Alternative Energy: The Indian Advantage

India is a country on a roll. With national GDP growing over 8% a year, new industry flooding the country and a population soon to take over China, India is a country ready to take its place as a world power.  Economically the country has risen past any expectation of potential and in the wake of this success social reforms have begun sweeping through India with greater passion and success than ever and the middle class is projected to grow from the current 5% to reach 40% before 2030 (McKinsey & Co.)  While many problems still exist, one of the greatest threats to India’s economic success and credibility as a developed nation is its insufficient infrastructure.  In regards to sanitation, electricity, and power generation, India is behind.  To stay in competition and raise its standards for quality of life India must become more independent in its power generation and the distribution of that power.

            As a guest at an established university, I experienced wonderful care.  We were lucky enough to be equipped with back-up generators which switched on daily to accommodate the power failures on campus.  In some areas of the country, electricity is only available for a few hours a day, where other villages it is not available at all.  India will need much more energy as its population becomes more affluent.  India currently relies on foreign imports for most of its fossil fuels; with a population of over a billion people and a growing middle class demanding services, India will need to look into alternative energies to appease its citizens and stay competitive.

            Renewable energies could be an excellent investment opportunity for India.  It does not have a strong infrastructure like the United States, which means it does not have to overcome an established system to the same degree.  India can build from scratch and build their system right, with the capacity to take advantage of alternative energies.  It also has resources in the huge number of scientists at their disposal, as well as a number of renewable energy sources in wind, water, and solar.  If properly utilized, India could reduce its energy independence while greening its energy portfolio.  This would have an undeniable impact on the health of the average Indian.

Any person who has visited the mountain-locked north could testify to the evident air pollution, and while this is certainly uncomfortable it has actually had a marked effect on public health.  Rising asthma rates are an excellent indicator of the negative effect of increased use of fossil fuels.  From 1994-1999, persistent asthma rates rose from 20% to 27.5% (World Health Organization).  Since this data has been published, the number of cars in India has only increased and added to these figures. It is in India’s best interest to invest in the health of its citizens while simultaneously supplying them with better living conditions through greater energy access. Renewables are the answer.

            Wind energy has tremendous potential in southern India in the Western Ghats and the states lying to the east all the way to the Bay of Bengal.  With proper management, this could become a viable means of bringing electricity to remote villages. All that would be required to run a village would be an independent turbine and a small converter station.  There would be no need to establish an entire energy grid and would solve some issues regarding the cost of implementing such a grid.

            Another (already heavily utilized) potential is water and hydropower.  India is a country of extremes, especially in regards to water.  Some areas receive the highest rainfall in the world, only to dry up a few months after the monsoon has ended.  With water instability like this, India would greatly benefit from better utilization of its water resources.  Interbasin transfer, management of groundwater, rainwater harvesting, and more efficient turbines used in hydroelectric power production would have an immense impact in power production and use.  By making its use of water more efficient, India could also better aid water stressed areas and reduce political tensions over water with its neighbor Pakistan.

            Last but not least, solar energy could be utilized by independent homes or on a grid system set up on the roofs of urban dwellings to lower stress to the overall grid and decrease power interruptions.  By literally putting the power into the hands of the citizens, India could meet its energy demands, empower its citizens, improve public health, and truly create a more sustainable country.

            The role of fossil fuels over the next century will wan; peak oil has already been predicted and peak gas and coal are sure to follow.  As fossil fuels become more expensive to extract, the country whose infrastructure is best set up to accommodate alternatives will be in the best position to step into a leadership role.  While many other social, economic, and political issues plague India, investing in a future of renewable energies could address a number of problems while maintaining the momentum they are experiencing now.

Sanitation and Health, and Why It's Not Going Anywhere

      No matter what I read or told myself to be prepared for, there are certain things about India that I never understood until I saw or experienced them for myself.  While I myself never experienced a lack of sanitation facilities during my time in India, I was a witness more than once to the fact of life that is public defecation.  More than any other example of poverty, these were the moments that I was able to truly distinguish the quality of my life compared to the 300 million people in India that live in poverty.

