Coupled Human And Natural Systems Environment (CHANSE) for water management under uncertainty in the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Abstract
Managing water resources in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is a tremendous challenge because of the basin's uniqueness in scale, biophysical complexity and the dynamics of its institutional and socio-economic characteristics. Agricultural intensification for food security, combined with unmanaged and inefficient water abstraction for irrigation, and poorly controlled waste management practices, has led to degradation of water resources both in terms of quantity and quality, endangering ecosystem services and human health. Extensive water use is directly linked to the energy sector, and contributes significantly to total carbon emissions. The hydrology of the basin is additionally affected by intensive urbanisation that reduces infiltration and recharge to groundwater. Ultimately, water management in the IGP is challenged by the imbalance between water demand and seasonal availability related to the monsoon cycle, and difficulties in coordinated planning of surface water and groundwater use strategies. Land use and land cover changes, which can modify evapotranspiration, may feed back to large-scale hydro-climatic processes and additionally, disturb the fragile human-natural system of the basin. Management of water resources in the IGP faces additional difficulties because of the local regulations and governance. Lack of cross-sectorial cooperation leads to competition for scarce water resources, while significant governmental subsidies for irrigation water and electricity potentially lead to significant wastage of resources. Finally, the basin's groundwater resources that are, to a large extent, a primary source for irrigation and rural and urban water supply, are independently managed by multiple agencies.
Considering expected population growth and impacts of climate change, it is clear that achieving water security in India and especially, the IGP, is a growing challenge that requires interdisciplinary collaboration across sectors, local communities, institutions and academia. This project brings together researchers from leading UK (Imperial College London, University of Exeter and British Geological Survey) and Indian (IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IITM Pune, and ATREE Bangalore) institutions, in partnership with international (UNESCO) and local (CEEW) non-governmental organisations, to support water management in the IGP.
The overarching aim of the research is to improve mapping and quantification of dominant interactions and feedbacks between human activities and the hydro-meteorological system of the IGP. This project will provide information for improved decision-making on water allocation for agriculture, drinking water, ecosystems and other needs. The project builds on recent joint UK/India-funded research involving the partners, which has developed a series of highly relevant datasets, tools and models. Specifically, we will: (i) estimate surface and groundwater availability under current and future short-term weather predictions and anthropogenic activities within the IGP using a fully coupled, land surface-groundwater modelling setup; (ii) investigate the propagation, in space and time, of interactions of water uses and needs within the natural system by integrating novel consumer and ecological flow demand modules; (iii) provide regional predictions of decadal, seasonal and sub-seasonal monsoon rainfall and flood forecasting for the IGP, using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the Community Land Model version 4.0 to inform development of alternative water management strategies; (iv) translate the improved understanding of Human And Natural Systems into IGP's water management planning for water, food and ecological security. The project will use the River Gandak sub-basin, which has been impacted by these issues, as a case-study catchment for process-understanding. Water management strategies and feedbacks of water allocation to local climate will be analysed at the IGP basin level.
Considering expected population growth and impacts of climate change, it is clear that achieving water security in India and especially, the IGP, is a growing challenge that requires interdisciplinary collaboration across sectors, local communities, institutions and academia. This project brings together researchers from leading UK (Imperial College London, University of Exeter and British Geological Survey) and Indian (IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, IITM Pune, and ATREE Bangalore) institutions, in partnership with international (UNESCO) and local (CEEW) non-governmental organisations, to support water management in the IGP.
The overarching aim of the research is to improve mapping and quantification of dominant interactions and feedbacks between human activities and the hydro-meteorological system of the IGP. This project will provide information for improved decision-making on water allocation for agriculture, drinking water, ecosystems and other needs. The project builds on recent joint UK/India-funded research involving the partners, which has developed a series of highly relevant datasets, tools and models. Specifically, we will: (i) estimate surface and groundwater availability under current and future short-term weather predictions and anthropogenic activities within the IGP using a fully coupled, land surface-groundwater modelling setup; (ii) investigate the propagation, in space and time, of interactions of water uses and needs within the natural system by integrating novel consumer and ecological flow demand modules; (iii) provide regional predictions of decadal, seasonal and sub-seasonal monsoon rainfall and flood forecasting for the IGP, using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the Community Land Model version 4.0 to inform development of alternative water management strategies; (iv) translate the improved understanding of Human And Natural Systems into IGP's water management planning for water, food and ecological security. The project will use the River Gandak sub-basin, which has been impacted by these issues, as a case-study catchment for process-understanding. Water management strategies and feedbacks of water allocation to local climate will be analysed at the IGP basin level.
