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Droughts have formed an inseparable part of South Asian history and culture, with tragic consequences for a region that houses the greatest number of the world's poor. However, this volume challenges the popular conception of drought, which is presented as an absolute shortage-scarcity with respect to an implicit understanding of the sufficiency of water. It highlights the fact that while available water supplies may be a given quantum, droughts are differentially experienced, politically inspired and socially constituted. It emphasises that the relative water scarcity needs to be appreciated, and argues that water scarcity means different things for diverse constituencies of water users. Policy prescriptions based on definitional premises will be flawed, as a misrepresentation of drought as merely water scarcity serves a political agenda. The editors and contributors of this volume critically evaluate the concept of drought, the way it is defined, its origin/derivation, and the purposes/interests it serves.
This book is broadly divided into three major sections: the thematic section, country overviews, and case studies. Through these, it attempts to:
- Understand the concept of drought.
- Map diversity in drought situations across South Asia.
- Identify responses to drought.
- Outline viable options for more integrated approaches to drought policies and mitigation strategies.
- Initiate a process of dialogue on a more comprehensive public policy for drought management.
Comprehensive, thought-provoking, informative, and featuring new research data, this collection will provide policy makers and professionals with the opportunity to discuss and debate policies for sustainable livelihood support systems and drought management. It would also be an invaluable source of information for students and teachers working in the fields of Water and Natural Resource Management, Environmental Planning, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Public Policy and Public Administration.
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Jasveen Jairath is an independent consultant and researcher-advocate with a focus on the politics of water practice and policy, and Regional Coordinator of Capnet, South Asia. She graduated in Electrical Engineering and later shifted to Economics with a Masters in Political Economy from the New School for Social Research, New York, and a Ph.D. from the Centre for Economics Studies and Planning, JNU, New Delhi. She has been engaged with research, advocacy, networking and capacity building in the water sector through her tenures at government and non-government organisations. Through her specific field studies in Punjab, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, she has highlighted the social context of water to question technocratic and reductionist interpretations of the mainstream water discourse. Critical interventions in the policy debates on large dams, droughts and institutional reforms have been followed by the design and implementation of hands-on experimental water projects on the governance of urban water and sanitation systems in Madhya Pradesh. She has also been involved with institution building as the Project Director of Saciwaters for the first four years. She has been associated with initiating and establishing Capacity Building Networks in South Asia (Cap-net) as part of a global UNDP-promoted initiative for promoting IWRM. As a consultant, she has undertaken various assignments for the World Bank, NORAD, ADB and UNICEF, and has worked for bilateral donor-funded projects as a participatory strategy specialist. An active member of Global Water Partnerships at the regional level, she has been on the Board of Governor of World Water Council.
