Publication:
Ten Fundamental Questions for Water Resources Development in the Ganges: Myths and Realities

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dc.contributor.authorHarshadeep, Nagaraja Rao
dc.contributor.authorSadoff, Claudia
dc.contributor.authorBlackmore, Donald J.
dc.contributor.authorWu, Xun
dc.contributor.authorO'Donnell, Anna
dc.contributor.authorJeuland, Marc
dc.contributor.authorLee, Sylvia
dc.contributor.authorWhittington, Dale
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-25T16:48:53Z
dc.date.available2016-04-25T16:48:53Z
dc.date.issued2013-03
dc.description.abstractThis paper summarizes the results of the Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment (SBA), a 3-year, multi-disciplinary effort undertaken by a World Bank team in cooperation with several leading regional research institutions in South Asia. It begins to fill a crucial knowledge gap, providing an initial integrated systems perspective on the major water resources planning issues facing the Ganges basin today, including some of the most important infrastructure options that have been proposed for future development. The SBA developed a set of hydrological and economic models for the Ganges system, using modern data sources and modeling techniques to assess the impact of existing and potential new hydraulic structures on flooding, hydropower, low flows, water quality and irrigation supplies at the basin scale. It also involved repeated exchanges with policymakers and opinion makers in the basin, during which perceptions of the basin could be discussed and examined. The study’s findings highlight the scale and complexity of the Ganges basin. In particular, they refute the broadly held view that upstream water storage, such as reservoirs in Nepal, can fully control basin wide flooding. In addition, the findings suggest that such dams could potentially double low flows in the dry months. The value of doing so, however, is surprisingly unclear and similar storage volumes could likely be attained through better groundwater management. Hydropower development and trade are confirmed to hold real promise (subject to rigorous project level assessment with particular attention to sediment and seismic risks) and, in the near to medium term, create few significant tradeoffs among competing water uses. Significant uncertainties, including climate change, persist, and better data would allow the models and their results to be further refined.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/03/26048535/ten-fundamental-questions-water-resources-development-ganges-myths-realities
dc.identifier.citationWater Policy
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/24120
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/24120
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherIWA Publishing
dc.rightsCC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderIWA Publishing
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectFLOODING
dc.subjectWATER QUALITY
dc.subjectUPSTREAM DAMS
dc.subjectSURFACE WATER SYSTEM
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER STORAGE
dc.subjectFLOOD PLAIN
dc.subjectFLOW
dc.subjectBASIN BOUNDARIES
dc.subjectRIVER BEDS
dc.subjectFLOOD CONTROL BENEFITS
dc.subjectSNOW
dc.subjectDAMS
dc.subjectSEDIMENT BUILD
dc.subjectDOWNSTREAM IRRIGATION
dc.subjectFLOOD WATERS
dc.subjectENVIRONMENTAL COSTS
dc.subjectHYDROLOGY
dc.subjectAQUIFER
dc.subjectWATER SUPPLY
dc.subjectRESERVOIRS
dc.subjectSURFACE WATER
dc.subjectFLOOD MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectFLOOD PROTECTION
dc.subjectEMBANKMENT FAILURE
dc.subjectDAM CONSTRUCTION
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER AQUIFERS
dc.subjectFLOOD PEAK
dc.subjectASSET MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectRIVER COMMISSION
dc.subjectPEAK FLOWS
dc.subjectWATER RESOURCES
dc.subjectWATER SYSTEM
dc.subjectWATER STORAGE
dc.subjectSTREAM
dc.subjectBASIN STATES
dc.subjectSALINE INTRUSION
dc.subjectWATER MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectLARGE DAMS
dc.subjectRIPARIAN COUNTRIES
dc.subjectRIVER SYSTEM
dc.subjectBASINS
dc.subjectFLOODS
dc.subjectWATER
dc.subjectBASIN COMMUNITIES
dc.subjectWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectRAINFALL
dc.subjectDRAINAGE
dc.subjectRIVER BED
dc.subjectGLACIERS
dc.subjectTRIBUTARIES
dc.subjectAQUIFERS
dc.subjectIRRIGATION WATER
dc.subjectIRRIGATORS
dc.subjectRUNOFF
dc.subjectANNUAL RAINFALL
dc.subjectCOASTAL AREAS
