ABSTRACT

Climate change presents a serious threat to the already significant water scarcity in many countries and cities. Chennai, one of the largest metropolitan areas in southern India, faces this predicament, but from a situation of water supplies that are deteriorating for other reasons. This chapter describes the impact of recent climatic variations on the rivers (the three rivers are the Coovum, Adayar, and the Kotalaiyar) that supply Chennai with its water. Of these, the Cooum and Adayar are highly contaminated with domestic waste and effluent, and are very saline due to saltwater intrusion from the Bay of Bengal. In addition, local water supply data show that, even with an annual rainfall of between 700 mm and 1,100 mm, Chennai has an absolute water shortage. While augmentation policies are in place based on local rivers and other sources, this chapter highlights the need for the proper implementation of use restrictions and alleviation schemes in community water supplies, and the importance of local feedback in management schemes for urban areas that straddle river basin boundaries.

Sharanya Sethuram PhD is at UCLA as a researcher in the Environmental LA Grand Challenge Project, Los Angeles, USA.

Malcolm Cooper PhD is Emeritus Professor, College of Asia Pacific Studies, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Beppu, Japan.