Abstract

The world faces a wide range of ecological and human health crises related to inadequate access to, or inappropriate management of, clean fresh water. As human populations continue to grow, regional conflicts over water, ecological degradation, and human illness and death are becoming more frequent and serious. Water scarcity threatens us all — menacing our well-being, jeopardizing our livelihoods, and sometimes endangering our lives. In more prosperous countries, water shortages curtail economic growth and diminish the quality of life. In poorer countries — especially among poor people — the scarcity of good water in adequate quantities already counts as a deadly affliction. As we approach the turn of the century, new approaches to long-term water planning and management that in-corporate principles of sustainability and equity are required. Among these principles are guaranteed access to a minimum amount of water necessary to maintain human health and to sustain ecosystems.

Key words: Jhum Cultivation, water resource management, environment, sectoral planning, institutional challenges