Water

A severe water crisis looms ahead for India unless the country changes  the way it manages water – and changes it soon.

The World Bank has undertaken a number of studies in this regard:

Report: India’s Water Economy: Bracing for a Turbulent Future by John Briscoe, Senior Water Advisor, World Bank

This draft World Bank report examines the challenges facing India’s water sector and suggests critical measures to address them. The report is based on 12 papers commissioned by the World Bank from prominent Indian practitioners and policy analysts.

Summary Feature |  Presentation & Text of Report

Report: Bridging the Gap Between Water Supply Infrastructure and Services

While India is making good progress in increasing infrastructure for Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) in both urban and rural areas, it is lagging behind in expanding services that are reliable, sustainable and affordable. This report analyses the main reasons for this gap and presents a series of recommendations for gradually improving water and sanitation services across the country.

Executive Summary ( 28.1kb.pdf ) | Full Report

Project: Water Resources Management - Restoring Traditional Water Bodies

World Bank projects are helping India's southern states to revive crumbling traditional tank systems.  These projects also aim to increase farmer incomes through a participatory approach that encourages diversification into higher value and less water-intensive crops.    More

Slide Show on Karnataka Tank Project   |  Karnataka Watershed Project

Also see:  Frequently Asked Questions