India’s  River  Ecosystems  -­‐  Strategies  to  enhance  economic  value  of  assets  and  reduce  systemic  shocks    October  17-­‐18,  2013  Ghalib  Hall,  Scope  Complex,  Near  CGO  Complex,  New  Delhi,  India

 

 Supported  by:     National  Mission  Clean  Ganga,  Ministry  of  Environment  

and  Forests,  Government  of  India  

   

 

 

 

 

 

Partners  

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India’s  River  Ecosystems  Strategies  to  enhance  economic  value  of  assets  and    

reduce  systemic  shocks    Overview  Modern   Indian  natural  history   is   rife  with  river/water  related  catastrophes.  Most  recent   floods   in  the  State  of  Uttarakhand  caused  significant  damage  to  life  (of  all  forms)  and  landscape.  Loss  of  life  is  irreparable  and  other  destruction  caused  inflicts  much  financial  damage  to  the  Government.  However,  the  permanent  scarring  to  the  geology  and  landscape  that  leads  to  tremendous  hidden  losses  to  the  system  are  hard  to  calculate.  But  with  the  help  of  strategic  planning  and  forecasting  tools  the  impact  of  the  catastrophes  can  be  predicted  which  can  be  a  great  asset  to  policy  makers  for  planning  developmental  and  socio-­‐economic  interventions.    Indian   river   eco-­‐systems   are   highly   vulnerable   because   of   the   sheer   number   of   people   that   are   directly   or  indirectly   dependent   on   the  water   bodies   and   the  unplanned  development   that   not   only   introduces  but   also  increases  the  systemic  risk  to  the  eco-­‐system.  Unplanned  development  on  mountain  slopes  leads  to  soil  erosion  which  manifests   in   faster   landslides,   increased   sediment   load   in   the   rivers,   lower   capacity   to   withhold   flash  floods.  There  is  much  hue  &  cry  from  various  pressure  groups  that  dams  are  the  main  cause  of  these  floods.  The  jury  still  not  out  on  whether  that  is  really  the  case.  Although  no  one  can  refute  the  fact  that  dams  are  crucial  for  development   for   they  provide  much  needed  electricity,  but   the  unchecked  construction  of  dams  also  disturbs  the  river  ecosystem.    In  the  complex  environment  of  the  River  Ganga,  declared  the  National  River,  any  institutional  response  needs  to  be  welfare/economically  -­‐driven  but  ecology-­‐centric,  multi-­‐sectoral,  integrative  and  evidence-­‐based.  As  such,  the   private   sector,   stakeholders   across   civil   society,   and   national   river   managers   responsible   for   the   Ganga  across   the   basin   need   to   have   access   to   a   comprehensive   evidence   base,   as  well   as   have   the   opportunity   to  engage   with,   debate   and   discuss   the   implications   of   this   information   both   nationally   and   trans-­‐nationally.  Through   such   stakeholder   engagement,   information   support,   and   public   wider   debate,   appropriate   applied  research   will   provide   the   opportunity   to   allow   the   people   of   the   region   through   which   this   socio-­‐environmentally   significant   river   flows   to  consider   the  possible  consequences  of   interventions   to   improve   the  health  of  the  river  Ganga  and  enhance  the  potential  for  cooperation  in  the  management  of  the  vital  economic  and  ecological  services  the  river  provides.      Similar   complexities   and   needs   exist   in   the   river   basins   in   rest   of   India   such   as   Cauvery   basin   (population  pressure,  loss  of  biodiversity);  Narmada  basin  (water  allocation);  Brahmaputra-­‐Barak  basin  (river  dynamics,  bank  erosion),  and  the  Kosi  basin  (floods  and  river  dynamics).    Predicting  and  preventing  Systemic  shocks  Are   there   tools   and   instruments   available   to   predict   these   major   shocks   to   the   system?   There   is   no   simple  answer   to   this   question.  A   complex   set   of   ecosystems  of   Indian   rivers   requires   an   even  more   complex   set   of  planning  and  prevention  tools.  But  there  are  many  advanced  methodologies  that  are  available  or  emerging  on  the  horizon  that  can  greatly  enhance  the  ability  of  policy  makers,  regulators  and  other  government  agencies  to  get  tremendous  insight  into  the  River  Ecosystem.    What  is  a  River  Ecosystem?  The  river  ecosystem  consists  of  dynamics  and  interdependencies  of  the  following  constituent  parts:  (1)  River  ecology                            (5)  Agricultural  interplay  (2)  Geomorphology   (6)  Water  Quality  (3)  Flora  and  Fauna   (7)  E-­‐flows  (4)  People  and  Land  use  development   (8)  Hydropower  construction    