Planned Impact
The overarching goal of the project is to develop new science to support improved decision-making on water allocation to secure food, water and ecosystem services. We will do this by investigating the interactions and feedbacks between people and their environment - how do people impact natural hydrological systems, and how do these impacts constrain their activity? The new scientific decade of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences focuses on the urgent need to develop the new science that considers this dynamic interface between environment and society. This project directly addresses this crucial scientific challenge but importantly will also have significant benefits for people, and the quality of their lives. Specifically the project will benefit the following non-academic users:
Local communities: Through public engagement we will improve: 1) public understanding of the major drivers of water scarcity, and 2) people's capability to assess their impacts on water resources. Providing this information is crucial to empower citizens to make water-related choices that improve their quality of life. Our main target audience are the farmers along the Gandak floodplain, which will benefit through improved agricultural planning ensuring food security. Information on predicted inflows and desirable ecological flow regimes in different seasons can inform irrigation practices, such as adaptive water release from dams and barrages managed by the Forest Department. Other local actors include conservationists (e.g. WWF, Earthwatch), fresh-water ecologists, and the fishing community.
The private sector: Two key end-user groups have been identified, who are involved in the process of water management in the Gandak and Ganga basins: (i) the public water utility and (ii) the agricultural sector. The information generated will be transferred to two water and agricultural management institutes: the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) and the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) at Bihar. TISS is involved in on-site water and agricultural management and the products generated from the project will be of direct use to them. WALMI, an autonomous body under the Water Resources Department of the Government of Bihar targets existing irrigation systems affected by water-related problems. In addition, our wider end-user group includes the relevant energy sector authorities (Council of Energy, Environment and Water). The CHANSE framework will provide stakeholders with information that will lead to improving their decision-making on conjunctive use of surface and ground water and water allocation.
Non-profit international and local organisations: UNESCO IHP and CEEW will gain a stronger foothold within the case study area and especially, an insight into the problems affecting the local community regarding water usage, as well as opportunities for relatively small interventions that may achieve large improvements in local outcomes.
Government departments: Governmental departments, both the Central and State governmental offices, have given water management in India under climate and demographic pressures a high priority. The CHANSE framework will provide policy-makers with improved integrated regional assessments of both water demand and availability enabling better planning for water security at governmental level. Targeted government departments who may be benefit from the proposed work are:
- Water Resources Department, Govt. of Bihar: Issues related to utilization of water resources, irrigation, and flood control.
- National Water Development Agency: Involved in augmentation of water availability in the existing Gandak Canal System.
- Public Health & Engineering Department, Govt. of Bihar: Provides improved portable water supply and sanitation facilities, towards improvement in public health.
- Department of Environment & Forest, Govt. of Bihar: Involved in conservation of aquatic wildlife in the Gandak.
Local communities: Through public engagement we will improve: 1) public understanding of the major drivers of water scarcity, and 2) people's capability to assess their impacts on water resources. Providing this information is crucial to empower citizens to make water-related choices that improve their quality of life. Our main target audience are the farmers along the Gandak floodplain, which will benefit through improved agricultural planning ensuring food security. Information on predicted inflows and desirable ecological flow regimes in different seasons can inform irrigation practices, such as adaptive water release from dams and barrages managed by the Forest Department. Other local actors include conservationists (e.g. WWF, Earthwatch), fresh-water ecologists, and the fishing community.
The private sector: Two key end-user groups have been identified, who are involved in the process of water management in the Gandak and Ganga basins: (i) the public water utility and (ii) the agricultural sector. The information generated will be transferred to two water and agricultural management institutes: the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) and the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) at Bihar. TISS is involved in on-site water and agricultural management and the products generated from the project will be of direct use to them. WALMI, an autonomous body under the Water Resources Department of the Government of Bihar targets existing irrigation systems affected by water-related problems. In addition, our wider end-user group includes the relevant energy sector authorities (Council of Energy, Environment and Water). The CHANSE framework will provide stakeholders with information that will lead to improving their decision-making on conjunctive use of surface and ground water and water allocation.
Non-profit international and local organisations: UNESCO IHP and CEEW will gain a stronger foothold within the case study area and especially, an insight into the problems affecting the local community regarding water usage, as well as opportunities for relatively small interventions that may achieve large improvements in local outcomes.
