Wiweck

Water security issues and water related disasters are at the forefront of the climate change discourse, globally. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lists four reasons behind such “centrality” of water issues—firstly, around half of the world’s population (about 4 billion people) face medium to severe water scarcity. Secondly, water scarcity can create cascading effects such as food shortages, leading to further deterioration of human wellbeing. Thirdly, water-related adaptation projects comprise 60% of all climate adaptation measures documented since 2014. Finally, several climate change mitigation measures can increase water risks (such as afforestation at wrong locations).

Water is a cross-cutting factor with numerous dimensions that affects all aspects of human development. One such dimension is the interaction of water with physical infrastructure.

Water-related extreme weather events, especially floods and cloudbursts can cause immense losses to infrastructure. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), about 44% of all extreme weather events have been flood-related since the 1970s. This calls for a special focus on building water-resilient infrastructure, especially in South Asia—one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world.

Infrastructural needs in South Asia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has highlighted the importance of infrastructure to sustain the current levels of high economic growth in South Asian nations. In a 2017 report, ADB reported that South Asia would need to invest approximately 9-10% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) towards developing infrastructure, with power and transportation sectors accounting for the bulk of investment needs.

The Stimson Center reports that the region will need USD 6.3 trillion of climate-adjusted infrastructure investments by 2030 to sustain growth. The key point here is the term “climate-adjusted”. In recent decades, ill-planned infrastructure development projects have not only damaged eco-sensitive regions but have also contributed to further economic risks from climate change. In India, examples of natural disasters in Himachal Pradesh and Kerela should shed further light on the need to include water-related potential climate impacts in all infrastructure planning.

On the other hand, infrastructural functions like sanitation, water supply and industrial cooling and processing are reliant on continuous freshwater supply. Climate change-induced water scarcity is already forcing human migration, closure of industries, and exacerbating sanitation issues in South Asia.

It is clear that climate-resilient infrastructure of the future has to deal with both water scarcity and oversupply issues.

Role of Water Stewardship in Infrastructure Planning

The Alliance for Water Stewardship (A4WS) defines water stewardship as “the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that includes both site- and catchment-based actions.”

Water stewardship promotes the idea of water as a shared resource. In a watershed or catchment area, water is utilized by numerous stakeholders for various purposes. Under the stewardship model, all water users reach and agree upon collectively managing their water resources in a sustainable manner. The watershed-based approach takes into account the gradient and drainage lines of water—this is crucial for any infrastructure planning undertaken with the aim to avoid flood related damages from extremely heavy rainfall.

South Asia is the home of numerous river basins and floods plains. In most cases, the watersheds span several jurisdictions; some watersheds can even span multiple countries. Therefore, any infrastructure planning and designing by a single administrative authority might not be sufficient to plan for development in a watershed.

Collaboration might be required across districts and State governments, as well as national governments to create effective water stewardships plans and design resilient infrastructure that span administrative boundaries.

The Urban Floods Community of Practice (UFCOP), supported by the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), has identified several techniques and processes for flood-resilient infrastructure such as wetlands, bioshields, buffer zones, green roofing, street side swales, porous pavements, wetlands and mangroves. Further, laying down new water pipes, power lines, gas lines, etc. must also be planned keeping in mind the water drainage routes in the watershed.

The content herein is the author’s opinion and not published on behalf of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). The author holds an AWS Professional Credential and this piece of publishing helps fulfil their Continuing Contribution Units requirements. For more information about AWS or the AWS Professional Credentialing Program please visit https://a4ws.org/.