Ecosystems and Integrated Water Resources Management in South Asia

This book provides an ecosystem perspective in addressing the water resource management issues in the South Asian region. It argues that aspects such as sources of water, its distribution and users; land–water interrelations; drivers of change such as laws, policies and institutions; management of issues and technologies related to water supply; institutional set-up; economic instruments such as pricing, taxes, subsidies; and economics of ecosystem services are crucial. Climate changes, melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, rising sea level and the increased frequency of extreme events, have to be factored into integrated management of water resources. This book addresses some of these major issues related to aquatic ecosystems and focuses on three major aspects: (a) concepts related to ecosystems, ecosystem services and their linkages with water; (b) human impacts on ecosystems, particularly the aquatic ecosystems, and their assessment; and (c) the management, including policy, governance and economics. Comprising new theories, research and case studies, the book will be useful those concerned with water resource management– professionals, students and researchers.

1. Ecosystems and Integrated Water Resources Management: The Link and the Need for Integration Brij Gopal, Hemesiri Kotagama and E. R. N. Gunawardena 2. Freshwater Ecosystems: Ecological Characteristics and Ecosystem Brij Gopal 3. Environmental Flow: Assessments and Applications Rezaur Rehman 4. Human Interventions on Water Ecosystem and Implications for Fisheries Resources in Bangladesh M. Monirul Qader Mirza, Mokhlesur Rahman and Anisul Islam 5. Management of Water Quality and Biodiversity of the River Ganga R. K. Sinha and K. Prasad 6. Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in South Asia with Special Reference to Bangladesh Md. Golam Rabbani, A. Atiq Rahman and Shymal Chandra Bhadra 7. Assessment of Environmental Impact on Development of Water Resources Bishnu P. Das and Subhadarshi Mishra 8. An Integrated Fire and Water Management Strategy Using the Ecosystem Approach: Tram Chim National Park, Vietnam Peter-John Meynell, Nguyen Huu Thien, Duong Van Ni, Tran Triet, Martin van der Schans, Deanne Shulman, Julian Thompson, Jeb Barzen and Gill Shepherd 9. Valuation of Ecosystem Damages: A Case Study of Textile Pollution in Noyyal River Basin, South India Prakash Nelliyat 10. Recent Changes in Policy, Institutions and Utilisation of Ecosystem Services in Colombo Wetlands Missaka Hettiarachchi, Kusum Athukorala, Ravi Peiris and Ajith de Alwis 11. Roles of Institutions and their Limitations in Integrated Management of Water, Forest and Land Resources Dhurba Pant 12. Environmental Governance: Concept, Complexity and an Illustration N. C. Narayanan and Jayati Chourey 13. A Conceptual Framework for a National Policy on Financing Watershed Management in Sri Lanka Hemesiri Kotagama, E. R. N. Gunawardena and K. A. I. D. Silva

E. R. N. Gunawardena is Professor of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Brij Gopal is a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Society for River Science, and the Executive Vice President (Developing Countries) of the International Society of Limnology (SIL). Hemasiri Kotagama is Assistant Professor at the Department of Natural Resource Economics, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman.