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International Journal of Recent Trends in Science and Technology, ISSN 2277-2812 E-ISSN: 2249-8109
Volume 12, Issue 1, September 2014 pp 156-163
Research Article
Watershed management of subernarekha river basin using WEAP
R. A. Suryawanshi1, A. J. Shirke2
1Department of Geology, Yashwantrao. Chavan. College of science, Karad 415 124, Maharashtra, INDIA.
2Department of Civil Engineering. P. D. V. V. P. College of Engineering, Ahemdnagar, Maharashtra, INDIA.
Abstract
Watershed Management Programme has emerged as a sustainable strategy to conserve the natural resources i.e. water, forest and soil in an integrated manner particularly in the rain fed and drought areas. The Watershed is the basic planning and management unit .Water follows its own boundaries – the river or Lake Basin, or the groundwater aquifer – and analysis and discussions of water allocation between user and ecosystem needs, make sense only when addressed at the basin level. The control of water usually takes the form of changing its distribution in time and place to make it more useful or less harmful. It is conceptually and in program terms, transcends natural and social system providing developers and planners both challenge and opportunity for adopting approach in which management of physical, biological and social system interfere harmoniously . Existing approach to river basin planning and development do not appreciate such relationship adequately. Trans-disciplinary learning may aid planners to overcome such problems. The function and values provided by natural features must be included in the development of a watershed management plan. Therefore without managing the demand of different stakeholders wisely and resolving their conflicts the objective of Watershed Development never be achieved. Integrated Watershed Management (IWM) and Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) are complementary to each other. The first concentrates on land use and water movements from the moment of precipitation to the arrival in streams or groundwater. Effective watershed management demands coordination of groundwater management, land use and stream flow along with available resources and various demands. Hence, a lot of the “integration” in IWRM takes place at the basin scale, whether at the local catchment or aquifer, or at the multi-state or multi-country river basin. This is a Holistic Approach for Water Resource Management and Conflict Resolution as it incorporates the participation of stakeholders. The Concepts and Principles have been incorporated fully in the Software Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP 21) developed by STOCKHOLM ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (SEI’s) Boston. It operates at a monthly step on the basic principle of water balance accounting. The user represents the system in terms of its various sources of supply withdrawals, water demands, and ecosystem requirements. The present application of the WEAP model forms part of ongoing research work in Subernarekha River Basin, to develop, test and promote management practices and decision-support tools for effective management of water and land resources.
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