DECIPHERING HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSES OF SPRINGFLOW SYSTEMS IN THE LESSER INDIAN HIMALAYAS

Abstract

Springs are indispensable source of freshwater for mountain communities in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). These life-supporting springs are either drying up or becoming seasonal, causing hydrological imbalance in the fragile mountain watersheds due to rapid, unplanned urban growth and the mismanagement of vital natural resources resulting in water scarcity in these regions, drastically impacting the local inhabitants. Spring watershed or Springshed management, which is a transdisciplinary approach to address water security challenges for the areas that depend upon spring discharge, is essential for bolstering resilience and adaptation to water and climate vulnerabilities. But the complexity of geogenic, anthropogenic and climatic pressures together on the discharging spring aquifer besides multi-sectoral consumptive demands necessitates a comprehensive science-evidence based management optimization of spring water resources. Considering the water stress situation in the IHR there is an increasing need to understand the hydrology of Himalayan springsheds. Despite the importance of the mountain systems for regional hydrology and water supplies, the processes controlling water fluxes are not well understood; and we even poorly understand hydrologic responses connected to the region’s geology. Above all, the lack of dedicated observatories and information systems hamper improvements of the hydrologic dataset. The IHR is also highly sensitive to hydrologic variables over space and time therefore, a holistic process of understanding and high-quality reliable data from advanced field-observation techniques are necessary to understand hydrological processes. Springs which are the common sources of water for the communities in the IHR also urgently need measures to monitor the water quantity and quality to ensure water and livelihood security in the IHR. Keeping these knowledge gaps and concerns in mind a detailed investigative study which brings together the aspects of hydrology, hydrogeology, hydrogeochemistry and stable isotopic analysis has been conceptualized and executed while also integrating stakeholder welfare and participatory management in the research design. This research study investigates spring hydrological processes across three different regions in the lesser IHR in Uttarakhand, namely Almora, Pauri-Garhwal and Tehri-Garhwal.