The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure

Abstract

The basins of the Indus and Ganges rivers cover 2.20 million km2 and are inhabited by more than a billion people. The region is under extreme pressures of population and poverty, unregulated utilization of the resources and low levels of productivity. The needs are: (1) development policies that are regionally differentiated to ensure resource sustainability and high productivity; (2) immediate development and implementation of policies for sound groundwater management and energy use; (3) improvement of the fragile food security and to broaden its base; and (4) policy changes to address land fragmentation and improved infrastructure. Meeting these needs will help to improve productivity, reduce rural poverty and improve overall human development.

Citation

Mukherji, A.; Ambili, G.; Asad Qureshi; Sharma, B.; Cai Xueliang; de Condappa, D.; Dhruba Pant; Luna Bharati; Singh, R.; Smakhtin, V.; Tushaar Shah; Upali Amarasinghe; Xenarios, S. The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure. Water International (2010) 35 (5) 493-521. [Special Issue: Water, Food and Poverty in River Basins, Part 1] [DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2010.512996]

The Indus and the Ganges: river basins under extreme pressure

Published 1 January 2010