dc.subjectLARGE-SCALE INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectBASIN PLANS
dc.subjectEMBANKMENTS
dc.subjectANNUAL AVERAGE FLOW
dc.subjectBASIN
dc.subjectLEAKAGE
dc.subjectWATERSHED MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectSTORAGE CAPACITY
dc.subjectWATER TRANSFER
dc.subjectRIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectHYDROPOWER POTENTIAL
dc.subjectBASIN DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER USE
dc.subjectCLIMATE CHANGE
dc.subjectRIVER CHANNEL
dc.subjectDROUGHT
dc.subjectHYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectWATER USES
dc.subjectFRESHWATER
dc.subjectRIVER BASIN
dc.subjectBASIN MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectMAIN RIVER
dc.subjectWATER POLICY
dc.subjectINTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectOPERATION OF DAMS
dc.subjectHYDROPOWER
dc.subjectSEDIMENT MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectBASIN COMMITTEES
dc.subjectDECISION MAKING
dc.subjectRIVERS
dc.subjectANNUAL FLOW
dc.subjectWATER RESOURCES PLANNING
dc.subjectSURFACE WATER IRRIGATION
dc.subjectCLIMATE CHANGES
dc.subjectWATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectSURFACE WATER FOR IRRIGATION
dc.subjectLOW FLOWS
dc.subjectDOWNSTREAM ECOSYSTEMS
dc.subjectFLOWS FOR IRRIGATION
dc.subjectDAM
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL RIVERS
dc.subjectWATER AVAILABILITY
dc.subjectMAJOR RIVERS
dc.subjectFLOW AUGMENTATION
dc.subjectMAIN RIVER SYSTEM
dc.subjectRIVER BASIN ORGANIZATION
dc.subjectFLOOD PLAINS
dc.subjectENGINEERING
dc.subjectIRRIGATION
dc.subjectWATERSHED
dc.subjectRIVER FLOWS
dc.subjectDOWNSTREAM AGRICULTURE
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER
dc.subjectMETERS
dc.subjectREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectBASIN SCALE
dc.subjectFLOOD CONTROL
dc.subjectHYDROPOWER GENERATION
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY
dc.subjectRIVER SYSTEMS
dc.subjectWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
dc.subjectBASIN ORGANIZATION
dc.subjectDOWNSTREAM COUNTRIES
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER RESOURCES
dc.subjectNEW DAMS
dc.subjectGROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT
dc.subjectEVAPORATION
dc.subjectWATERS
dc.subjectUPSTREAM DAM
dc.subjectBASIN COUNTRIES
dc.subjectUPSTREAM STORAGE
dc.subjectSURFACE WATER STORAGE
dc.subjectENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
dc.subjectRIPARIAN
dc.subjectAVERAGE ANNUAL RAINFALL
dc.subjectTRIBUTARY
dc.subjectEMBANKMENT
dc.subjectHYDRAULIC STRUCTURES
dc.subjectREMOTE SENSING
dc.subjectRIVER
dc.titleTen Fundamental Questions for Water Resources Development in the Gangesen
dc.title.subtitleMyths and Realitiesen
dc.typeJournal Articleen
dc.typeArticle de journalfr
dc.typeArtículo de revistaes
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.associatedcontenthttp://wp.iwaponline.com/content/15/S1/147 Journal website (official version)
okr.date.disclosure2016-03-10
okr.date.doiregistration2025-05-06T11:22:01.569363Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Journal Article
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/03/26048535/ten-fundamental-questions-water-resources-development-ganges-myths-realities
okr.externalcontentExternal Content
okr.guid553781467994711232
okr.identifier.doi10.2166/wp.2013.006
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum090224b0841ed4da_1_0
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum26048535
okr.identifier.report103887
okr.importedtrue
okr.journal.nbpages147-64
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2016/03/10/090224b0841ed4da/1_0/Rendered/PDF/Ten0fundamenta00myths0and0realities.pdfen
okr.peerreviewAcademic Peer Review
okr.region.administrativeSouth Asia
okr.region.countryBangladesh
okr.region.countryIndia
okr.region.countryNepal
okr.region.geographicalSouth Asia
okr.sectorIrrigation and drainage
okr.topicWater Resources::River Basin Management
okr.topicWater Supply and Sanitation::Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions
okr.topicWater Resources::Drought Management
okr.topicWater Resources::Water and Industry
okr.topicWater Supply and Sanitation::Water Supply and Systems
okr.unitWater - GP (GWADR)
okr.volume15(S1)
relation.isAuthorOfPublication62fa08df-f181-5454-8cb5-1d1222f10607
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery62fa08df-f181-5454-8cb5-1d1222f10607
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