Government departments: Governmental departments, both the Central and State governmental offices, have given water management in India under climate and demographic pressures a high priority. The CHANSE framework will provide policy-makers with improved integrated regional assessments of both water demand and availability enabling better planning for water security at governmental level. Targeted government departments who may be benefit from the proposed work are:
- Water Resources Department, Govt. of Bihar: Issues related to utilization of water resources, irrigation, and flood control.
- National Water Development Agency: Involved in augmentation of water availability in the existing Gandak Canal System.
- Public Health & Engineering Department, Govt. of Bihar: Provides improved portable water supply and sanitation facilities, towards improvement in public health.
- Department of Environment & Forest, Govt. of Bihar: Involved in conservation of aquatic wildlife in the Gandak.
Publications
Shukla A
(2018)
Population growth, land use and land cover transformations, and water quality nexus in the Upper Ganga River basin
in Hydrology and Earth System Sciences
Pathak A
(2017)
Role of Oceanic and Terrestrial Atmospheric Moisture Sources in Intraseasonal Variability of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall
in Scientific Reports
O'Keeffe J
(2018)
Including Farmer Irrigation Behavior in a Sociohydrological Modeling Framework With Application in North India
in Water Resources Research
O'Keeffe J
(2020)
Isolating the impacts of anthropogenic water use within the hydrological regime of north India
in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Nazemi A
(2018)
Urban water security: Emerging discussion and remaining challenges
in Sustainable Cities and Society
Moulds S
(2018)
A spatio-temporal land use and land cover reconstruction for India from 1960-2010.
in Scientific data
Lapworth D
(2021)
Characterising groundwater-surface water connectivity in the lower Gandak catchment, a barrage regulated biodiversity hotspot in the mid-Gangetic basin
in Journal of Hydrology
De Stercke S
(2020)
Water-energy nexus-based scenario analysis for sustainable development of Mumbai
in Environmental Modelling & Software
De Stercke S
(2018)
Modelling the dynamic interactions between London's water and energy systems from an end-use perspective
in Applied Energy
Description | Key findings from the CHANSE project are: (1) Our research has shown, through chemical analysis and integrated modelling that there are clear hydrological links between the Gandak Canal network and river flow. This information will help develop policy on: - The management of the Gandak barrage and the canal network. This is crucial to providing an important irrigation water source, supporting farmer livelihood. - Maintaining appropriate environmental flows. The Gandak River has one of only fi |
Exploitation Route | This finding will have a significant impact on farmer livelihood and water use for agriculture. They are also relevant for water resources planning and environmental regulators in India. |
Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Environment |
Description | The CHANSE research has created new models, tools and scientific evidence that deepens our knowledge of what influences catchment processes in the Gandak Basin. The project has brought different scientific disciplines and stakeholders together to develop a broader perspective on the water management challenges in the region. PhD and MSc students played a key role in this collaboration, gaining valuable practical experience in the process. The models developed and data collected by the CHANSE project will be available to the scientific community who can explore different applications of the research and build on what has been learned so far. The research and its future development will give stakeholders at every level the insight they need to decide how water resources can be managed more effectively. Securing access to water for the many who rely on the Gandak Basin's water resources can only happen by working together. The collaborative nature that's been so central to this project's success needs to continue. This is just the start of a collective effort to create a more sustainable relationship with water. |
First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Democratizing access to water resources usage through a high-performance approach to efficient modelling using cloud-based custom hardware |
Amount | £1,763 (GBP) |
Organisation | Imperial College London |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2018 |
End | 08/2019 |
Title | A spatio-temporal land use and land cover reconstruction for India (1960-2010) |
Description | Archive file containing the data, input data and scripts required to reproduce the analysis. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/A_spatio-temporal_land_use_and_land_cover_reconstructio... |
Title | A spatio-temporal land use and land cover reconstruction for India (1960-2010) |
Description | Archive file containing the data, input data and scripts required to reproduce the analysis. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/A_spatio-temporal_land_use_and_land_cover_reconstructio... |
Title | Recorded groundwater levels |
Description | Dochartaigh, B., O'Keeffe, J., Nair, T., Jackson, C., Krishnaswamy, J., Chaudhary, S., MacDonald, A, 2020, Recorded groundwater levels taken from locations within the Gandak River Basin, Bihar, India, 2017-2019 [Deposited with EIDC] |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | N/A |
Title | Recorded groundwater levels taken from locations within the Gandak River Basin, Bihar, India, 2017-2019 |
