Socio-hydrology: A Holistic Approach to Water-Human Nexus in Large Riverine Islands of India, Bangladesh and Vietnam

Changes in demography, land-use land cover and local climate have had a cumulative effect on local water bodies, resulting in unfavorable hydrological, ecological and environmental changes in major river systems. Communities on isolated riverine islands are particularly badly affected due to their poor adaptive capacities, a situation that is well documented in contemporary literature. The focal point for vulnerability among these communities lies in water resources (drinking water availability, agricultural water quality, salt-water intrusion, flooding etc.) and the future interaction between human and water systems. In light of the above, socio-hydrology is one relevant approach for enhancing social adaptive capacity and developing a resilient water environment. This research explores how the human–water nexus can be applied to improve adaptive measures for maintaining the hydrological cycle along with managing local water needs. Socio-hydrological models will be used to quantify feedback in terms of water resources and society at multiple scales, aiming to expedite stakeholder participation to facilitate sustainable management. The expected results will be useful in finding alternatives that explicitly account for different options to manage human-water interaction throughout the water cycle, thereby enhancing human well-being.