Peri-Water Security Essay

Peri-urban areas results of the process of urbanization – commonly defined as the landscape interface between rural and urban transition zone. They are areas where the village and the city mix and clash with increasing conversion of agricultural land to urban spaces. These areas generally provide resources for urban expansion and in return urban waste. Uncontrolled urbanization leads to infringement of resources, dislocation of biodiversity and destabilizes the natural resource security of communities in peri-urban areas. Climate change further aggravates the state/conditions of these areas.
The CoCooN – CCMCC project on peri-urban water security is investigating how urbanization and climate change shape peri-urban water insecurity and the
As of recent times peri-urban communities cannot rely on this system due to uncertainty of the water in the source. As an alternative source farmers are using wastewater from Hanumante River from years. Yet, the dependency on wastewater from the Hanumante River is increasing annually with increasing unreliability of water quantity from the Raj Kulo. The peri-urban communities have developed their own way to cope up with the situation.
Farmers constructed dug wells however, the discharge from those wells does not meet their water demand. They use it to wash and clean vegetables products before taking it to market. Apart from existing canal system, along the river it is common to see innumerable electric and diesel generators pumping water via temporary piped networks to supply water to agricultural land. Some farmers ensure that the needed amount of water will reach their field, and also developed micro channels within their land to distribute the water evenly across their
Due to urban sprawl, VDCs are turning into Municipalities triggering changes in planning as sewage systems are being constructed. Water is sufficient for upstream users, however, compared to downstream users access to Kulo is blocked by new buildings.
Climate change is further aggravating the situation as wastewater irrigation is becoming more common with climate change, especially changes in rainfall patterns (the shifting monsoon seasons; and higher evapotranspiration rates during the summer influencing water availability and quality). Wastewater is commonly used to irrigate vegetables and wheat, and in some cases paddy’s. Potable water is used from wells to wash their agricultural produce for selling in the urban markets. These farmers have been practicing wastewater irrigation for many years. However, the quality and safety of the water in these dug wells may be an issue of concern as this may have some influence on groundwater quality in this area,