CHAPTER 23

WATER MANAGEMENT ISSUES:

POPULATION, AGRICULTURE,
AND FOREST a FOCUS on
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
K. G. TEJWANI

by : Anna Mariana Situngkir

The water management issues is related to :

1. Fresh water :
A limited, renewable natural resource
Unevenly distributed
2. Land :
A limited, non-renewable resource
Land is essential to grow food, fiber, fodder, and fuel
10.5% of the land area in the world is under arable crops, 31.3%
under forest and woodland, and 24.3% under permanent pasture.
3. Population:
An limited, exponentially-expanding resource
Population of humans and the livestock is a critical
factor
increase pressure on land resource
4. Irrigation :
It is essential that the water carry as little sediment as possible.

The major means to increase the intensity of crops.

MANAGING THE LAND WATER VEGETATION SYSTEM:

1. Should know factors that determine runoff such as rainfall (intensity
and duration), soil characteristics and condition, topography (length
and degree of slope), land use, land management and cover
(vegetation) management and practices .
FAO (1986) has classified types of watershed in the Asia Pasific region
Watershed
Population
Current Rating for
as follow :
Description

Pressure

Watershed Description

Hydrologic Disturbance
Current Rating for Hydrologic
and Soil Erosion due to
Disturbance
Biotic
Interfence and Soil Erosion
Low
due to Biotic Interfence
but Low, but increasing

Population
Pressure

Predominantly pastoral
Predominantly forested

Low
Low,
Predominantly pastoral
Low increasing
Low
PredominantlyPredominantly
forested farming
Low, High
but
HighLow, but increasing
Predominantly intensive High
Medium to high
increasing
shifting cultivation
PredominantlyPredominantly
farming extensive
High Low
LowHigh
Predominantlyshifting
intensive
Low (Indonesia)
cultivation High
Predominantly plantation High
Medium
shifting cultivation
cash crops
PredominantlyBarren
extensive
Low Low
Low
and degraded
Medium to high
Arid and semi-arid
Low,
but Low, but medium to high
shifting cultivation
pockets
where
Predominantly plantation High concentrated in Medium
in pockets
population
is
cash crops
concentrated

Barren and degraded

Arid and semi-arid

Low

Medium to high, in Indonesia

is still low
Low,
but Low, but medium to high in
concentrated in pockets where population is

MANAGING THE LAND WATER VEGETATION SYSTEM:

2.

Soil erosion and hydrologic disturbance

Erosion causes :
- Geologic : In India in the 1950s estimated about 6,000 million tonnes of
soil were eroded by water every year. (Kanwar: vide Vohra, 1981)
- Population pressure : the densely populated drainage basins in Java
are much more disturbed that those having low population densities
such as Kalimantan
The impact of forest use or conversion for erotion rate in watersheds
Forest use or conversion activity

Erosion rate at
site
Minor forest product gathering tapping, but no No change
tree cutting
Shifting cultivation, fallow sufficiently long to Low
sustain the system; sustainable harvesting; and
improved watershed protection logging
Shifting cultivation short fallow
High
Commonly
used
logging
practices; Increase
wild/uncontrolled; conversion of natural forest of
tree plantation; conversion to grassland; and
unscientific management with no concern for soil Slight increase
conservation
Modest
Scientific management concern for conserving increase

The impact of forest use or conversion in

watersheds

The impact of forest use or conversion in

watersheds

There are 2 kinds of biophysical, social, and economic

factors which lead to hydrologic disturbance, soil erosion
and water mismanagement :
1. Beyond the control of humans :
Geology, geomorphology, and rainfall.
Example : Himalayan rivers carry far more sediment
and much coarser material than the non-Himalayan
rivers.
2. Human intervention :
Population pressure
* Forest land
Misuse of land
* Agroforestry practices
Shifting cultivation
* Common lands
Settled agriculture
* Development
Mismanagement of land
Small farm sizes

Water mismanagement and soil erosion lead to watershed

degradation with adverse ecological, economics and social
impacts :
a. Ecological impact :
Losses of fish and fish breeding grounds, loss of inland
water transport due to sedimentation of streams, flood, loss of
water resource, and loss of soil fertility, rooting depth, and land
resource
b. Economics impact :
Property lost : effective life of reservoirs is reduced due to
runoff from hydrologically-disturbed watershed because carry
high charges of sediment.
Loss of food production and industrial output.
High cleaning and maintenance cost if the canals are choked
up with silt laden waters.
c. Social impacts : Population pressure, awareness, people participation
Participation of the people must be ensured and encouraged,
activities all sectoral departments which act on land and water
uses must be coordinated.

PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES PROMOTING WATER

MANAGEMENT :
a. Agricultural lands : soil conservation by terracing, draining, contour
planting and bunding.
Soil conversation programmes were initiated in the early 1930s in
India.
b. Other land uses :
Protection of major catchment areas and drainage basins by means of
forest reserves.
Preservation of natural vegetation on the poorer soils of the country.
Preservation of belts of forest and natural vegetation on the better
lands to form wind-breaks.
Protection of stream banks and steep hillslopes under powers of the
forest laws.
Maintenance of the village forest areas which should normally occupy
land unsuitable for agriculture.

STRATEGIES AND POLICIES FOR BETTER WATER

MANAGEMENT :
Water management is the rational utilization of land and
water resources for optimum production with minimum
hazard to the natural resources. It is related to soil and water
conservation, protecting land from deterioration, building and
maintaining soil fertility, conserving water for farm use,
proper management for drainage, flood control, sediment
reduction, and increasing production.
The strategy and policy depends on the population density,
forestry, agriculture, and general development.

Example : Sierra Leone, West Africa

Condition :
Supports only 48 persons per sq. Km (less densely population),
has wide area, does not irrigate any land, no significant use of
fertilizer.
The relevant strategies and policies for managing the land and
water systems :
Wean the people from shifting cultivation in the uplands
Encourage settled agriculture and agroforestry in the uplands
Utilize the vast unexploited potential of its inland valley swamps
Riverine grasslands by expanding the area under cultivation and
practicing intensive management
Introduce coconut palm, encourage oil palm and other cash
crops
Build drainage as well as flood control
Develop hydro-power and irrigation potential.

Example : Kerala, Southern India

Condition :
Supports 655 persons per sq. km. (heavy dense population),
cultivates 56.1 % of its land, irrigates 62.4 % of its cropped land
The relevant strategies and policies for managing the land and
water systems :

Need to extent the area under irrigation

Make better use of the irrigation potential
Practice intensive cropping management and develop
industry
Protect the remaining forest
Practice the afforestation to meet the needs of its high
population

The issues on water management are :

Population pressure = key issue

Simultaneous treatment of reservoir catchment
Development of the irrigation compared area
The availability of research facilities for watershed
management programmes and trained manpower.
Equitable fiscal policies : to determine who pays, for
what works, and how much for each work.
People awareness and participation
Manpower planning and training
Legislation
Coordination

THANK YOU
DANK U