Wakal River Basin Project

AQA GCSE Geography > Resource Management > Wakal River Basin Project

Wakal River Basin Project

The Wakal River basin is located in the south of Rajasthan, a region in the northwest of India. The Wakal River Basin project is a local scheme to increase sustainable water supply.

Rajasthan, a region in north-west India, is the poorest and driest part of the country. The Thar Desert dominates the region, which experiences extreme temperatures, reaching up to 53°C in the summer. The annual rainfall is very low, with less than 250 mm falling mainly during the monsoon season between June and September. There is very little surface water, as rain quickly infiltrates the land and evaporation rates are very high.

What are the issues with water supply?

Due to historical mismanagement, the water supply presents considerable challenges. Excessive irrigation has resulted in waterlogging and salinisation. At the same time, over-abstraction from unregulated pumps has depleted aquifers (natural underground water stores), causing the water table to fall and wells to dry. Little coordinated water management has occurred, as villages and individual households control access to wells. As water use is unregulated, people have taken what they need without allowing groundwater sources to recharge, and water scarcity has become a significant issue.

The Wakal River Basin Project

Addressing these challenges, the Wakal River Basin Project, situated in Rajasthan’s southern part, has received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the Global Water for Sustainability Program from 2004 to 2014. This initiative has focused on enhancing water security by engaging local communities in the management process. The aims of the project are to:

Increase water supply and storage with locally adapted solutions
Raise community awareness regarding sustainable water management.

Local communities have been fully involved in the project. They are in charge of setting up and maintaining the scheme, which enables them to improve their water security and reduce their risk of future water shortages.

Increasing Water Supply

The project has promoted rainwater harvesting to boost water supply, which has benefited villages and families alike.

The strategies used include:

Rainwater harvesting by constructing taankas, underground storage tanks that store water gathered from rooftops. Concrete taankas protect the water from evaporation and provide a local source of water. A taanka can hold 20,000 litres, enough to supply a family with water for several months.
A villager collects water from a taanka in the Thar Desert – source
Joheds, small earth dams that capture rainwater, have increased the water table by up to 6m, enabling rivers that previously dried once the monsoon season was over to flow year-round.
Pats, or irrigation canals, have been developed to channel water captured by joheds to fields to water crops. Water is diverted using a stone dam called a bund. Farmers take it in turn to use the water, which is used daily across the community. When it is their turn, they are also responsible for maintaining the irrigation channels to ensure they do not silt up.
Education plays a pivotal role in this project. Communities are educated about water conservation, fostering a collective effort to maintain water security. This approach helps mitigate soil erosion, desertification, and groundwater pollution.

Why is the Wakel River Basin Management Project an example of a local scheme in an LIC or NEE to increase sustainable supplies of water?

Sustainable water management strategies aim to enhance water availability while ensuring long-term environmental and social benefits. The Wakel River Basin Project exemplifies a sustainable approach to increasing water supply. Key characteristics of such solutions include:

Small-scale initiatives – Sustainable water management projects are typically on a smaller scale, focusing on improving water access for individual communities rather than larger regions or entire nations. These projects are more manageable and often more affordable.

Appropriate technology—These projects use simple, low-cost tools that are easy to maintain, such as hand pumps. This contrasts with the use of more complicated machinery that requires specialised operation and upkeep knowledge.

Community involvement—For a water management project to be sustainable, the local community must actively participate in its operation and maintenance. Community members build, repair, and manage the systems themselves, ensuring that they have the necessary skills to address issues as they arise.

Local decision-making – Empowering local communities to make decisions about their water projects—such as determining their needs, selecting locations, and deciding on project scale—ensures that the solutions are tailored to their specific circumstances. This increases the likelihood of success and local buy-in.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – NGOs like Oxfam and WaterAid, which operate without government funding and rely on donations, are vital for supporting sustainable water projects. They provide local communities with the expertise and resources to establish and sustain their water management systems.

Summary

Geographical Context
Rajasthan, in north-west India, is characterised by its arid Thar Desert landscape, experiencing extreme temperatures (up to 53°C) and low annual rainfall (less than 250 mm), predominantly between June and September.
Water Supply Challenges
Historical mismanagement has led to water supply issues, including waterlogging and salinisation due to excessive irrigation and aquifer depletion from unregulated pumping, causing wells to run dry.
The Wakal River Basin Project
Funded by the USAID from 2004 to 2014, this project in southern Rajasthan aims to enhance water security. It involves local communities in management, focusing on increasing water supply and storage and promoting sustainable water management awareness.
Solutions for Water Supply
The project advocates rainwater harvesting, benefiting villages and families. This includes building taankas (underground tanks for rooftop water collection) and johads (small earth dams increasing the water table and enabling year-round river flow).
Infrastructure Development
The project has also developed pats (irrigation canals) to direct water to fields, further supporting agricultural activities and addressing water scarcity issues.