Water in India
Characteristics and Issues

From east to west and north to south, water has defined life on the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. Over time, the population has learned to deal with the vagaries of the monsoon climate, where too much rain would lead to devastating floods along the subcontinents many rivers and too little rain would lead to catastrophic drought in arid and semi-arid regions across the country. On average, however, the combination of rainfall, surface and groundwater resources have been sufficient in providing adequate water to the Indian population.

Increasing demand and development pressures are changing the characteristics of water in India. Erosion in the watershed due to increased development and poor land management practices is increasing siltation and changing stream hydraulics. Groundwater reserves are becoming more and more depleted as surface water sources become too polluted for human use. Biodiversity in the country’s once extensive wetlands and coastal mangroves is quickly declining. To add to all of these pressures, current government policies and economic incentives are encouraging the unsustainable consumption of the resource.

The recognition that India’s water resources need to be more carefully managed is leading to the adoption of sustainable water management practices. By managing its water more carefully, India can avert the crisis that looms over the next century.

Too much, too little – The characteristics of water in India
From the monsoon to water policy, discover what makes water so important in India and what is currently being done to manage it.

Troubled Waters
Pollution and overuse are threatening water security in India and South Asia in the coming decades. Here we explain some of the environmental issues related to water in the region.

Sustainable Water Management
Learn more about the principles of sustainable water management and some of the issues related to implementing it in India.