This introductory course on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), from the United Nations University (UNU), provides a brief historical background and overview of IWRM and gives an overview of the various aspects of IWRM, from integration, capacity building to applications and case studies.
IWRM has been defined by the Global Water Partnership (2000) as a process, which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. An important aspect of any IWRM program is therefore, research, planning and action at the river basin level.
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This data application developed by the Central Groundwater Board provides groundwater level and quality information for all states of India, for the years 2005-09.
This study on “Hydrology in Ancient India” by the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee summarizes and analyses the knowledge of various aspects of water resources and hydrology as contained in ancient Indian literature. It attempts at compiling information on various component processes of hydrology and their interaction. The report has been divided into nine chapters dealing with different aspects of hydrology.
Like other sciences, the science of water too was well developed in ancient India. The report regrets that at present sufficient attention is not paid to our ancient Indian sciences. The study of Sanskrit literature indicates valuable references to hydrology and important concepts of modern hydrology are scattered in various verses of Vedas, Puranas, Meghmala, Mayurchitraka, Vrhat Sanhita and various other ancient Indian works.
Some of the key references are as follows –
In vedic age, Indians had developed the concept that water gets divided into minute particles due to the effect of sun rays and wind. At various places in the Puranas it is alluded that water cannot be created or destroyed and that only its state is changed through various phases of hydrological cycle.
Evaporation, condensation, cloud formation, precipitation and its measurement were well understood in India in vedic and puranic times.
Effect of yajna, forests, reservoirs etc., on the causation of rainfall, classification of clouds, their colour, rainfall capacity etc, forecasting of rainfall on the basis of natural phenomenon like colour of sky, clouds, wind direction, lightning, and the activities of animals was well developed in ancient India well before 10th century BC.
Contrivances to measure rainfall were developed during the time of Kautilya (4th century BC) which had the same principle as that of modern hydrology except the fact that weight measure (of drone, paia etc.,) were adopted instead of modern linear measurement of rainfall.
Scientific facts like arid region of Tibetan rain shadow area and no rainfall by polar winds was discussed in the puranas. The knowledge of monsoon winds and height of clouds along with the division of atmosphere was well developed in vedic age.
The technique of knowing the slope of an area by means of a flowing river and dimensions of meandering rivers along with velocity of flow were developed.
In ancient times, Indians had well developed concepts of groundwater occurrence, distribution and utilization. Literature also reveals that hydrologic indicators such as physiographic features, termite mounds, soils, flora, fauna, rocks and minerals were used to detect the presence of groundwater.
Variation in the height of water table with place, hot and cold springs, ground water utilization by means of wells, well construction methods and equipment are fully described in chapter 54 of Vrhat Sanhita (Bruhat Samhita) named as ‘Dakargala’. The fact that sun rays, winds, humidity, vegetation etc are the major causes of evapotranspiration was well realized.
Varamihira in as early as 550 AD presented a simple method for obtaining potable water from a contaminated source of water. Various plant materials along with the sun heating, aeration, quenching of water with fire heated stones, gold, silver, iron or sand were used. The change in the quality of water with the months of year and suitability of water from different sources for various uses were described.
Efficient water use, lining of canals, construction of dams, tanks, essential requirements for the construction of good tanks, bank protection methods, spillways and other minor aspects were given due consideration in ancient times in India.
Well organized water pricing system was prevalent during the times of Kautilya.
Various references are available in the Vedas alluding the importance of efficient water use so as to reduce the intensity of water scarcity and drought.
The course consists of 6 modules; it includes the basics of understanding groundwater, study of geology, groundwater level and movement, planning and management of groundwater, storage and flow of groundwater and water quality. The modules have been made into succinct power-point presentations that include charts, diagrams and photographs besides the written word.
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These two documents enlist best practices in urban water management, based on the experiences of Biome Solutions, and are relevant for households in a gated layout/group housing complex, where the water sourcing, supply and management is in the hands of the layout and there is no connection to the the local water supply authority.
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This case study report by Biome Environmental Solutions, gives an account of Rainbow Drive Layout Plot Owners' Association's (POA) work on Integrated Urban Water Management, in Bangalore (Karnataka).
Rainbow Drive is a gated community that proactively addressed its water problems in a sustainable manner without resorting solely to short-term coping strategies like buying tanker water or drilling more borewells. Biome Solutions, a company engaged in sustainable water management, worked with Rainbow Drive, in helping them understand their water situation and put in place durable and appropriate solutions. Due to the pioneering nature of the work that was done, Arghyam, a non-profit foundation supported Biome in an intensive monitoring exercise to develop the full picture of Rainbow Drive's water management regime and derive lessons for similar urban contexts and communities. These document are the outputs from this investigation.
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This set of case studies (in hindi), details the work of Megh Pyne Abhiyan and their network partners - Gramyasheel and Samta, in organising safe drinking water in participation with the local village communities, in the flood affected West Champaran, Supaul and Khagaria districts of Bihar.
A workshop on groundwater was organised by ACWADAM and Arghyam Trust in Pune in May 2009, that brought together several experts in the field, and explored diverse topics such as the importance of scale in groundwater resource planning and management, importance of aquifer typologies, participatory processes of groundwater management, groundwater regulation and groundwater linkages with watershed development, markets and policy matters.
The attempt of the workshop and research papers presented, was to highlight contemporary issues in groundwater management, and to look at it through the multiple lenses of hydrogeology, sociology, economics, livelihoods, environment, disasters and so on.
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This detailed hydro-geological action research study in ten villages of Eastern Purandar taluka in Pune district (which is classified as a dark zone due to excessive groundwater exploitation) gives a good picture of groundwater resources in the area, and complements it with allied information such as weather data, socio-economic details, thematic groundwater maps, aquifer information, groundwater usage and its recharge-discharge relationship in space-time.
The study was undertaken by ACWADAM and GGP, with a purpose to provide a platform for implementing agencies for on-the-ground action towards better groundwater management practice through community based efforts, as well as to advocate the typology of groundwater problems, that require specific approaches for mitigation.
The starts with a basic introduction to the study area, objectives and methodology adopted, and is followed by sections on the accumulation and movement of groundwater and the situational base. These two sections have details about the drainage, geology and hydro-geology of the region, groundwater over-exploitation, groundwater salinity, community-based groundwater systems, groundwater characteristics, base flow in streams, water quality, weather, pumping tests, hydro-chemical characteristics, pollution indicators, socio-economic aspects, remote sensing maps and more.
The study recommends that to improve the groundwater situation in the area, new soil/water conservation structures be built in the upper reaches of the watershed, and focus for the existing soil/water conservation structures be on maintenance and repairs. It concludes with a list of specific action-recommendations based on three typologies - groundwater over-exploitation, inland groundwater salinity and community-based groundwater management.This detailed hydro-geological action research study in ten villages of Eastern Purandar taluka in Pune district (which is classified as a dark zone due to excessive groundwater exploitation) by ACWADAM gives a good picture of groundwater resources in the area, and complements it with allied information such as weather data, socio-economic details, thematic groundwater maps, aquifer information, groundwater usage and its recharge-discharge relationship in space-time.
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This report includes the findings of the ASHWAS survey (A Survey of Household Water and Sanitation), a participatory survey carried out by Arghyam, that included 28 districts of Karnataka covering more than 17,200 households across 172 gram panchayats (GPs). This was a peoples' survey, and the surveyors were selected from the respective communities that included students, women from self help groups, local NGO partners and other volunteers.
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This set of case studies (in hindi), details the work of Megh Pyne Abhiyan and their network partners - Gramyasheel and Samta, in organising safe drinking water in participation with the local village communities, in the flood affected West Champaran, Supaul and Khagaria districts of Bihar.
A workshop on groundwater was organised by ACWADAM and Arghyam Trust in Pune in May 2009, that brought together several experts in the field, and explored diverse topics such as the importance of scale in groundwater resource planning and management, importance of aquifer typologies, participatory processes of groundwater management, groundwater regulation and groundwater linkages with watershed development, markets and policy matters.
This detailed hydro-geological action research study in ten villages of Eastern Purandar taluka in Pune district (which is classified as a dark zone due to excessive groundwater exploitation) gives a good picture of groundwater resources in the area, and complements it with allied information such as weather data, socio-economic details, thematic groundwater maps, aquifer information, groundwater usage and its recharge-discharge relationship in space-time. 
