land use ; Sedimentation ; Water yield ; Water budget ; Erosion / India / Ganges River Basin / Brahmaputra River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 551.483 G000 BRU Record No: H044505)
(0.37 MB)
18 Sharma, Bharat R. 2009. Hydro-geology and water resources of Indus-Gangetic Basin: comparative analysis of issues and opportunities. Annals of Arid Zone, 48(3&4):1-31.
Groundwater recharge ; Arsenic ; Water scarcity ; Water pollution ; Flooding ; Climate change ; River basins ; Hydrogeology ; Analysis ; Precipitation ; Evaporation ; Runoff ; Water quality ; Water table ; Water governance ; Groundwater management ; Tube wells ; Irrigation programs / India / Tibet / Bangladesh / Nepal / Pakistan / Indus River Basin / Ganges River Basin / Indus Basin Irrigation System / Bhakra Nangal Project / Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project / Ganges-Kobadak Project
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044555)
(1.41 MB)
This paper gives an overview of water resources, its availability and use, problems and constraints, the present and future challenges and the ensuing opportunities in water resource sector of one of the most populated river basins of the world; the Indus-Gangetic basin. Large-scale development of water resources in the Indus basin has led to the resource base being depleted, both in terms of quantity as well as quality. Well-developed surface irrigation systems in the Indus basin tap most of the surface water available in the basin, leaving only 10% of the net runoff to the sea, whereas from Ganges basin, the net runoff flowing to the sea is about 40%. Groundwater, which is expected to serve as buffer source to compensate for the reduced surface water availability, is also getting depleted. Energy and agricultural sector policies followed also favour large scale exploitation of groundwater resources in the basin, which has led to water table decline and a reduction in environmental flows. In the Gangetic part of the basin, it is the economic water scarcity which is more prominent. Equally important is the deterioration of water quality of Ganges river, especially when it flows along the plains accumulating municipal, industrial and domestic waste from the rapidly growing cities situated along its banks. Compounded with these issues is the role played by climate change. Since both Indus and Ganges rivers are heavily dependent on snow and glacier melts, the streamflow in these rivers is highly sensitive to climate change. Recent years have witnessed some responses to the water scarcity problem in IG basin the form of popularization of resource conservation practices, growing high yielding short duration varieties of paddy, micro and precision irrigation, regulations to control groundwater use and management. The article presses the need for water resources in the basin to be managed in a conjunctive manner, considering rain water, surface water, soil water and groundwater in continuum. Considering the inter-linkage between groundwater extraction, energy and food policies, groundwater management strategies should have a focus on energy pricing, food pricing and procurement policies also. Nevertheless, devising long-term strategies on water resource management in the basin need not overlook the likely impacts that the changing climate is going to have on water resources.
19 Amarasinghe, Upali; Sharma, Bharat R. 2011. Water productivity and poverty in the transboundary river basin of India and Bangladesh: a situation analysis. Project report submitted to IUCN under the project “Water Productivity, Poverty and Food Security”. New Delhi, India: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 24p.
Water productivity ; Water scarcity ; Water demand ; Water use ; Food security ; Rural poverty ; Indicators ; River basins ; International waters ; Environmental effects ; Economic aspects ; Income ; Groundwater / India / Bangladesh / Ganges River Basin / Brahmaputra River Basin / Meghna River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044557)
(3.17 MB)
For decades, increasing land productivity was a major driver of improving food security and reducing rural poverty. However, with increasing water scarcities, competing water demand across different sectors, and increasing cost of investments in water resources development require a paradigm shift. Improving the productivity of water use is emerging as a new way of addressing water scarcity while reducing vulnerability and improving income. Increasing both physical and economic water productivities (quantity per drop and value per drop) are central to this approach. The extent to which physical and economic water productivity should be improved is and area and context specific. However, the approach is especially important in areas that are populated with large agriculturally dependent small-holder rural people and areas that experience recurrent droughts and floods and lack access to proper infrastructure. A major part of the Ganga-Brahamaputra-Meghna (MBG) river basins have such characteristics. This report examines the current situation of poverty, food security and water productivity and their linkages and knowledge gaps in the MBG basins.
20 Hosterman, H. R.; McCornick, Peter G.; Kistin, E. J.; Sharma, Bharat; Bharati, Luna. 2012. Freshwater, climate change and adaptation in the Ganges River Basin. Water Policy, 14(1):67-79. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2011.065]
River basins ; Freshwater ; Water resources ; Water management ; Climate change ; Adaptation ; Ecosystems ; Water power ; Economic development ; Agriculture / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / China / Tibet / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044644)
(0.11 MB)
Climate change is one of the drivers of change in the Ganges River Basin, together with population growth, economic development and water management practices. These changing circumstances have a significant impact on key social and economic sectors of the basin, largely through changes in water quantity, quality and timing of availability. This paper evaluates the impact of water on changing circumstances in three sectors of the Ganges Basin – agriculture, ecosystems and energy. Given the inherent interconnectedness of these core sectors and the cross-cutting impact of changing circumstances on water resources, we argue that adaptation should not be viewed as a separate initiative, but rather as a goal and perspective incorporated into every level of planning and decision making. Adaptation to changing circumstances will need to be closely linked to water resource management and will require significant collaboration across the sectors.
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