The coastal city of Chennai, the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, has a population of about 10.6 million people (census 2019). It is one of the largest cultural, economic, and educational centres of South India.
Chennai is also the largest industrial and commercial centre of South India, where the economy is anchored mostly in secondary and tertiary activities, such as automobile, software services, hardware manufacturing, financial services and textiles. Near the city Chennai, there are two industrial zones: Siruseri and Sriperumbudur. In additional to the two industrial zones, Muttukadu-Kovalam on the south is also a growing business area.
The unit of analysis is set as the sixteen subdistricts that are entirely within the basin boundaries and in addition, four districts that are partially included.
Water scarcity risk is visualized per municipality based on hazard (water gap), vulnerability , exposure components.
A risk score of 0 indicates lowest level of risk whereas 1 is the highest. Results shown for a selected time-period and a user group.
The WaterLOUPE water scarcity risk analysis shows the relative risks for the different sectors and user groups, now and in the future. The presented risk level of the area is the result of a combination of the hazard (drought conditions, reduced water availability), the exposure of water users in different sectors (domestic, nature, and economic) and the vulnerability levels of the different water users in the basin.
Risk is expressed through the Water Scarcity Risk Index (WSRI), as a standardized measure of risk that can range from 0 (low or no risk) to 1 (maximum risk) at district-level and per consumer group/sector.
WSRI index score is calculated by aggregating hazard, exposure and vulnerability scores, each quantified first separately.
This chart provides information about water demand for the different sectors as well as the water availability for the selected sub basin. The information is averaged per 10 years.
This graph shows the total demand and availability for the selected sub basin and scenario over time. The graph presents monthly averages of water availability and demand.
This map summarizes the water gap index scores of each subdistrict for the current (2010-2020) and future conditions through the color scheme from red (high hazard) to green (low hazard).
Calculated water gap scores are generally low (< 0.4) accross the entire basin indicated by the dominance of the green color.
Exposure to water gap is shown on the left, with a color scale ranging from red (highest) to green (lowest). Results are shown per sector.
Spatial variability of exposure is highest for the agriculture sector and the rural population above poverty line. For the remaining groups/sectors, exposure values are similar accros all sub-basins.
A next step when improving the water security in a basin, is the development of water scarcity solution strategies with all stakeholders. The solution strategies are expected to improve the water security at short to medium time scales, but should also enable the possibility to adapt to future changes (both climatic and socioeconomic).
In the first phases of the development of solution strategies, the results of the water scarcity risk analyses provide information to prioritize areas, sectors, and user groups with high risk and basin characteristics needed to evaluate the technical, environmental, financial, economic and political suitability of measures in that specific basin.
To compose a water scarcity solution strategy, various mitigation and adaptation measures need to be combined. To evaluate the suitability of measures for the specific basin information about their physical, environmental, socio-economic, and political characteristics context should be clear to all stakeholders.
WaterLOUPE 2.0 contains an information catalogue that provides such information for a range of water scarcity solution measures. The information catalogue can be viewed here.