Water Crisis: The Global Clash over Scarcity and Resource Management

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gm.)

Whenever droughts and heatwaves strike, it serves as a stark reminder of the need to reassess the efficiency of our water management systems. Currently, more than one-fourth of the world’s population, approximately 2.2 billion people, lacks reliable access to clean drinking water. The United Nations (UN) has set a critical goal: to ensure clean drinking water and sanitation for all by 2030. To further this mission, UN-Water, the UN’s coordinating body for water and sanitation, selects a theme each year to highlight key issues. This year’s theme, “Leveraging Water for Peace,” underscores the essential role of water in sustaining life on Earth. Conflicts—whether between nations, states, or within communities—often emerge over the allocation of water resources for agriculture, household needs, industry, and energy production.

Conflicts over water often intensify, particularly during periods of scarcity when resources are stretched thin. However, treaties between nations have successfully addressed many of these disputes. Additionally, various forums exist to mediate and resolve water-related conflicts at both international and national levels. In India, which is home to 25 major river basins with rivers frequently crossing state boundaries, managing water resources is a significant challenge. The Interstate Water Dispute Act of 1956 was established to address conflicts over the use, control, and distribution of rivers and their valleys. Despite this, disputes remain an ongoing issue, presenting a persistent challenge to federal water governance in the country. To tackle these disputes, India has set up several water dispute tribunals, including those for the Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara, Mahadayi, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Cauvery rivers.

The Cauvery River has long been a flashpoint of intense conflict between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In 2018, the tribunal mandated that Karnataka release 192 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu annually, distributed evenly over ten months. However, 2023–24 brought an El Niño year, leading to a significant rainfall deficit in the river’s catchment area starting in July 2023. Consequently, reservoirs were only half full, making it challenging for Karnataka to comply with the tribunal’s directives.

The conflict between the two states escalated into a blame game until early July 2024, when timely rains in the Cauvery catchment later that month brought relief. With nature’s intervention, the dispute was resolved, and tensions eased. The prolonged disagreements over water sharing are often linked to the degradation and poor maintenance of the river’s catchment area, compounded by adverse weather patterns like El Niño. The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) noted that El Niño, a climate phenomenon characterised by the warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, had contributed to the below-normal rainfall last year. However, it has since gradually weakened.

This El Niño event ranks among the five strongest on record, though it was less intense than those in 1997–98 and 2015–16. According to the WMO, “El Niño typically exerts its most significant impact on global climate in the second year of its development—in this case, 2024.” This influence has resulted in above-normal temperatures across India through June 2024. The WMO also mentioned the potential emergence of La Niña, a climate pattern characterized by the periodic cooling of ocean surface temperatures, which often brings normal rainfall to the region. Meanwhile, heat waves have gripped the Western world, including Canada and the US, even into August. The underground water table has also receded significantly during the summer.

In many parts of central and peninsular India, public outcry has grown over the struggle to access potable water for daily needs. This has posed a significant challenge for both government and civic agencies. Karnataka, in particular, faced a severe drinking water crisis during the summer.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah instructed the district administration to set up a helpline and control room, allowing the public to report grievances and ensuring water was delivered by tankers to all affected areas. He also ordered the fast-tracking of projects to dig additional bore wells to tap into underground water for emergency use. Bengaluru also grappled with water shortages. The city’s water supply is sourced from the Cauvery River, 100 km away, and must be pumped to an altitude of 1 km, with several intermediate pumping stations along the way. To address the shortage, arrangements were made to deliver water to the city via tankers from nearby towns.

Water supply to high-rise apartments was also curtailed, prompting residents to conserve water by using disposable cutlery and wet wipes. However, this practice will lead to increased waste, requiring agencies to enhance waste disposal efforts. Additionally, vehicle washing and swimming pool activities have been banned. Another environmental concern is the deepening of bore wells; as groundwater levels drop, the wells are dug deeper. But is this approach sustainable in the long run? Continuous government commitment to recharging groundwater through rainwater harvesting structures is crucial for maintaining environmental balance. The rivers that originate from the Himalayas are fed by snowmelt, providing a vital water source for people across the northern belt of India, stretching from west to east. In contrast, the rivers flowing through central India and the peninsular region have their origins in forested areas.

It’s not uncommon for major rivers to originate from the same source but flow in different directions. For instance, the Johila, Narmada, and Son rivers all begin at Amarkantak and then diverge. Similarly, five rivers—Koyana, Krishna, Venna, Savitri, and Gayatri—originate from Mahabaleshwar near Pune. Other significant rivers, such as the Tungabhadra and Cauvery, have their sources in the Western Ghats. These rivers not only provide drinking water to numerous villages and towns but also support several irrigation and power projects along their courses.

Life relies heavily on these rivers, with the exception of those originating in the Himalayas, which all begin in forested areas. While forests do not create water, they play a crucial role in river formation. Forests act as the “mothers” of rivers, serving as natural systems that conserve rainwater in the subsoil and through the roots of trees.

The source of a river consists of a trickle of water emerging from the roots of countless trees on undulating hills. As this water gathers and flows downhill under gravity, it merges with other streams, gradually increasing the volume of the river. Larger streams, or even rivers, may join, further augmenting the flow. This water is essentially rainwater. During the monsoon season, a significant portion of this water seeps into the ground, replenishing underground aquifers, while some is retained in the subsoil and within the roots of trees.

The roots of trees act like natural sponges, absorbing and gradually releasing water, which helps keep streams flowing year-round. Even during the summer months without rainfall, we can encounter perennial streams in forests. Each stream has a catchment area, and if this catchment is forested, the stream will remain perennial even in dry periods. In contrast, streams in non-forested catchments tend to be seasonal, flowing only during rainy periods. Forests are crucial for water conservation and for ensuring that streams remain perennial. Moreover, streams originating from forested areas typically carry cleaner water, free from soil particles. In contrast, streams that flow through areas impacted by human activities often become muddy and contaminated with chemicals and sewage. Additionally, rainwater in these regions tends to carry a substantial amount of soil, leading to silt buildup in reservoirs and reducing their capacity to hold water.

Reservoirs situated near forested areas tend to have a longer lifespan. In contrast, maintaining reservoirs that receive water from human-influenced areas is challenging due to the frequent need for de-silting. Rainfall patterns and distribution are influenced not only by weather conditions and wind direction but also by the density and distribution of forests. It is crucial for us to commit to preserving and conserving natural forests, as they play a key role in sustaining the water cycle. Over two years ago, during COP 26 in Glasgow, leaders from countries holding 90% of the world’s forests vowed to end deforestation by 2030.

India did not endorse this pledge, and despite two subsequent COP meetings, the issue has not been revisited by the signatories. Meanwhile, reports indicate that natural forests are being lost at an alarming rate. Unprecedented warming has exacerbated the situation, leading to prolonged and uncontrolled forest fires in countries such as the US, Canada, various European nations, Russia, China, Brazil, and Australia. If we fail to protect our forests, even the perennial water streams may eventually become seasonal.