Water resources monitoring for environmental sustainability under increasing uncertainty in the Himalayan region

The question of environmental sustainability in general and water resources in particular for the Himalayan region is a complex one. The issues concerning sustainability are the function of varied geographical environment, vagaries in the monsoon climate, socio-economic conditions, traditional culture, population growth and poverty. Under such conditions a situation of uncertainty has been created, which also manifests itself in the depletion and degradation of water resources. The region is exposed to a high proportion of hydrological disasters and extreme events due to a heightened degree of instability. Environmental degradation, particularly that of land and water, constitutes a major threat to the livelihood of millions of people. The issues of Himalayan-Indian Ocean interactions, including the nature and qualities of materials transported from the mountains to the sea along with the dynamics of sediment erosion and coastal bio-geomorphological processes, attract particular attention. Subsequently, the relative importance of interaction at different temporal and spatial scales is becoming significant in present research in the Himalayas. A few experimental studies conducted in the region have shown that water runoff and related effects of erosion and siltation in river basins can be effectively reduced by creating water reservoirs in upland zones.