Rajasthan Water Assessment : Potential for Private Sector Interventions
Water is an essential natural resource; a key building block of life. However, water use has grown at over twice the population growth rate in the last century. As a result, an increasing number of regions are now chronically short of water. Over 1...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
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International Finance Corporation, New Delhi
2017
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/261801490687132806/India-Rajasthan-water-assessment-and-potential-for-private-sector-interventions http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26420 |
| Summary: | Water is an essential natural resource;
a key building block of life. However, water use has grown
at over twice the population growth rate in the last
century. As a result, an increasing number of regions are
now chronically short of water. Over 1.4 billion people
currently live in river basins where use of water exceeds
minimum recharge levels. If current water practices continue
unchecked, future projections indicate that, by 2025,
two-thirds of the world population could be living under
severe water stress conditions. Managing and ensuring
sustainable use of scarce water resources is one of the main
development challenges facing countries, states, and
corporations around the world. IFC is committed to working
in the water sector, as water has become an increasing
business risk for our clients. In India, Rajasthan is one
of the most water deprived states with respect to rainfall
and per capita water availability. The state faces acute
water scarcity challenges as rainfall patterns are impacted
by climate change. Increasing agricultural and industrial
demand is placing additional pressure on the state’s
dwindling water resources. Rajasthan has some of the lowest
supplies of drinking water in India with only 162 of 222
towns in the state receiving regular supply of drinking
water with the poor being the most affected. Rajasthan needs
more holistic and integrated management of its water
resources. Collective action is necessary to bring together
the public sector, the private sector, civil society, and
other stakeholders to work together towards integrated and
participatory solutions for water resources planning and
management. This report provides an in-depth and
comprehensive overview of the challenges of drinking water
supply, water quality, and agriculture-water in Rajasthan
with a focus on potential private sector engagements. The
report offers solutions such as improved technologies and
practices for optimal farm productivity, awareness building
and infrastructure development through community engagement. |
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