About the Editors xix

List of Contributors xxiii

Preface xxix

1 Management Challenges of Water Resources in Sikkim Mountain Regions 1
Anil K. Misra, Om P. Kaptan, Priyanka Kumari, Krity Rai, Rakesh K. Ranjan, Nishchal Wanjari, and Subash Dhakal

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Water Resources in Sikkim 6

1.3 Management Challenges 14

1.4 Future Adaptation Strategies and Options 16

References 17

2 Basin-Scale Estimation of Runoff Components Using the SPHY Model: A Case Study of the Koshi River Basin, Central Himalaya 21
Kiran Bishwakarma, Fan Zhang, Jharana Nepal, Guanxing Wang, Yuxuan Xiang, Ramesh R. Pant, and Narayan P. Khanal

2.1 Introduction 21

2.2 Materials and Methods 23

2.3 Results 29

2.4 Discussion 36

2.5 Conclusion 38

Acknowledgments 38

References 39

3 Assessment and Prediction of Water Yield in the Chandra Basin, Western Himalaya, India: Using Physical Basis SWAT Model and Machine Learning 43
Sobhana Mummaneni, Vinay K. Gaddam, Gnana S.S.V. Mendu, Nihitha Vemulapalli, Smitha C. Ch, and Sayyad Fazal Rahman Khadri

3.1 Introduction 43

3.2 Study Area 47

3.3 Methodology 49

3.4 Conclusion(s) 59

Acknowledgments 60

Ethical Approval and Responsibilities of Authors 60

Consent to Participate 60

Consent to Publish 60

Funding 60

Competing Interests 60

Author(s) Contributions 61

Availability of Data and Materials 61

References 61

4 Assessment of Suspended Sediment Properties and Particle Load for Optimal Operation of Hydropower Plants in the Himalayan Region 65
Naman Arora, Arun Kumar, and Sunil K. Singal

4.1 Introduction 65

4.2 Hydropower in India 66

4.3 Challenges of Hydropower Development in the Himalayas 66

4.4 Impact of Sediment on HPP 67

4.5 Alaknanda River Basin 68

4.6 Sutlej River Basin 69

4.7 Suspended Sediment Properties 71

4.8 Conclusion 76

References 76

5 Hydrochemistry and Quality Assessment of High-Altitudinal Kareri Lake, Northwest Himalaya, Himachal Pradesh, India 85
Pawan Kumar, Ambrish K. Mahajan, Deepak Kumar, and Anil Kumar

5.1 Introduction 85

5.2 Information of the Study Site 87

5.3 Methodology 88

5.4 Results and Discussion 89

5.5 Hydrochemistry of the Lake 89

5.6 Qualitative Characteristics of Lake 92

5.7 Pearson Correlation Coefficient 92

5.8 Comparison of Different Parameters of Kareri with Other Himalayan Lakes 93

5.9 Conclusion 93

References 96

6 Water Quality Assessment of Lakes in Mountain Region with Spatial Reference to Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India 99
Piyali Sabui, Shakshee Soni, Ayushii Yadav, and Pallavi Das

6.1 Introduction 99

6.2 Study Area and Site Description 102

6.3 Results and Discussion 104

6.4 Conclusion 108

Acknowledgement 109

References 109

7 Hydrogeochemical Evaluation of Groundwater Quality in Leh Town, Trans-Himalaya, India Using Entropy Water Quality Index 113
Lobzang Chorol and Sunil K. Gupta

7.1 Introduction 113

7.2 Materials and Methods 115

7.3 Results and Discussions 121

7.4 Conclusions 129

Acknowledgment 129

References 130

8 Revival of Drying Springs in Mountainous Regions of the Himalayas – Inferences from an Isotope Hydrochemical Study 135
Tirumalesh Keesari, Diksha Pant, Hemant Mohokar, and Vinod Khatti