 What  parameters  are  needed  to  measure  the  State  of  the  Ecosystem?  The   following   is   a   set   of   parameters   that   not   only   environmental   agencies   but   also   other   Government  departments  must  have  a  complete  handle  on  at  any  given  moment:  

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 (1)  E-­‐flows  or  Environmental  flows  –  to  recommend  the  desired  level  of  water  in  the  river  in  different  seasons.  (2)  The  state  of  flora  and  fauna  –  a  healthy  score  here  is  itself  an  insight  into  the  health  of  the  river  (3)  Land  use  and  Development  Index  -­‐  to  provide  parameters  on  the  systemic  risk  introduced    (4)  Value  for  money  –  to  provide  an  indicative  return  on  investment  for  each  of  the  projects  that  are  developed  (5)  Country’s  water  resources  balance  sheet  (6)  Disaster  Warning  score  -­‐  flood  risk,  drought  risk  (7)   River   health   assessment   –   integration  of  most   of   the   above  parameters   for   complete   assessment   of   river  health    An  Integrated  River  Basin  Ecosystem  Management  Framework  The  only  way  to  enhance  the  quality  of  water  assets  and  reduce  systemic  shocks  is  to  understand  the  correlation  (positive   or   negative)   between   each   of   the   parameters   listed   above.   Such   a   system  will   develop   a   real   time,  dynamic  engine  in  which  each  module  will  provide  crucial  inputs  to  the  next  module  in  the  value  chain.    Such  a  System  would  have  four  critical  components  as  illustrated  by  the  diagram  below:    

   

Policy  Decision  Support  System  Each  of  the  above  parameters  would  be  fed  into  an  integrated  system  that  will  provide  signals  and/or  warning  flags  to  policy  makers  so  as  to  be  able  to  intervene  in  a  timely  manner.  The  system  would  enable  policy  makers  to  assess  a  range  of  scenarios  using  parameters  listed  below.  They  would  be  able  to  generate  case-­‐scenarios  by  tweaking   the   input  and/or  output  parameters.  The  policy  makers  can   then  make  positive  policy   interventions  such   as   allowing   or   even   encouraging   development   or   negative   interventions   if   necessary   so   as   to   prevent  systemic  shocks.  

 Water  Economic  Impact  and  Value  Assessment    The   correlation   between   the   state   of   water   assets   and   economic   value   addition   is   fairly   well   known   and  understood.   River   health   has   a   direct   impact   on   agriculture,   health   of   people,   land   &   ecosystem   services.  Investing   in   water   strategic   water   assets   can   have   a   disproportionate   level   of   positive   impact   on   Economy.  However,   valuing   the   assets   and   its   impact   assessment   is   a   challenge   in   current   scenario.   However  with   the  development   of   the   River   Ecosystem   Framework,   the  WEIVA   becomes   a   distinct   possibility,   which  will   be   of  tremendous  value  not  only  to  the  nation  but  also  to  the  global  water  challengers  and  security  issues.  

