Integrated management of the Ganga River: An ecohydrological approach

The Ganga River is the national river of India due to its very high socio-cultural, economic and ecological significance. It forms the largest river basin of India that supports more than 500 million people. It has been the cradle of civilization in India since antiquity. The Northern plain formed by the Ganga River system underpins food production in India. The Ganga basin is the home of rich flora and fauna. In the changing environment the Ganga River is under the trends of declining health primarily due to anthropogenic activities. Despite various initiatives by the Government of India to rejuvenate and manage this most sacred river of the country, the health of the Ganga is declining at an alarming rate. The absence of stakeholder's involvement and focused on technical solutions have been among the major factors for failure of various initiatives. In the current scenario of environmental problems, an integrated management of the Ganga River is an urgent need. We advocate for an ecohydrological approach for integrated management of the Ganga River. Ecohydrology deals with the study of interplay between hydrology and biota. It is an interdisciplinary approach that uses the specific tools of hydrology, water physics, chemistry and ecology, which consequently paves the way for integrated water resource management. It provides nature-based, low-cost and potential tools for integrated river management through utilizing ecosystem functions of nature. Ecohydrological practices are the ecological tools that enhance sustainability of river ecosystem and human well-being through managing water, biodiversity, ecosystem services and resilience. (C) 2019 European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.