Water Security in Dryland Tropics of India: What EO could do?
- Paper number
IAC-08.B1.5.12
- Author
Dr. V.S. Hegde, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. Bandyopadhyay Soumya, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. Sharma JR, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. S.K. Srivastava, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. V. Jayaraman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India
- Coauthor
Dr. Venkateshwar V Rao, NATIONAL REMOTE SENSING AGENCY (NRSA), India
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The water management in dryland tropics is already a critical issue; the impending climate change is likely to lead crisis by making the incidence of abundance and scarcity of water more frequent. In last couple of years, India has experienced the abundance in water deficient western part, while witnessed acute scarcity in water surplus eastern part of the country. Of course, it is a matter of contemporary scientific research to bring out the insights on migration of water crisis from scarcity to abundance and vice-versa. Managing abundance and scarcity calls for an innovative approach through optimal planning, decision support and visualization of already stressed water resources taking into account the uncertainties on the one hand and ever-increasing demands on the other hand. In evolving comprehensive management plan in suitable conservation and utilization of water resources, EO products have been found playing a crucial role in managing country's available water resources. Systematic approaches involving judicious combination of conventional ground measurements and EO techniques pave way for achieving optimum planning and monitoring major water resource projects in the country. Operationally, in India, EO based applications in water resources are being used effectively in the areas of irrigation performance evaluation, snowmelt-runoff forecasts, reservoir sedimentation, watershed treatment, drought monitoring, flood mapping and management etc. The applications of EO products and services have been planned for assessing the gap between irrigation potential created and potential utilized under the countrywide mission on rural infrastructure creation. The present paper mainly deals with operational EO applications with regards to managing the abundance and scarcity of water resources as experienced in various agro-climatic zones of the country. In order to achieve water security in the rural areas, this paper brings into focus the approaches and methods of harnessing the potential of EO applications both in terms of command area development, irrigation water management as well as, in terms of ground water prospecting, watershed development and integrated land and water resources management specific to dryland pockets of the country. The scientific understanding emanating from EO applications is of significant importance to conserve and protect the water resources form the threat of pollution, unsustainable use and wastages towards providing water security and establishing foundation for sustainable biomass-based economy.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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