      Sanitation is a large indicator of quality of life in a developing nation like India; it is important not only for improving health conditions in communities, but also represents education on health and hygiene.  In rural India open defecation and urination happens in fields and paddies. When presented with public or private toilets, many of these people do not take advantage of them because they do not see it as a more hygienic alternative.  Why would someone want a room in their home that held waste? In their minds it is better to “do their business” out in the open away from0 their homes and it is easy to see the logic of that decision.  The problems begin when these people migrate to urban areas for employment opportunities.  They take their village-logic with them and apply it to a very different set of living conditions.  Instead of an open field, defecation is taking place in allies and open sewers which run thru the slums and shanty towns that migrants often populate. 

The first time I witnessed this for myself, a young child was utilizing the sewer which was little more than a depression in the concrete alley of the slum I was visiting.  I didn’t feel disgust as I expected I would, but sadness that the people living in these situations had few other options and no education of the dangers of germs or disease passed through waste.  We often take our knowledge of bacteria and viruses for granted, but imagine yourself coming from a remote village in India where superstition has a much stronger hold than science.  It is not unexpected that people do not react positively or with understanding to initiatives to improve public health through proper sanitation.  In reality, this education is paramount to decreasing mortality rates in urban India.  More than one-third of urban deaths in India are due to waterborne illnesses like Cholera (World Health Organization) which are passed through the waste of humans. It is important to recognize that any sanitation infrastructure implemented in these slums must be accompanied by a way of educating the public of its importance.  Otherwise, public toilets will remain unused and there will be little encouragement to put further funds into sanitation infrastructures.

The illegal status of slums also presents a problem for government intervention in this public health issue.  While the government of India and its enforcement agencies often turn a blind eye to illegally built and occupied slums, they cannot offer public infrastructure services without condoning their existence.  However if the government does not intercede they allow entire communities (legal and illegal alike) to become victims of the waterborne illnesses and diseases that breed in the open sewers.  It is a great point of contention whether the government should offer sanitation services and cement these communities, or if they should remain uninvolved and allow for dangerous public health issues to grow.  This is one example of many issues which get caught up in bureaucratic dead-ends concerning slum life.

After my first experience in the slum, I became much more aware of open defecation across northern India.  I saw it in streets and by riverbanks, and soon it was with the casual interest of someone observing and oddity.  It was then I realized that I had adopted the same apathetic attitude of the natives; I had become so used to it that I had ceased to see it as a problem.  My mind justified it as a way of life but upon reflection I know that isn’t true.  My apathy made what was once abhorrent, acceptable.  It is not that India and its people do not wish to address its problems, but the system has become so entangle in the bureaucracy that it is not making decisions or moving forward.  This causes people to lose interest and requires crusaders to step forth and push these issues.  I firmly believe that India will make great leaps and bounds in regards to all its infrastructure in the coming century, but it will not happen as long as we surrender to our apathy and accept things because they have always been so.

Touchdown India!

As this is my first personal, non-academic blog, I would like to begin by THANKING YOU my friends and family for following me on this great big adventure.  I will try to keep this updated as often as possible and I cannot wait to share with you all my adventures in person.

To start, I must regale you with the tail of 36-36-36.  From the moment we left for the Greenville Airport to touchdown in India we took 36 hours, 36 minutes, and 36 seconds.  A pretty cool omen for the beginning of our trip and TOTALLY worth the extra five hours we spent being rerouted from our destination.  We took two separate planes from Washington Dulles to Frankfurt.  I was on the second plane, so we had plenty of time in Dulles to amuse ourselves...

Here we have Alexa's first attempt at planking. The joys of the Internet.

The flight from Frankfurt could easily be considered by some as the flight from hell (it took 12 hours instead of 8), but I was so excited and so amused by the personal TVs that I really didn't care all that much. When we were on our (FIRST) descent into Chennai, we felt a sudden uplift and we were once again pulling away.  Apparently the plane landing before us had a "rough landing" and was blocking the runway.  We began to circle but after a ten hour flight, fuel was becoming a problem.  We diverted to Bangalore which became our first touchdown in India (though we did not leave the plane).  After a few hours of hanging out on the tarmac we took off again for our second (and successful) trip to Chennai.

Customs gave us a bit of scare, but I think they just liked keeping us on our toes. Other than that, I saw very little of the inefficient bureaucracy that India is so famed for.  We hung around collecting our baggage for another half hour or so, then we ventured out into the real India for the first time.

It is difficult to describe what it feels like to be so totally surrounded by people who are so different and so intent to stare at you.  I admit that I was a little excited sitting around Greenville talking about how exotic I would seem with my red hair and blue eyes, but the reality of that situation was surprisingly tense.  I think what made me so hyper aware was how mindful I was of my luggage and how nervous I felt to encounter pickpockets and shady cab drivers.  In reality there was little to be nervous about. I said goodbye to my backpack and watched as it was loaded into the back of a suspicious looking lorry, and climbed into a dark van sent by Madras Christian College.

And so began the most terrifying/amazing car ride through Chennai.  The number of times I had to stop myself from letting out a string of curse words is only second to the number of times I said "this is just so COOL!"  We saw a variety of oddities unique to India including a cow in the middle of the highway, pedestrians taking on four lanes of traffic like it was their jobs, roadside shrines, and most alarmingly the number of slums and residences that lined the roads.  The poverty in India is just so matter-of-fact.  To say that it is in your face would be inaccurate; it is simply an acknowledged way of life.  I would like to return to this subject after I have spent a more significant time in these areas.

So, as we pulled suddenly off an urban road into a wooded paradise, I couldn't help but feel all my excitement mount again.  We were driving down a country road in the middle of an urban explosion, and it made me truly appreciate the peaceful retreat that our lodgings would offer us.  We pulled up to MCC's International Guest House and were promptly shown to the dining room (from where I am now writing this blog).  This common space is used for both eating, meeting, and connecting with the world outside India.  We shared a cup of deliciously sweetened coffee and worked out our room assignments for our stay here. Please keep in mind that all of this occurred before six in the morning...

THIS IS WHERE I WAS GOING TO SHOW YOU A HILARIOUS PHOTO OF SOME OF MY COMPATRIOTS IN THE VAN AS WE LEFT THE AIRPORT. UNFORTUNATELY, INTERNATIONAL INTERNET IS SHOWING ITS TRUE COLORS.

 YOU MAY VIEW THE PHOTO IN MY FACEBOOK PHOTO ALBUM. YOU'LL KNOW WHEN YOU SEE IT...

After all the niceties had been observed, we scrambled to our rooms for the one thing that had been on our mind: sleep.  Unfortunately sleep was overtaken by unpacking and exploring our rooms, our bathrooms (worth a blog of its own), and the general area.  The IGH is absolutely lovely and is so much more comfortable and relaxing than I had anticipated.  My three roommates and I had more than enough space to keep our belongings.  I have not yet tried the bed for fear I will never get up off of it. I did try out our new bathing system--the bucket shower.  Quite simply, you fill the bucket with hot water, soap down what needs to get clean, and rinse off with a small pail.  It was much more refreshing than I had anticipated and I think I could incorporate it into my summer routine as a personal sustainability initiative.



We are extremely lucky to have actual western toilets with running water.
In the back, you see our shower.  India is already an adventure and I love it.

 After that we split into little groups to explore MCC's campus.  The amount of wildlife that is just hanging out at MCC is almost staggering.  Just sitting on the porch you hear more animals than you ever knew even existed in a forest, and just walking around we encountered wild dogs, incredible numbers of deer, giant fruit bats (which make an awful racket), an assortment of interesting insects, and wild boar.  These animals are so acclimatized to human presence that they will practically come right up to you, especially the deer.

AGAIN, I WANTED TO UPLOAD AN EPIC PICTURE OF A DEER WITH GIGANTIC ANTLERS, BUT INDIA IS NOT COOPERATING. FIND AT FACEBOOK.



Joy, Serena, and I split off to go on our own adventure of MCC's campus.  We discovered an abandoned area with newly planted trees, stamped around to scare away potential snakes, watched an IBM cricket game (that could be you Dad), made some interesting cricket-friends (apparently I am looking VERY CUTE today), and finally headed back to the IGH in search of sunscreen. (Photos of these encounters can be found at facebook, see a pattern?)

Finally, we settled into the wicker chairs on the back veranda and chatted about all the things that had taken place since arriving.  It feels like we have been here forever, but all of the above occurred in the six hours we have been in the country (which includes the writing of this blog).  I cannot wait to see what is in store when we truly begin to explore this fascinating country.

Check in soon for more updates!

Elizabeth Cook

The future of India's energy production and the need for renewable resources

India today is facing a unique problem in regards to its energy production and distribution.  It is trapped between statuses as a developed and developing country, with limited infrastructure but a huge energy demand.  While the grid is extensive, it lacks reliability or stability to further expand production of India’s dire demand for energy.  As an expanding economy and population take greater precedence on the world stage, India needs to develop its energy policies that will bring power to all of its people, and do so in a way which may be sustained in the long run.  India should focus its development on establishing multipurpose power plants and transfer stations that allow the country to develop green-energies instead of stagnating in a fixed infrastructure that would require extensive retrofitting to make compatible with the energy trends of the future.

In America, we have such a well-developed energy infrastructure that it makes transition extremely difficult.  The cost of converting all of our home to run of electricity or geothermal energy would be so extensive that it could bankrupt our entire country.  India is not facing this problem, because the grid the country runs on now already requires replacing and updating.  India is a blank slate; if they choose to follow the American model, they may find themselves without power in a hundred years when fossil fuels are no longer viable. Instead, India should utilize its natural potential for wind, hydroelectric, and solar power (1).  Currently, India gets 22% of its electricity from hydro-power, twice as much as the United States (1).  Also, due to geography and land utilization, India has the potential to generate 20% of its electricity by wind-power (2).  If India could combine these large scale projects with government subsidizes domestic solar panels (to be placed on roofs, etc) they could be producing more than half on their energy needs with renewable energy.  By becoming more energy independent (India currently imports 2/3 of its petroleum, (2)), India could harness its current economic growth and propel itself to the top of the global economy.

While it has the resources and potential to become a great leader in green technology, India faces many domestic challenges to developing its energy potential.  The challenges of establishing these energy systems lie in India’s current energy grid.  It is essentially a patchwork of wires and power plants across India from which so many people steal that it cannot be properly paid for to implement new systems or make large changes.  Also, the grid is very unstable, especially during times of peak use (2). Green energies largely produce clean electricity, but this needs a large system to hold the energy in batteries or utilize it immediately.  If the grid were to go down, then all the electricity produced during that time period would be lost.  India needs to better record and regulate its energy distribution, as well as hold users accountable for their use.  With an increase in revenue, power companies would be better able to maintain their grids and make improvements.  With a more efficient system, this would bring energy prices down in the long term.

Investing in energies which produce less of an environmental impact will be essential to solving some of India’s most pressing social problems (1).  Currently, land degradation and pollution (from coal mines, etc.) are pushing huge populations into city slums.  The health and social impacts that arise from these communities puts huge stress on the entire urban area, as well as providing and insufficient quality of life for the urban poor.  By better preserving the air, land, and water quality of the rural areas (destroyed by unsustainable energy production) India could alleviate many of the socio-economic pressures which are increasing impacting health and well being in rural and urban areas.

All fossil fuels are reaching (or have reached) their peaks in production.  Non-renewables are no longer an option for long term planning, and a country like India which expanding rapidly, both economically and demographically, cannot afford to bank its future on the old systems of the 20^th century.  The country has the geographic potential to become a leader in sustainable energy production; now it needs to commit to the project.  Doing so would alleviate energy pressures, decrease the severity of urban slums, and ensure an independent India.

References

1

1) Arora, D. (2010). Indian Renewable Energy Status Report Background Report for DIREC 2010. Indian Renewable Energy Status Report, _. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://courses.furman.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=107596

2) South Asia. (2007). Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status in India. ICLEI South Asia, _. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.mnes.nic/

The Urban Poor: reality, risks, and solutions to healthcare problems

India is a country experiencing extreme demographic change.  While seventy percent of its people live in rural areas this figure is rapidly changing as people move to cities I search of better economic opportunities, making the urban sector the fastest growing population in India. Of the 300 million people living in cities, a third are in slums (3).  The plight of this urban poor is drastically different to the middle classes, or even the rural poor.  Extreme population density and a lack of sewage system makes these slums a center for disease and other health risks associated with a lack of clean water and sanitation.

The effects of the slum are evident in children mortality statistics; compared to urban or rural children, the urban poor are at extreme risk.  While the Infant Mortality Rate (IMF) for urban areas was about 48 (per 1000 live births), this number is almost 50% higher in slums at 73 deaths per 1000 live births.  This is an indicator of both infant and maternal health.  The conditions that the women are living in are directly affecting the health and growth of their children.  The controversy with slums and government intervention is that the government does not want to encourage these settlements by providing services, but the severity of the health impacts can reach beyond the slums such as spreading disease.  Currently, 30% of urban areas in Delhi have no access to sanitation whatsoever.  With open sewage in streets and not even a field to dump it in, residents are existing in their own filth.  Runoff takes this contamination into the water supply, which creates further health impacts for those living in the slums and also those living downstream (3). 

Another impact of slum development is the necessary land-cover change that takes place and the range of infectious diseases that follow.  When outlying land is deforested for shelter, fuel, and space, there are a number of environmental consequences which precipitate human morbidity and mortality.  By changing the size, shape, and distribution or these “wild” land areas, humans come into greater contact with wild animals and pathogens (1).  It has been determined that HIV was spread through an interaction between primates and humans; it is possible that proper land management and development would decrease the chance of a new worldwide pandemic disease crossing over from animals to humans.  Other less dramatic diseases do occur at greater rates in recently developed land areas; malaria is carried by mosquitos which breed in standing water.  Wetland modification projects would expose a greater number of people to a high risk of diseases carried by mosquitos including Malaria, Dengue fever, Japanese Encephalitis, West Nile virus, Rift Valley fever, and Yellow Fever (2).  These are just a few diseases which occur do to land development and are particularly pandemic in slums, where exposure is high and health care opportunities are scarce, inadequate, or sometimes dangerously ignorant.  The best solution is for the government or an NGO to somehow provide basic health care and sanitation to the urban poor.  This will benefit both the slums, but the health effects which emanate into the cities.

Currently, the greatest challenge to slum healthcare is an availability of doctors, a system of distribution of medical services, and the means of the people to pay for these treatments.  One popular proposed solution is to use medical students as the primary care givers, equip them with vans, and have the government pay for certain healthcare needs (3).  There is a mutual benefit for the medical student who would work in these areas; the students would gain useful and “real-world” knowledge while still providing informed care to the patients.  Additionally, as part of their medical training this work would go unpaid and not cost the government or the patients anything.  The vans are a relatively cheap and upfront investment.  They give the project momentum and encourage the active participation of medical staff in areas they would otherwise avoid. Lastly, the medical supplies paid for by the state would be basic but could mean the difference between life and death for millions of urban slum dwellers.  Vaccinations for infants and children alone would make a marked difference in IMR and under 5 mortality rates, and this cost may even be covered by United Nations grant money.

So, while the issues of the urban poor are complex and many, there are a few fundamental changes which could quickly and cheaply be made to increase the quality of life in India’s cities.

References

1) Earth materials and health: research priorities for earth science and public health (pp. 99-111). (2007). Earth Perturbations and Health Impacts. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.

2) Mosquito-borne diseases, infectious disease information, NCID, CDC. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm

3) Yadav, K., Nikhil, S., & Pandav, C. (2011). Urbanization and Health Challenges: Need to Fast Track Launch of the National Urban Health Mission. Indian Journal of Community Medicine , _. Retrieved September 23, 2011, from http://courses.furman.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=106513

Microcredit and Women's Empowerment

My particular approach to politics and life often leans towards a focus on smaller, more local solutions to problems.  It may have something to do with being raised in a small town and in a small state, but the local approach of microcredit and “village banks” seems like a near-perfect model for lifting people out of poverty. What makes this model so impressive is its ability to pool capital, create bonds of interdependence between women, empower women to make major decisions in and out of their households, and to accomplish this without becoming indebted to their husbands or major banking corporations. 

The heart of these “self-help groups” or SHGs is regular village women; they are historically proven to be more productive with funds from loans and they repay the loans at a rate of 98% (Thomas and Sinha, 2009) and make the women safer from an investment standpoint.  This may be for a variety of reasons, either they are more committed to providing for their families than their male counterparts, or are under greater social pressure to fulfill their roles as caretakers.  It is thought that when the financial agreements are between village women, there is a conscious or unconscious feeling of peer pressure which keeps the women honest and prompt in their repayment.

The main goal of microcredit is for a community to provide a small loan to a woman looking to make an investment that will offer a return and lift her family out of poverty and all that goes with it (Kothari and Gupta).  For example, if a young mother were to accept a loan and invest that money into a small from-home business, she may be able to support herself and her family.  With this financial independence she has options: if her husband is unjust in his treatment, she can leave him without worrying her children will starve; she can send her kids to school and offer them a better opportunity than she had herself; she can make choices, which is probably a power she has never had before.  This seemingly simple power has some unexpected consequences (Thomas and Sinha, 2009).

SHGs have a very positive effect on the mental health of women.  When the women meet in a group and discuss their issues (not just financial) they create a support group for each other.  By seeing that their opinions and input have merit, there is a noticeable growth in self-esteem.  This can go a long way in treating mental imbalances like depression.  Just knowing that she is not alone in her struggles, a woman can overcome a variety of other pressures coming from her family and community.  This self-esteem can be an observed and learned behavior for this woman’s children.  If they learn from their primary caregiver that she is a strong woman worth respect, it will breed an entirely new generation, one with a few less prejudices.

If these self-help groups are so glorious and perfect and wonderful, you would wonder why not everyone would be crawling over themselves to be a part of them.  While the village banks are a center of support, they can also be a source of exclusivity.  When the women agree on who is to receive a loan, unmarried or older women are often marginalized.  The SHG creates its own rules and prejudices; a hierarchy of who is more deserving means that some women are still outcasts to a degree.  Then, there are the women who do not get to participate in these SHGs at all.  Women who either work so many hours they cannot make the time to attend, or are from such a lowly caste that they would not be accepted. It is unfortunate because these are the women most likely in need of financial help and companionship (Thomas and Sinha, 2009).  It is also the sake, that many of these village banks are investing their money in projects which do not reap long term reward.  Women are asking for money to repay previous loans or to purchase dowries.  There is still a positive social effect, but it does nothing to financially lift these families out of poverty (Thomas and Sinha, 2009).

Microcredit is a novel idea which has far reaching consequences in establishing social and financial opportunities for women. Since its inception in the 1980s, it has served to lift some people right out of poverty, and the magic of this is that they are doing it almost entirely themselves.  What other people are being held back based on their sex or social position?  If we can further facilitate the growth of these self-help groups, then we can give women an opportunity to remake poverty in India. 

