The Ganges Water Diversion: Environmental Effects and Implications — An Introduction

摘要: Water is the most powerful agent in shaping earth’s surface through processes of rivers, glaciers, ground water, weathering, mass movement, and oceans. also an important element that played a pivotal role development world’s civilizations. Since dawn civilization, humans have harnessed water many different ways for their physical existence sustenance environment. They devised capturing, storing, purifying, diverting freshwater resources to reduce vulnerability highly variable river flows precipitation. Early agricultural civilizations developed regions where precipitation were abundant could be easily reliably harnessed. Humans extended water-based transportation systems sea travel trade. With growing need goods, commodities safer environment, altered natural hydrological cycle massive engineering projects diversion, flood control, urban rural supply, hydropower, navigation irrigation. The served human societies positive as well generated adverse effects. This book presents analytical account effects caused by diversions major works such barrages1 other structures built on Ganges River (Figure 1.1) South Asia.