As the largest country in South Asia, India covers an area of about 329 million hectares with a wide range of geographical features. These features impact the climate and, in turn, the water resources in the country. Precipitation, particularly during the monsoon seasons, is the primary source of freshwater in India. However, precipitation distribution varies over the country from over 2500mm in the North-East to less than 100mm in western Rajasthan. The strong influence of the monsoons on the country’s water sources makes it vulnerable to floods and droughts due to the variability of the distribution of the monsoons in space and time (seasonality and reliability), which is exacerbated by climate change.
Only a part of the country’s total available water resources can be utilised due to uneven distribution and topographical constraints, thereby classifying India as a “water stressed” country. Due to continued population and economic growth as well as urbanisation, the demand for water is increasing while per capita water availability is reducing. These socio-economic changes are leading to over-exploitation of groundwater, particularly in cities, and water pollution due to discharge of insufficiently treated/untreated waste into water bodies. Moreover, the increasing demand for water in the face of water scarcity and insecurity has led to intensification of inter-state water disputes.
NWP hosts the Partners for Water Programme’s India Country Platform. The Platform brings together Dutch organisations who are active or interested in working in India to share knowledge, expertise and experiences. With its network, NWP helps provide information and updates on the developments in the water sector in India and brings potential partners together to actively seek ways to jointly develop and execute initiatives and projects in India. Would you like to join the platform? Please contact our colleague Anusha Mehta.