Geographia Polonica (1997) vol. 70

Water Management in South Asia in the 21st Century

Zdzisław Kaczmarek, Małgorzata Liszewska, Marzena Osuch

Geographia Polonica (1997) vol. 70, pp. 7-24 | Full text

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the impact of climate change on water resources in four countries in South Asia. Under present socio-economic and climatic conditions, China, India, Pakistan and South Korea are facing water deficits. The characteristic feature of water management in South Asia is the dominating role of agriculture in water use. The key question addressed in the paper is the impact of climate change on water resources, and the adaptive measures that may be used to cope with water deficits. In all the analyzed countries, the main reason for worsening water conditions is the expected population growth. The effect of climate change is in most cases marginal, independent of the scenario applied. Improved demand management and institutional adaptation are primary components in increasing the robustness of water systems in South Asia under increasing supply uncertainty due to demographic processes and climate change.

Keywords: climate change; irrigation; water resources

Zdzisław Kaczmarek, Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences ul. lisięcia Janusza 64, 01-452 Warszawa, Poland
Małgorzata Liszewska, Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Księcia Janusza 64, 01-452 Warszawa, Poland
Marzena Osuch, Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences Księcia Janusza 64, 01-452 Warszawa, Poland