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The  Workshop  Indian   Institute   of   Technology,   Kanpur   supported   by   National   Mission   Clean   Ganga   (NMCG),   Ministry   of  Environment  and  Forests,  Government  of   India  and  in  association  with  Reserwater  Innovation  Foundation  and  several  other  partners  are  delighted  to  organise  this   two  day  workshop  to  discuss  the  multi-­‐faceted  approach  and  how  this   framework  could  be  applied  to  complex   Indian  river  systems  such  as  the  Ganga  Basin  and  many  others.    Confirmed  Speakers  Include:  -­‐ Dr.  V.K.  Gaur,  CMMACS,  Bangalore  -­‐ Dr.  Craig  Hutton,  University  of  Southampton,  UK  -­‐ Mr.  N.  Vittal,  President,  ReserWater  Innovation  Foundation,  India  -­‐ Dr.  Patrice  Carbonneau,  University  of  Durham,  UK  -­‐ Dr.  Rajiv  Sinha,  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  Kanpur,  India  -­‐ Dr.  Derek  Clarke,  University  of  Southampton,  UK  -­‐ Mr.  Sanmit  Ahuja,  Chief  Executive,  ETI  Dynamics,  UK  -­‐ Dr.  Simon  Dadson,  School  of  Geography  &  Environment,  University  of  Oxford,  UK  -­‐ Dr.  Vinod  Tare,  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  Kanpur,  India  

Programme  –  Day  1  The  first  day  of  the  workshop  will  focus  on  the  science  and  most  critical  tools  needed  to  develop  a  complete  understanding  of  the  river  ecosystem.  Experts  from  India  and  around  the  world  will  deliver  case-­‐study  driven  presentations  and  participate  in  the  panel  discussion  during  the  day.  A  summary  of  the  major  research  ideas  emerged  out  of  the  discussions  will  be  presented  after  each  session.  

 0900     Registration  and  Refreshments  0930   Welcome  and  Opening  remarks  0940     Need  for  an  integrated  river  eco-­‐system  services  management  framework  and  

decision  support  system  Rajiv  Sinha  and  Craig  Hutton  

1010   Address  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  (MOES),  Government  of  India    (To  be  confirmed)    

1020   Address  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forests  (MOEF),  Government  of  India    

1045   Coffee  Break  1100     Case  Study  1:  Upper  Ganga  Segment:  Hydropower,  biodiversity  and  ecological  flows  

Setting  the  scene  –  Vinod  Tare  and  Simon  Dadson  Panellists:    Sharad  Jain,  Patrice  Carbonneau,  S  K  Tandon,  R.P.  Mathur  Chair:  Joint  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Water  Resources  (To  be  confirmed)  

1230     Summary  and  way  forward  1245     Lunch  1400     Case  study  2:  Middle  Ganga  Segment:  Agriculture,  pollution,  water  resource  

management  &  vulnerability  Setting  the  scene  –  Neeraj  Mishra  and  Derek  Clark    Panellists:  S.P.  Singh,  Vikrant  Jain,  N.  Balaji,  Sarani  Saha  Chair:  Principal  Secretary,  Agriculture,  UP  (To  be  confirmed)  

1530   Summary  and  way  forward  1545   Tea  break  1600   Case  Study  3:  Lower  Ganga  Segment:  Floods  and  sediment  management,  fisheries  and  

food  security  Setting  the  scene  –  Rajiv  Sinha  and  Craig  Hutton  Panellists:  A.K.  Sharma,  M.D.  Behera,  Shivam  Tripathi,  James  Dyke  Chair:  Joint  secretary,  Disaster  management  (To  be  confirmed)  

1730   Summary  and  way  forward  1745   Formation  of  breakout  groups  and  Close  of  Day  1  1930     Cocktail  Reception  and  Dinner  

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 Programme  –  Day  2  The   second   day   of   the   workshop   will   involve   breakout   sessions   to   evolve   the   research   programmes   and  integration   of   separate   modules   to   deliver   a   comprehensive   decision   support   system   and   an   Economic  Impact  Assessment  framework.      0930   Briefing  for  the  breakout  sessions    0945   Breakout  sessions    1115     Coffee  break  1200     Presentations  by  breakout  groups  and  formulation  of  projects  1330   Lunch  1430   Special  Session:    Economic  Value  of  India’s  water  assets    

