Nature-Based Solutions for Water in the Peri-Urban: Case Study Brief - India, Udaipur

This case study concerns a unique lake system situated in the semi-arid, western state of Rajasthan, in and around the historic city of Udaipur. This lake system, connecting the urban and peri-urban spaces, represents an integrated nature-based solution (NBS) rooted in rainwater harvesting. The stage of NBS can be described as monitoring and evaluation, since it has been in place for more than 400 years and needs action for protection and improvement. The Udaipur Lake system ensures water sustainability in an otherwise water-scarce area where the groundwater has quality problems and there is lack of perennial water source, and also helps in flood cushioning. The network functions at a catchment scale and comprises more than 100 big and small, public and private, artificial (man-made) lakes, dependent on a number of ephemeral hill streams. In recent times, the lake system is becoming increasingly degraded in terms of both quality and quantity, with a large number of lakes encroached, colonized and polluted, in turn creating significant water cycle gaps. In this changing context, there is need to strengthen the NBS through rejuvenation and restoration of the lake system. This needs to be based upon an action plan which integrates local knowledge, resolves conflicts between different stakeholder interests, and actively engages local citizens. This case study was performed with two main aims in mind: 1) to analyse the historical factors underlying the sustainability of the Udaipur Lake system – considered along the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic); and 2) to identify the challenges that are increasingly threatening its sustainability in recent times. The ultimate purpose is to propose alternative polices and action-plans to remedy the situation and promote water sustainability in this semi-arid region.This Case Study Brief is part of a Series of nine international case study briefs published under Project NATWIP. The Series is edited by Sarah Hale and Amy Oen, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway