Water Sensitive Development of New Towns –A Regional Development Approach

Abstract

Water is an important natural resource which is becoming scarcer day by day. Conservation of water and exploring alternative sources is therefore important in the given context. The present paper addresses the issue of water sensitive development on a regional scale and tries to suggest skeletal guidelines for an action plan to be implemented as a part of national policy. Also the paper aims to look at the entire profile of the rural base and adjoining urban areas along with
the socio-economic characteristics, habitat conditions, settlement pattern, materials and technology incorporated for construction, successful case studies of revival of a few traditional water harvesting systems, the neglect in recent times, water sensitive development of hamlets on a regional scale and the role of architecture and planning in water sensitive development. It also explores the principles and strategies of run -off quality and quantity management along with flood management and integrated design that highlights economic, environmental and social benefits of such development. The paper endeavors to emphasize the regional context in water sensitive development rather than a settlement specific context as it is a much holistic approach considering the local macro and micro climate, flora, fauna and the drainage pattern.