Project Details

Proposal-Id : 69

Title of Project: Recharge Process of Springs and Its Management to mitigate anthropogenic and climate change impact for water Security: A case study in part of Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, India

Thrust Area: Action-Oriented Research

Sub-domain : Future of Earth: Green and Renewable Technologies

Abstract

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is quite important to over 50 million people across 12 Indian states. This region is also origin for the important river systems i.e. viz., Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and significantly depends on springs for river flows and ecosystem health. The springs are also connected with water security of the IHR as they are the main source of drinking water for both urban and rural communities. Due to land use changes and population increase and now with looming climate change in the region the springs are drying up and therefore the existence of springs is under threat and will impact severely on the livelihood of people and water security of the region. This SPARC proposal focusses on understanding the current situation of springs from a range of perspectives (hydrologic, social, economic and cultural) and will identify strategies and policy options that will contribute to the sustainable management of springs in the region. Three study sites representing IHR will be selected. Data related to number and location of springs, indigenous knowledge and flow rate and water quality will be obtained. Environmental isotopes of oxygen (18O) and hydrogen (2H) will be used to identify the source and pathways of groundwater recharge. This will then lead to in-depth understanding of the current situation that is leading to drying up of the springs and the development capacity building and engagement strategies for local communities and stakeholders for rejuvenation and sustainable management of springs in the region.

Keywords

Springs, Environmental Isotopes, Water Security, Kumaun Himalayas, Recharge Process

Objectives :

To identify and prepare an inventory of the springs.
To explore indigenous knowledge about springs through key informant interviews of local stakeholders in the study area;
To carryout isotopic and chemical characterisation of selected springs and to identify recharge sources and zones of springs using environmental isotopes.
To carryout hydrologic analysis including determination of residence /travel time of recharged water.
To develop and implement priority-based sustainable water management plan with involvement oflocal community using appropriate recharge and water storage structures awareness program and capacity building.

Impact of the project and targeted beneficiaries :

Project will help to develop a set of management strategies/ plans which can be used by the local community, Government policy makers and other stakeholders to preserve the natural springs in IHR. The methodologies and the data generated by this study can be used to carryout similar studies in other parts of India.

The strategies developed from this study will consider possible climate change scenarios. As such the data generated will be valuable to analyse similar sites containing natural springs and in turn will help to analyse the water availability and use for other sites. This analysis will help other sites and connected villages and towns to secure their water supply over the long run. Secured water supply in the region will result in better agricultural and industrial outputs, which in turn will contribute to higher economic activity and alleviation of poverty and hunger in the region.

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