8.1 Introduction 135

8.2 Study Area 136

8.3 Rainfall and Climate 137

8.4 Sampling and Analytical Techniques 139

8.5 Chemical Species 140

8.6 Stable Isotopes (δ 2 H, and δ 18 O) 140

8.7 Radioactive Isotope (3 H) 141

8.8 Results and Discussion 141

8.9 Discharge Rate Analysis 141

8.10 Hydrochemistry 146

8.11 Environmental Isotopes 147

8.12 Isotopic Inferences and Recommendations 152

8.13 Impact of Artificial Recharge Measures 154

8.14 Conclusions 154

Acknowledgment 158

References 158

9 Biogeochemical Characterization of Water Resources in the Indian Himalayan Regions 161
Sayantan Das, Aman Verma, Saurabh K. Sharma, and Nidhi Verma

9.1 Introduction 161

9.2 Factors Impacting Water Resources 162

9.3 Monitoring, Assessment, Management, and Treatment 165

9.4 Case Studies 168

9.5 Conclusion 172

9.6 Future Directions 172

References 173

10 Mountainous Water Resources: Understanding Microbial Dynamics, Ecological Resilience, and Sustainable Management Strategies amidst Climatic Challenges 181
Deepansha Raina, Devansh Kumar, Ashita S. Khasa, Mohit Marwah, Sunila Hooda, and Shalini Swami

10.1 Introduction 181

10.2 Microbial Dynamics and Mountainous Water Resources 182

10.3 Climatic Challenges and Extreme Climatic Affairs 184

10.4 Mountainous Ecological Resilience 187

10.5 Strategies for Sustainable Management 188

10.6 Vulnerability and Adaptability 192

10.7 Case Reports and Best Practices 195

10.8 Potential for Research and Future Routes 197

10.9 Conclusion 198

References 199

11 Modeling the Glacier Energy and Mass Budget of the Phuche Glacier in the Cold-arid Trans-Himalayan Region, Ladakh Range 207
Jaydeo Kumar Dharpure, Ajanta Goswami, Akansha Patel, Sanjay Kumar Jain, and Anil Vishnupant Kulkarni

11.1 Introduction 207

11.2 Study Area 208

11.3 Data and Methods 210

11.4 Results 213

11.5 Discussion 226

11.6 Conclusion 229

Acknowledgment 229

Funding 230

References 230

12 Estimation of Ice Thickness and Glacier-Stored Water of the Teesta Basin, Eastern Himalayas, Sikkim, India 237
K. Shruti and M. Geetha Priya

12.1 Introduction 237

12.2 Study Area 240

12.3 Data Used 243

12.4 Methodology 243

12.5 Results 246

12.6 Discussion 249

12.7 Conclusion 250

Acknowledgments 251

References 251

13 Snowmelt Runoff Estimation Using Landsat 8 Snow Cover Area Products in Beas River Basin, Western Himalayan via SRM Degree-Day Modeling Approach 257
Gopinadh Rongali, Ashok K. Keshari, Ashvani K. Gosain, Rakesh Khosa, and Raghavendra Ashrit

13.1 Introduction 257

13.2 Description of the Study Area 259

13.3 Methodology 260

13.4 Data Used 268

13.5 Results and Discussion 269

13.6 Conclusions 276

Acknowledgments 277

References 277

14 Management of Water Resources Through the Application of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Satpuda Mountainous Terrain, Madhya Pradesh, India 281
S.F.R. Khadri, S.F.A. Khadri, Mayura D. Deshmukh, and Vinay K. Gaddam

14.1 Introduction 281

14.2 Climate and Vegetation 281

14.3 Geomorphological Studies 284

14.4 Structural Hill 287

14.5 Water Resource Management of Satpuda Mountainous Terrain 294

14.6 Summary and Conclusions 296

Acknowledgments 296

References 297

15 Assessment and Management of Flash Floods in the India Himalayas: Challenges, Strategies, and Solutions 301
Tanveer Dar and Kainat Aziz

