Water Policy Science and Politics: An Indian Perspective

Water Policy Science and Politics: An Indian Perspective presents the importance of politics and science working together in policymaking in the water sector. Many countries around the developed and developing world, including India, are experiencing major water scarcity problems that will undoubtedly increase with the impacts of climate change. This book discusses specific topics in India’s water, agriculture and energy sectors, focusing on scientific aspects, academic and political discourse, and policy issues. The author presents cases from the interrelated sectors of water resources, supplies, sanitation, and energy and climate, including controversial topics that illustrate how science and politics can work together.

Challenges the linear and conventional approaches to water management and water policymaking in India that are also applicable in developing countries across South Asia and Sub-Saharan AfricaPresents best practice ideas and methods that help science and politics work togetherHighlights a key gap of communication between science and policy in water research, with solutions on how this can be addressed

1. Assessing the Importance of Water Infrastructure and Institutions for Water Security 2. Why India Needs Large Water Resource Projects Involving Inter-basin Water Transfers 3. Recent Droughts in India: Nature’s Fury or Poor Statecraft? 4. A Critique of Mihir Shah Committee (2016) Report on Water Reforms in India 5. Does Hard Evidence Matter in Policy Making? The Case of Climate Change and Changing Land Use 6. Mission Kakatiya for Rejuvenating Tanks in Telangana: Making it a Mission Possible 7. Irrigation Miracle in Madhya Pradesh: What has worked? 8. Thanking 'Rainwater Harvesting' and Blaming the Rain God: The Case of Chennai Floods 9. Adapting to Climate Variability and Reducing Carbon Emissions: Strategies that Work for India 10. Canal Irrigation vs Well Irrigation: Comparing the Un-comparable 11. Green Revolution vs ‘Dream Revolution’: Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Eastern India 12. Deciding the Types of Interventions for Agricultural Development in different agro ecologies 13. Impacts of Micro Irrigation Systems: Perception vs Reality 14. Implications of Rising Demand for Dairy Products on Agricultural Water Use in India 15. How Do We Promote Adoption of Improved Latrines in India? Findings of a Study from Rural Andhra Pradesh