Year of publication: 2008

Babel, M.S. and Wahid, S.W. (2008). Freshwater under threat : South Asia vulnerability assessment of freshwater resources to environmental change : Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River Basin, Helmand River Basin, Indus River Basin. Nairobi, Kenya, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). xv, 29 p. : 7 boxes, 6 fig, 9 tab. 27 ref. Includes glossary. ISBN 978-92-807-2949-8

This report focuses on three major river basins in South Asia: the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, the Indus and the Helmand. It is divided into five chapters. The first chapter introduces the study, answering two major questions: Why vulnerability assessment is important? How are we going to assess vulnerability? The second chapter summarizes the specific methodology used in the assessment including calculating the Vulnerability Index (VI). The third chapter describes the important geographic and socioeconomic conditions of South Asia. It also outlines the status of the region's freshwater attributes. The outline provides the background for the water problems in South Asia, and points to the elements of water vulnerability used in this in depth analysis of the river basins: resource stresses; development pressures (with reference to agricultural, domestic and industrial water use); and ecological insecurity (including the impact of wastewater discharge). The fourth chapter contains the findings of the vulnerability assessment for the selected river basins: GBM, Indus and Helmand. The objective is to examine the significance and magnitude of environmental and socioeconomic factors associated with freshwater resources vulnerability. The fifth chapter provides the conclusions of the assessment, based on the relevant findings presented in the previous chapters. General policy directions aimed at minimizing the vulnerability of freshwater in South Asia are suggested.

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Tags: south asia, water quality, water resources management