Grey infrastructure refers to the physical structures used to manage water, such as pipes, dams, seawalls, roads, and water treatment plants. These manmade constructs have formed the backbone of our water management for decades. On the other hand, green infrastructure encompasses natural ecosystems like forests, floodplains, wetlands, and soils that offer human benefits like flood protection and climate regulation.
The Rising Threat of Water Shortages
The United Nations estimates that by 2050, approximately four billion people could face serious water shortages. Currently, 31 countries are already grappling with a water shortage, a figure set to rise to 48 countries by 2025. This impending crisis has led to urgent calls for a comprehensive approach to water management, namely, the One Water approach.
The One Water Approach Explained
Also known as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), the One Water Approach is centered on the belief that all water has value, regardless of its source. It advocates for managing water sources in an integrated, inclusive, and sustainable manner involving community members, business leaders, farmers, conservationists, policymakers, and academics. The objective is to ensure long-term resilience and reliability in water resource management to meet both human and ecosystem needs.
This mindset encourages breaking down conventional barriers that differentiate between wastewater, stormwater, drinking water, groundwater, and re-utilization. The result: numerous benefits from a more multi-faceted approach to water investment that offers economic, environmental, and societal returns.
Why is the One Water Approach Needed?
Multiple factors necessitate the adoption of the One Water approach. These include differences in regional water availability, pricing and affordability, seasonal variations in supply, and the unreliability of water resources. Other contributing factors include aging infrastructure, polluted water bodies, increasing agricultural and industrial demand, climate change, and uneven distribution of water access.
The Benefits of Integrated Water Resources Management
In comparison to conventional water management where drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater are managed separately, IWRM views all water systems as interconnected. Under this model, water is recycled and reused several times over, as opposed to the one-way route from supply to use, treatment, and disposal seen in traditional water management.
Stormwater, for instance, is leveraged as a valuable resource in combating water scarcity, recharging groundwater, and supporting natural vegetation. IWRM also incorporates green infrastructure alongside grey infrastructure to form a hybrid system that capitalizes on the best aspects of both approaches.
Part of the success of the One Water approach lies in its active collaborations with various stakeholders, as opposed to the more reactive, need-based collaborations seen in traditional systems.
Looking Forward
The UN World Water Development Report 2021 cites the failure to value water in all its forms as a primary cause of mismanagement. As such, there is an urgent need to move away from linear, single-minded water management towards the more multi-dimensional, integrated ‘One Water’ approach. The result will be a comprehensive, resilient, and sustainable management of our precious water resources.
Reference:
UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ): What are the benefits of implementing the ‘Integrated Watershed Development Programme’? (2014)
