The Ganges is the most populous river basin in the world, supporting more than 500 million inhabitants. Well known for its cultural and spiritual significance (to Hindus, the Ganges is a goddess), it spans 1 million square kilometers (km²) across China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. Over the years, many authors have written books, papers and reports discussing specific aspects of the river. However, no single book has examined the basin holistically. In 2016, IWMI responded to the need for a broader perspective by producing The Ganges River Basin, a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region.
“We wanted to cover the river from different sectoral perspectives, including water use, pollution, socio-economics and biophysical aspects,” explains one of the book’s editors, Luna Bharati, a principal researcher at IWMI. “But we also wanted to include regional perspectives, so we invited authors from each of the main countries through which the Ganges flows – Nepal, India and Bangladesh – to cover each topic together. If we couldn’t locate an author on a particular topic, we employed an IWMI expert who had been working on that topic in the country.”
Ebb and flow
Published in collaboration with Routledge as part of its Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World, the book has 18 chapters arranged in three sections: Resources and Uses; Environment; and Governance and Livelihoods. The chapters assess the status of the Ganges surface water and groundwater resources, encompassing topics such as climate change; managing floods and droughts; implications for intensifying agriculture sustainably; hydropower; environmental flows; ecosystem services; water quality; institutions and policies; and poverty, inequalities and vulnerability. “The book is aimed at anyone who is interested in water management in the Ganges River Basin and South Asia,” says Bharati.
The book clearly highlights some of the major issues facing the Ganges today. Variability is one major concern. Around 80% of the rainwater that sustains the Ganges falls in July, when the monsoon comes. There can also be as much as a 50% difference in the volume of water falling in consecutive years. Often, there is a mismatch between where water is available and where it is needed. Climate change is forecast to increase variability in the basin in the future, so water resource management needs to focus on managing variability. “Forecasts indicate that the monsoon will become stronger and more intense,” says Bharati.
One chapter highlights work undertaken to establish the Ganges “environmental flow.” This is the minimum volume of water needed to maintain freshwater ecosystems. An environmental flow assessment of the Ganges conducted by IWMI, which considered the water requirements of aquatic biodiversity and cultural ceremonies at three sites, found that the minimum flow requirement was being met, except during a couple of months of the year. IWMI scientists concluded that increasing irrigation efficiency from its current level of 40% could achieve the required flow.
A shining example of cooperation
The volume of water flowing through the Ganges Basin is less of an issue than the fact that there is little transboundary cooperation or data sharing between the countries using the river’s resources. Generally, trust is lacking between countries, states and sectors, and there is no basin authority to oversee water management. “There is a lot of water in the basin (600 billion cubic meters of flow), but the inability of neighboring countries to work together has hindered development," says Bharati. “For example, there is less than 2% hydropower development in Nepal.”
While the Ganges-sharing countries may struggle to work together to manage their water resources, The Ganges River Basin book is a shining example of regional cooperation. With the diverse authors all selected for their high level of experience and expertise, there were some disputes during the book’s production, but these were resolved relatively easily. “The book represents the cumulative knowledge of individuals and institutions going back several decades.” says Bharati. “Sometimes the contributors’ views and perspectives were quite different, but I think that helps to set the book apart from other publications.”
