Sustainable Water Resources Management

Common narratives on the Lake Chad Basin often focus on the nexus between conflict, development and climate change. In particular, the Lake’s situation attracts international coverage due to its shrinking size and the threat of multiple crises emanating from environmental degradation. This framework appears useful for donors and local governments, but the feedback loops among climate change, social marginalisation and conflict are not as straightforward. The problem is that the dominance of this analytical framework calls for policy response tools that are not always adequate. In the security field, the role of the Multinational Joint Task Force has been growing, but a stronger push in the sphere of governance is needed in order for it to gain legitimacy and improve its effectiveness on the ground. In the meantime, the Lake Chad Basin Commission has adopted some key policy tools to manage the natural resources in the area sustainably, but these initial steps must be followed by greater investment from Commission member states to advance implementation. An integrated regional approach remains the best way forward to tackle these complex dynamics.

West Bengal (88,752 km²) is the only Indian state that stretches from the Himalaya to the Bay of Bengal. It can be divided into nine physiographic provinces of which the Himalayas, the western plateaus, the northern and western alluvial fans and the Ganga delta are most important. The development of the river system of the state was largely governed by tectonic evolution of the eastern Himalaya and western edges of the Bengal basin. The characteristics of the rivers as well as a number of aspects of water resources of the state can be linked to its physiographic regions. The principal issues associated with water in West Bengal include river degeneration, channel shifting, flood, urban waterlogging, drought, pollution, groundwater depletion and inland navigation. The management of water is practised by river impoundment projects in various scales and by drainage schemes. It is estimated that the western and eastern parts of the state are most water stressed regions due to climatic and human factors, respectively. The solution to many of the water-related problems of West Bengal, progressive or cyclic, can be addressed by putting emphasis on participatory management besides government intervention.

Welcome again to World Water Policy Journal! We want to start by sending our best wishes to all the people around the world that have been directly and indirectly affected by COVID-19. These are difficult times, and for that reason we are even more thankful for the time and effort of our authors and reviewers, who kindly offered their time and energy to make this issue possible. With COVID-19 continuing to be the focus of global attention, it is not surprising that several of the papers in this issue touch on this important topic. This current context makes even more concerning the many water-related challenges that continue unabated; millions of people around the world still do not have access to good water and sanitation; the quality of water resources continues to deteriorate due to our land and water misuse; ecosystem services continue to decline because we do not value enough what nature does for us; and climate change continues to increase the uncertainty about our global water future. All the papers in this issue of World Water Policy reflect these challenges, and more. In the first paper, Covid-19 and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus in Africa: Evidence from Nigeria, Uganda, and Tanzania, Oludare Sunday Durodola and co-authors discuss the challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa where COVID-19 is projected to worsen the physical and economic access to water, energy, and food. By assessing the impacts and responses in relation to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in three countries, they make policy recommendations for improving affordability and encourage innovation. Muhammad Imran Mehsud follows, presenting an interesting account of the history of water sharing between Pakistan and India, and its role in relation to the broader political objectives in the Cold War period in his paper Lilienthal's 'Another "Korea" in the Making?' From the Cold War to the Indus Waters Treaty. In the third paper, A Public Policy Primer on Consolidating the Water-Energy Nexus, Jayesh D'Souza extends past literature reviews on the water-energy nexus in the context of urban metabolism to capture water and energy policy integration. Drawing from the experience of the USA and Australia, the author suggests ways that jurisdictions can consolidate the nexus for a more sustainable future. Paulo Augusto Cunha Libanio's paper Water Reforms in Brazil: Challenges and Opportunities for Promoting Water Security in a Continental-sized country, is one of two articles focusing on water in Brazil in this Issue. Paulo's work considers a range of water security dimensions in this water-rich country and examines the prospects for improved water security arising from Brazil's recent water reforms. In the next paper, regular contributor to World Water Policy journal Amit Ranjan and Drorima Chatterjee present their research on the history of water disputes between Pakistan and Afghanistan over the River Kabul. Through their analytical framework, the authors examine three aspects of the River Kabul water dispute: its context, identifying the challenges that hinder a formalized bilateral agreement from being implemented, and its future.