Abstract
In arid regions all around the globe, the major issue lies within the scarcity of fresh water. These biomes cover around 35 % of the land area, with 20 % of world’s population residing in them. Due to the continuous problem of global warming the semi-arid area of India has expanded by 10% in the recent decades and the newly formed semi-arid region in the northern India is 4% of the total land of the country, a survey carried out by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and Indian Institute for Human settlement, Bengaluru. Similarly, the trend has been seen in many other countries that are dependent on fossil fuels and synthetic ways of city life. The negligible amount of precipitation per year, lack of vegetation and high rate of evapotranspiration it becomes difficult for the authorities to manage and conserve water, precluding them to allow a continuous flow of it to various sectors of the city spectrum. Furthermore, the harsh climate of the arid regions prevent the availability of fresh water and put more weight on the advance technology such as desalination resulting in economic stress for a country further isolating people from the natural environment processes and depriving the city of potential ’Urban Green Lungs’. The aim of the paper is to address the issues and devise a plan to achieve a long term conservation of water and its resources through a design, based on technical, cultural, environmental and interacting processes. The framework will include the study of various methods of artificial recharge, wastewater utilization, groundwater recharge, reclamation of lost water reservoirs, rain water harvesting, introduction to ecological zones, studying of xerophytes plants and grasses and their impact on the salinity of the water found in inlets or shallow reservoir of sea water. Furthermore, the paper will discuss a restoration model proposed in phases to achieve the target. Phase-I would be delineation by studying the geology, physiography, hydrology, plant associations, water problems and water conservation methods and identifying potential sites with the help of community participation. Phase-II is applying various sustainable techniques of managing waste water at large city level. Phase-III is the conception and design of water reservoirs with planting process to create ecological character within the adjoining built fabric. Finally, phase-IV will commence with a community based monitoring plan underpinning Phase-I and finally through community participation by fractioning their inputs appropriately will become the best strategy to accomplish our goals.
