INDIA'S DANGEROUS FUTURE: TOO LITTLE WATER, OR TOO MUCH

 The dry spell between the storms is long gone. The rainfall that penetrates the soil reliably is less visible.

For a country that relies heavily on rain for most of its water, that combination can wreak havoc.

Across India, the number of rainy days has increased over the past century.








It shapes the fortunes of many farmers who rely on rain to grow their lands. It manages what you eat.

Climate change is now confused with monsoon, making the seasonal rainfall more intense and unpredictable. Worse, decades of government policies have kept millions of Indians insecure during times of climate disaster - especially the poor.

More complicated, intense rain is more common and intense. In the last century, the number of days of very heavy rain has increased, with long dry spells in between. Firm and steady rainfall is less likely to penetrate the soil reliably. It is devastating for a country that receives most of its water from the clouds.

The problem is particularly acute across the poorer central Indian belt extending from the western Maharashtra state to the Bay of Bengal in the east: a recent scientific study reported that extreme rainfall events have tripled in the region in the past 70 years. Total annual precipitation has decreased significantly.

"Global warming has ruined the idea of ​​monsoon," said Raghu Murtukude, an atmospheric scientist and paper editor at the University of Maryland. "We need to throw away prose and poetry written for thousands of years and start writing new ones!"

Himalayas, India's insurance policy against drought, is also in danger. The majestic mountains are expected to lose one-third by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at current speeds.

But as scientists are quick to point out, climate change is not the only culprit for India's water woes. Greed and mismanagement have been the culprit for decades. Green forests are regularly removed to help prevent rainfall. Developers are given green light over creeks and lakes. Government subsidies encourage greater extraction of groundwater.


The future of India's 1.3 billion people is threatened. By 2050, the World Bank estimates, combined with irregular rainfall and rising temperatures, will “reduce the standard of living of nearly half of the country's population”.

The Future of Water in India
Cities are heading toward crisis - but when they run out of pipes, will they reach zero on the day?

Maybe not .....?