Sources:

Kothari, V., & Gupta, N. (n.d.). Micro Credit in India: Overview of regulatory scenario. Micro Credit in India: Overview of regulatory scenario. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from www.vinodkothari.com/Micro%20Credit%20in%20India%20-%20Overview%20of%20the%20Regulatory%20Scenario.pdf

Thomas, R., & Sinha, J. W. (2009). A Critical Look at Microfinance and NGOs in Regard to Poverty REduction for Women.. Social Development Issues, 31(2). Retrieved September 13, 2011, from http://courses.furman.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=103026

Economic, Social, and Political Implications Arising from India’s Water Crisis

India is a country whose dependence on water is growing even more quickly than its population.  With monsoons, floods, and droughts occurring with such regularity, there are those who face extreme difficulties in handling how much water do or do not have.  While floods come as regularly as the monsoon, arid land is facing such water scarcity that the future for entire states looks bleak.  Since independence, water per capita has dropped from 6,008m³ to 2,384m³ as of 2000 (Singh, 2007).  Due to increased population pressure and industrial and agricultural innovations, India is neither capable of harnessing enough water to provide for its entire people, nor is its infrastructure capable of preventing massive rainfalls from causing extreme devastation.

Floods are particularly troubling in India because of the regular destruction they wreak, costing on average 1,600 lives a year, as well as homes for more than 30 million people and 8 million hectares of agricultural land (Singh, 2007).  Starting with the economic effects, this is a massive amount of land left unusable; it is only the technological advances which began in the Green Revolution that keep India’s agricultural productivity up, while accounting for lost land means that there is truly little growth.  What does this mean for a growing population who has stagnated in their food production?  Future floods could lead to loss of enough cropland to send India back to the days of famine.  Without the ability to work the land, millions are left displaced and have no resources to rebuild with.  This can have a fallout effect in regards to health, education, and social stability in rural India.  However, flooding is not limited to rural areas.  Urban flooding is common due to the number of impermeable surfaces seen in cities.  Poor infrastructure and the sheer amount of water that is deposited during monsoon rains means that the water often has nowhere to go but into streets and buildings.  The damage caused by this constant flooding puts a great deal of economic pressure on city-dwellers, and may affect their choices in regards to budgeting for medical treatment and education.  The link between environment and social stability is clear.

Droughts have other implications and problems for India.  Areas that are identified as water stressed or scarce are the most likely to be affected by drought, and these tend to be arid or semi-arid areas (Singh, 2007).  Rajasthan is an area particularly affected by both drought and subsequently groundwater depletion (Singh, 2007; Rodell, 2009).  The arid nature of states like Rajasthan and the industrialization of agriculture to include massive irrigation, makes what was once a more nomadic but stable area into a population dependent on a constant water supply in an environment which is prone to drought (Rodell, 2009).  Data from the GRACE satellite has proven that groundwater in the area is being depleted at a rate of 17.7+/- 4.5 km³yr^-1 (Rodell, 2009); this area includes major metropolises like Delhi and the wealthy state of Haryana.  Lack of water to these states and territories would be extremely destabilizing to the entire country as major centers for wealth and government.

Singh presents two possible strategies for dealing with water distribution issues.  Broadly, India could choose to deal with water issues with a structural approach or a non-structural approach.  In cities, it may be prudent to increase structural solutions like dams, canals, and drainage.  Cities are not going to disappear due to natural disaster, no matter how prudent (look to New Orleans and Katrina).  It is better to protect the cities while harnessing the benefits of dams and reservoirs to provide for the power and water needs of the population living there.  For more rural areas that are experiencing greater scarcity, the solution may lie in non-structural solutions like emigration.  If an area is no longer capable of supporting life, people will move on their own accord eventually. It makes sense for the government to support this to try to prevent issues that often result from movements or environmental refugees.

How India deals with its water in the coming decades will make or break the entire country.  With a booming population and increasing temporal and spatial water displacement, India will be affected from the bottom up in its economic power, social stability, and strength of government.  If water issues are allowed to progress to the point of acute crisis, the center of India’s government in Delhi will be facing such a shortage that it will be unable to take action to help the country. Action must be taken now to have a positive and lasting effect.