Urban Himalaya running dry

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 1

An environment study conducted in the Hindu Kush Himalaya in four nations — Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan — has said ‘urban Himalaya’ is running dry in the wake of inadequate urban planning coupled with rapidly changing climate.

It has predicted “water insecurity if timely action is not taken”. Under the current trends, the demand-supply gap may double by 2050. A holistic water management approach that includes springshed management and planned adaptation is, therefore, paramount for securing safe water supply in the urban Himalaya, say authors of the “first-of-its-kind study analysing the status of water in the urban HKH region” by water management in towns from four corners of the Himalayan region, including Mussoorie, Devprayag, Singtam, Kalimpong and Darjeeling in India. Increasing urbanisation and climate change are two critical factors that are adversely affecting the biophysical environment of the urban Himalaya.

This water insecurity is attributed to poor water governance, lack of urban planning, poor tourism management during peak season, and climate-related risks and challenges. The study also states that communities are coping through short-term strategies such as groundwater extraction, which is proving to be unsustainable.

“Projections show that more than 50% of the population will be living in cities by 2050. This will naturally put tremendous stress on water availability,” says the study, published in journal ‘Water Policy’.