Assessment of Urban water security with system diagnostic approach :

Abstract

Water is precious, finite, non-substitutional resource and is the basis for the survival of human beings, animals, and plants on earth. Globally, every human been entitled with fundamental right to have physical access to safe and secure water for its use. In the context of rapid urbanization and extending human activities, one of the major challenges of urban areas is to achieve water security in the present situation. A system diagnostic approach will be used for assessment of urban water security for the chosen Bhopal city. Bhopal being state capital, entitled “The City of Lakes” is the second highly populated city ofMadhya Pradesh (as per census 2011) with rolling terrain. The city is continuously sprawling in its fringes with a scattered population in low rise lowdensity development throughout city limits, thus management of the municipal water system has always been the major challenge. Even after having numbers of local water bodies, availability of usable water is at par for current needs and it may not be able to address the future need for water for the growing city population. In the present context, with the threat of water scarcity, there is a need to assess the current water security of the city which can guide for proper water management strategies. As per globally adopted definitions, water security is based on two pillars, one being water availability at source level and second about water supply services & management. This research stresses the second concept where water security can be achieved by optimum utilization through efficient urban water management of supplied treated water that is already put into the system. The methodological framework for assessment includes the first stage to understand the concept of urban water security & identify the indicators for assessment followed by setting up of specific framework to analyze the urban water system of Bhopal (identify the stakeholders, assessment of water-based infrastructure, their operation, and maintenance)as per study scope and limitations. The second stage is to evaluate water insecurity and determine the level of impact in the study area based on the set of identified indicators through an index of the weighted aggregate score at the urban level. Further, the third stage will be to provide recommendations in the form of spatial and non-spatial strategies that can be introduced as planning interventions to achieve the urban water security of the Bhopal city.