Traditional water bodies and urban resilience: a historical perspective from Bengaluru, India

Resilience of a city is a measure of its ability to retain or adapt form and function in the possibility of change. This is particularly true of urban water security in a water scarce world. One component of urban water resilience is that provided by historical and traditional water sources such as lakes, ponds, and stepwells. Unfortunately, as cities lose dependence on these formerly important water bodies, they stand neglected and vulnerable to various threats. This paper makes a case for returning to historical reasons for use and disuse of these water bodies in order to conserve them in the contemporary period. We adopt a geospatial–historical–ethnographic approach to understanding these transformations within the south Indian city of Bengaluru and argue that alienation of communities and lack of inclusivity are the main reasons for their decline. This poses serious implications for prevalent notions of ecosystem stewardship and ultimately for the resilience of the landscape