The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is home to unique landscapes and cultures which attract everyone, from thrill seekers to pilgrims. However, the influx of visitors to the IHR is threatening the water supply of local communities who rely on groundwater springs to meet their needs.

Sanjeev Bhuchar is a senior watershed management specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has found that in the last few decades, the lean season of October to May has seen springs drying up rapidly, and water levels in the groundwater and surface water bodies declining to critical thresholds.

According to a 2018 NITI Aayog report, about 50 million inhabitants depend on springs in the IHR but nearly 50 per cent of the estimated 3 million springs have either dried up or become seasonal. The factors attributed to this reduction? Climate breakdown, rapid urbanisation, deforestation, land use change, changes in precipitation and increasing tourism, to name a few.

“Tourism is impacting in two significant ways: firstly, the demand for water from surface and groundwater resources, particularly springs, to meet tourists’ and tourism-related enterprises’ water needs is increasing multifold,” Bhuchar says to Outlook Traveller. “Communities and other stakeholders are going for deep boring to extract groundwater without any focus on recharging the aquifers where groundwater is stored and transmitted.

“Secondly, areas that recharge the aquifers are being concretised with the construction of infrastructure like roads, hotels and parking [facilities], leading to disruption [in the] groundwater recharge process and [the] drying up of springs. Additionally, the release of increasing sewage and other wastes into the stream and other water bodies is a serious concern.”

This depletion of groundwater impacts on the domestic, irrigation and cultural needs of the nearly 100 million people residing in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Of particular concern is the burden it increases on women and girls, who are traditionally responsible for fetching water. Furthermore, the depletion of groundwater and streams also leads to a loss of biodiversity, which is important for the ecosystem services they provide for both upstream and downstream communities.

In a bid to counter this alarming situation, Bhuchar and their team sprang into action by devising a pilot project intended to revive springs in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Along with the Advanced Centre for Water Resource Development and Management (ACWADAM), they formulated a six-step springshed management programme using scientific techniques and community knowledge. The steps included taking inventory of the springs; understanding the gender, social and governance systems related to springs and springsheds; identifying the recharge areas of critical springs through hydrogeology assessments; and implementing appropriate gender and socially-inclusive recharge measures.

Pilot projects were initiated in Bhutan, India and Nepal. As a result of the six-step management process, many drying springs were revived with increased water discharge, leading to a positive impact in the wellbeing of spring users, particularly women.

The team worked to strengthen the capacities of local communities and local governments so that they could allocate resources for springshed revival and management on their own. Bhuchar says that the evidence their team is gathering from these pilot projects is contributing to policies and programs for scaling up springshed management in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

One of the best things governments can do to protect and resurrect Himalayan springs is to invest in groundwater recharge measures and nature-based solutions alongside wastewater management and solid waste management processes, Bhuchar says. He wants governments to incentivise businesses and communities to embrace sustainable practices while disincentivising those who do not include good water management practices in their businesses.

Furthermore, they say the flow of tourism needs to be regulated to ensure sustainable tourism and environmental protection. A Niti Aayog document expected tourism to the Indian Himalayan Region to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9 per cent from 2013 to 2023.

“The flow of tourists into the IHR should be based on integrated township plans which consider the status and future scenarios of water resources. The role of local governments and local communities is very important in ensuring sustainable tourism. They must be empowered with skills, knowledge and financing for scaling good practices,” he says.

Bhuchar says that tourists visiting the IHR should minimise their water usage; refrain from using plastic; not discard their waste into drains, lakes and streams; stay in sustainably-run hotels and homestays; and adopt green products. He concedes that this would require “awareness, education and a radical change in their behaviour.”

"Moreover, they should be also made aware of the importance [and conservation] of springs and streams, as well as the links between springs and society," they say.