15.1 Introduction 301

15.2 Causes of Flash Flood 302

15.3 Flooding in Major River Basins of India 303

15.4 Dynamics of Flash Floods in the Himalayan Region 306

15.5 Factors Affecting Flash Floods 308

15.6 Mitigation Strategies for Flash Floods 311

15.7 Concluding Remarks 314

References 315

16 Critical Perspectives on Climate Change and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods’ Impact in the Himalayas: Policy Inferences from the South Lhonak Flood of 2023 319
Arpan Sharma, Narpati Sharma, and Mousumi Gupta

16.1 Introduction 319

16.2 Outbursts and Climate Change Impact in the Last Century 320

16.3 Warnings and South Lhonak Lake Outburst Flood 325

16.4 Inferences from the South Lhonak Lake Outburst Flood 329

16.5 Conclusion 330

References 330

17 A Comprehensive Review on Water Resource Vulnerability to Climate Change in the Mountain Region of India 335
Deepika Dimri, Ambika Kumar, and Shalini Singh Chhetri

17.1 Introduction 335

17.2 The Documented Consequences of Climate Change 336

17.3 Summary and Conclusion 346

References 346

18 Rainfall Intensity and Return Periods of Extreme Rainfall Over the Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India 355
Deen D. Khandelwal, Manish Mehta, and Dwarika P. Dobhal

18.1 Introduction 355

18.2 Study Area and Environmental Setting 356

18.3 Data and Methodology 357

18.4 Result and Discussion 360

18.5 Conclusions 364

Acknowledgments 365

References 365

19 Traditional Techniques of Rainwater Management and Conservation in the Mountainous Regions of North-East India 369
Liza G. Kiba, Chitrasen Lairenjam, Arbind Kumar Verma, Prem Ranjan, and Grace Nengzouzam

19.1 Introduction 369

19.2 Water Resources of NER 372

19.3 Traditional Water Management Techniques in NER 373

19.4 Challenges in the Water Management System 378

19.5 Conclusion 379

Acknowledgment 379

References 379

20 Sustainable Management of Groundwater Along the Foothills Focusing on Mountain Front Recharge: A Global Review and Status with Regard to Indian Context 383
Banajarani Panda, Sabarathinam Chidambaram, Nagappan Ganesh, Subhashree Biswal, and Bedour Alsabti

20.1 Introduction 383

20.2 Estimation Methods 385

20.3 Estimation of MFR 389

20.4 “MFR” Perspectives 390

20.5 Mountain Groundwater Under Climate Change 390

20.6 Major MF Aquifers in India and its Significance in Recharging Groundwater 393

20.7 A Case Study on Hydrochemical Approach to Estimate MFR in Tamil Nadu, India 394

20.8 Conclusion and Future Work 398

Acknowledgment 399

References 399

Index 409

An up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of mountainous region water resource management

In Water Resources Management in Mountain Regions, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an up-to-date survey of mountain region hydrology, including the assessment, dynamics, and modeling of glaciers, rivers, and lakes, as well as coverage of the impact of climate change and anthropogenic activities on mountain ecosystems. The authors discuss the challenges posed for those attempting to sustainably manage water resources and explain the impacts of those challenges on water yield, water quality, and the risk of flash flooding.

The book includes several case studies from the Himalayan mountain range, which serves as a model region for both medium-high and very high-altitude water resources. It also examines traditional methods of water resource management and conservation and their relevance for 21^st century strategies.

Readers will also find:

• A thorough introduction to the management challenges of water resources in the Sikkim Mountain regions
• Comprehensive explorations of the microbial dynamics, ecological resilience, and sustainable management strategies of mountainous water resources
• Practical discussions of the application of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing in Satpuda mountainous terrain
• Complete examinations of water resource vulnerability to climate change in the mountain regions of India

Perfect for scientists and other professionals working in surface and subsurface hydrology, environmental management, and climate science, Water Resources Management in Mountain Regions will also prove invaluable to professionals working in companies and governmental institutions involved in water resource exploitation and conservation, hydroelectric power generation, and disaster prevention.