University in water research

RESEARCHERS from Dundee University are exploring the impact that an increasing population and rapid economic development are having on water resources.

The £2 million UPSCAPE project is being carried out in the Cauvery river basin i n I ndia, and i s funded by t he Natural Environmental Research Council in the UK and the Ministry of Earth Sciences in India.

Dundee University is one of six UK-based partners working with Indian organisations to better understand trends in water use and management in order to help protect the availability of water in the region.

Professor John Rowan, dean of social sciences at t h e u n i v e r s i t y, s a i d : “UPSCAPE is a collaborative project between many UK and Indian partners that will allow us to build a comprehensive understanding of water availability in the Cauvery basin and how climate and changing land management practices may impact on secure and sustainable food supplies in the future.

“Our work aims to bridge the gap between research and policy through the creation of a hydrological model that can be used by water managers and regulatory officials to make better management decisions across basin.”

Professor Rowan is in India this week as part of a Scottish delegation of government and university representatives exploring further collaboration between India and Scottish higher education.