Setting  the  scene  –  Sanmit  Ahuja  Panellists:  Vinod  Tare,  Andrew  Allen,  Chris  Hill,  M.  Vittal  Chair:  Joint  Secretary,  Finance  (To  be  confirmed0  

1545   Tea  break  1600     Recommendations  and  Way  Forward  

Chair:  Joint  Secretary,  Ministry  of  Environment  and  Forests  (To  be  confirmed)  Summary  and  major  projects  Funding  opportunities  and  modalities    

1730     Close  of  Workshop      

 Contacts For  Indian  Delegates   For  International  Delegates  Prof.  Rajiv  Sinha  IIT  Kanpur  E:  rsinha@iitk.ac.in    Prof.Vinod  Tare  IIT  Kanpur  E:  vinod@iitk.ac.in  

Mr.Sanmit  Ahuja  ETI  Dynamics  /  ReserWater  Innovation  Foundation  E:  sanmit.ahuja@etidynamics.com    Mr.Paawan  Bhatia  ETI  Dynamics  /  ReserWater  Innovation  Foundation  E:    paawan.bhatia@etidynamics.com    

   

 

   

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About  IIT  Kanpur The   Indian   Institute   of   Technology   Kanpur   was   established   in   the   year   1960.   The   Parliament   of   India   passed   the  ‘Institutes  of  Technology  Act  1961’  declaring  all   the   IITs  as  “Institutions  of  National   Importance”.  The  Parliamentary  Act  has  given  absolute  autonomy  to  the  IITs.  When  the  foundation  stone  of  the  IIT  system  was  laid,  it  was  perceived  that  taking  help  from  the  industrially  advanced  western  countries  might  be  lot  more  effective  in  achieving  the  status  of  a  world  class  technical  institute.    IIT  Kanpur  also  is  the  national  co-­‐ordinator  of  a  consortium  of  7  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  (IIT)  that  has  been  given  the   responsibility   of   preparing   Ganga   River   Basin  Management   Plan   (GRBMP)   by   the  Ministry   of   Environment   and  Forests  (MoEF),  GOI,  New  Delhi.    Memorandum  of  Agreement  (MoA)  has  been  signed  between  7  IITs  (Bombay,  Delhi,  Guwahati,  Kanpur,  Kharagpur,  Madras  and  Roorkee)  and  MoEF  for  this  purpose  on  July  6,  2010.        For  more  information,  visit  http://www.iitk.ac.in  

 About  ReserWater  Innovation  Foundation  The   ReserWater   Innovation   Foundation   (RWIF)   is   a   world   class   integrated   applied   research   platform   that   will   further  innovation  in  the  water  sector  within  India  and  internationally.  This  will  be  the  first  such  initiative  of  its  kind  in  India  if  not  the  world  to  bring  in  multiple  disciplines  within  the  same  cluster  including  –  Research  &  Academia,  Government,  Industry  and  Civil  Society.    RWIF   will   provide   a   holistic   solution   that   accelerates   knowledge   transfer   across   different   domains:   from   research   to  industry  and  from  global  centres  of  innovation  to  India.    In  the  long  run  RWIF  aspires  to  be  a  global  centre  of  excellence  addressing  not  just  needs  of  the  Indian  sub-­‐continent  but  also  a  large  part  of  the  high  growth  and  developing  country  markets.    Mr  N.   Vittal   is   the   founding   President   of   RWIF.  He   is   a   former   Secretary   at   the  Ministries   of   Telecommunications   and  Information  Technology,  and  is  one  of  the  architects  of  the  reforms  in  those  sectors,  which  led  to  India's  emergence  as  a  competitive   player   in   the   new   global   economy.   He   was   recently   awarded   the   Padma   Bhushan   for   his   exceptional  contribution  to  India’s  development.    RWIF’s  founding  members  are  ETI  Dynamics  and  Vittal  Innovation  City.