Description | The dataset contains groundwater levels from 10 boreholes located in the Gandak Basin, Bihar, North India. The data was collected using automatic level loggers recording at 15-minute intervals between April 2017 and February 2019. This data set quantifies the effects of groundwater abstraction on, and seasonal changes in groundwater levels. The data were collected as part of the NERC sponsored project Coupled Human and Natural Systems Environment (CHANSE), grant number NE/N01670X/1 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/21df678b-6eb6-4559-9005-8eb7953b48ef |
Title | Surface and groundwater stable isotope analysis |
Description | Dochartaigh, B., O'Keeffe, J., Nair, T., Jackson, C., Krishnaswamy, J., Chaudhary, S., MacDonald, A, 2020, Surface and groundwater stable isotope analysis using water samples taken from the Gandak River Basin, Bihar, India, 2017-2019 [Deposited with EIDC] |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | N/A |
Title | Surface and groundwater stable isotope analysis using water samples taken from the Gandak River Basin, Bihar, India, 2017-2019 |
Description | The dataset contains stable isotope data from surface and groundwater samples collected in the Gandak Basin, north India. The data was collected between March 2017 and February 2019. These measurements were taken to improve understanding of surface and subsurface water interconnections and movement through river and canal networks and underlying aquifers. The data were collected as part of the NERC sponsored project Coupled Human and Natural Systems Environment (CHANSE), grant number NE/N01670X/1 |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/id/09ae86d6-896f-430f-aab4-c5b46c265213 |
Description | IIT Bombay and UK Partners |
Organisation | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |
Country | India |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Development of a groundwater and irrigator behavioural componant within the VIC modelling framework |
Collaborator Contribution | Development of a groundwater and irrigator behavioural componant within the VIC modelling framework |
Impact | Publications in preperation for submission |
Start Year | 2012 |
Title | The CHANSE modelling framework |
Description | The CHANSE modelling framework This coupled socio-hydrological modelling framework is based on the model developed by O'Keeffe et al. (2018) but formalised and updated to represent the needs of this project, stakeholders, researchers and the need to manage and understand water resources through a systems approach. The modelling tool incorporates environmental and socio-economic variables including groundwater and surface water and climate, crop production and the decisions of water users. It is envisaged that the tool will be packaged and made available for distribution following publication. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | The model is currently being applied in the CHANSE study area and results will be published upon completion |
Description | Engagement with stakeholders in the study area |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | We have conducted focus groups and interviews with water users in the Gandak basin, during which we have described the aims and objectives of the CHANSE project. In addition, we have worked with stakeholders to install water level monitoring equipment. Upon project completion this information will be fed back to water users who expressed an interest in seeing how their water levels vary over time and believed it could help them better manage water resources. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Influential Voices in Meteorology and Climate event, Reading, 8 March 2017 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The event was aimed at promoting women in science. The main impact so far is increase in the follower in the social media (Twitter). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | International conference poster presentation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | At the Water Futures Conference in India, Sustainable Water Resources programme had a side event. From the CHANSE project we have presented the following posters: 1) Alexandra Nicolopoulos, Simon Moulds, Ana Mijic, and Jimmy O'Keeffe. Water Future Conference, Bengaluru, India, 2019. Analysing the impact of groundwater abstraction on base flows of the Gandak River in India 2) Jimmy O'Keeffe, Simon Moulds, Christopher Jackson, Johanna Scheidegger, Wouter Buytaert, Tarun Nair, and Ana Mijic, Water Future Conference, Bengaluru, India, 2019. Investigating the influence of human water use practices on the hydrological cycle using a sociohydrological modelling framework with a case study in north India 3) Brighid Ó Dochartaigh, Alan MacDonald, Christopher Jackson, Jagdish Krishnaswamy, Sunil Chaudhary, Tarun Nair, Jimmy O'Keeffe, Girish Varma, Mohsneen Khan, Gopal Krishan. Water Future Conference, Bengaluru, India, 2019. Groundwater recharge sources in the Gandak alluvial aquifer, NE India: how important is leakage from irrigation canals? 4) Johanna Scheidegger, Jisha Joseph, Christopher Jackson, Subimal Gosh, Sekhar Muddu, Sat Kumar Tomer, Jimmy O'Keeffe, and Simon Moulds. Water Future Conference, Bengaluru, India, 2019. Towards modelling the effects of groundwater-fed irrigation on the Ganges basin: incorporating 2D lateral groundwater flow and groundwater and surface water-fed irrigation in the VIC macroscale hydrological model 5) L. Wignall, S.Djordjevic, A. Chen. Water Future Conference, Bengaluru, India, 2019. Application of an Artificial Neural Network to Predict Flooding in the Gandak River Catchment |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |