Need to shift focus to demand management of water, says Mihir Shah
The Hindu
There is mounting global evidence in favour of ‘nature-based solutions’ for water storage and supply, says Chairman of the drafting committee of the new water policy
Changing patterns and intensity of precipitation require greater emphasis on agility, resilience and flexibility in water management, says , Distinguished Professor, Shiv Nadar University, and Chairman, of the 11-member drafting committee of the country’s new water policy .
We need to take very serious cognisance of the current context of climate change and the grave crisis of water facing the country. Recent estimates suggest that if the current pattern of demand continues, about half of the national demand for water will remain unmet by 2030. With water tables falling and water quality deteriorating, a radical change is needed in the approach to water management, especially because today, more than ever before, the past is no longer a reliable indicator of what is to come.
Changing patterns and intensity of precipitation, as also rates of discharge of rivers, show that it can no longer be assumed that the water cycle operates within an invariant range of predictability. This requires greater emphasis on agility, resilience and flexibility in water management, so that there could be an adequate response to the heightened uncertainty and unpredictability of the future.