Academic Publication

Author Profile

Dr. Lalija V.K. is working as Research Associate at the Inter-University Centre for Alternative Economics (IUCAE), Department of Economics, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus. She has awarded Post-Doctorate in Economics from the University of Kerala in 2022. She has awarded PhD in Economics from the University of Kerala in 2020. She has to credit a number of research papers published in journals of international and national repute. She has also presented papers in various international and national seminars.

About The Book

The Kerala floods of 2018 and 2019 served as a reminder of the vulnerability of the densely populated state of Kerala to weather and climate phenomena. Apart from the tragic loss of several hundred of lives and displacement of a million, the high and persistent monsoon rains leading to state-wide flooding impacted the region's fragile infrastructure and ecosystem. The current crisis of water experienced in Kerala, and its linkages to the developmental model adopted by the state in recent decades, calls for larger dialogue about rethinking the development projects under the recent climate change-related disaster experiences. The state's topography demands strong measures for rainwater conservation, in the absence of which the water quickly gets discharged to the Arabian Sea. Apart from the torrential rains, the developmental model adopted and lapses in dam management by the state compounded the disaster. The destruction of forests, wetlands, sacred groves and laterite hills over the last few decades has resulted in low percolation of water depleting groundwater levels. Paddy fields, forests and laterite hills acted as aquifers and helped to replenish the water table during the rainy season. In the last 30 years, Kerala has lost significant forest cover and paddy land. Various construction projects have also significantly destroyed the laterite hills and the sacred grove across the state, reducing groundwater supplies.

Table of Contents

List of Tables List of Figures CHAPTER I Introduction 1.1 Optimization of Natural Resources 1.2 Dynamic Optimization .3 Theoretical Framework of the Study 1.4 Statement of the Problem 1.5 Objective of the Study 1.6 Research Questions 1.7 Hypotheses of the Study 1.8 Scope of the Study 1.9 Data, Methodology and Research Design 1.10 Limitations of the Study 1.11 Chapter Scheme CHAPTER II Theoretical and Empirical Facets of Rainwater Harvesting 2.1 Rainwater Harvesting 2.2 History of Rainwater Harvesting 2.3 Necessity of Rainwater Harvesting 2.4 Sustainability of Natural Resources 2.5 Optimization of Natural Resources 2.6 Optimization of Water Resources 2.7 Optimization and Sustainable Development 2.8 Optimization of RWH System – Methods CHAPTER III Economics of Natural Resources 3.1 The Current State of Resource Economics 3.2 Economics Perspectives on Environmental Problem 3.3 Optimization in Natural Resource Management 3.4 Optimal Control Theory 3.5 Water -A Scarce Natural Resource 3.6 Economics of Water 3.7 Water Scarcity - Globally and in India 3.8 Economic & Policy Interventions CHAPTER IV Sustainability of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Kerala 4.1 Domestic Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Kerala 4.2 Profile of the Sample Households 4.3 Water Sources of the Sample Households 4.4 Sustainability Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting system 4.5 Overall Sustainability of the Rainwater Harvesting System 4.6 Cross Sectional Analysis of Levels of Sustainability 4.7 Levels of Sustainability across Districts 4.8 Levels of Sustainability across Location 4.9 Levels of Sustainability across Geographical Area 4.10 Factor Analysis CHAPTER V Optimization of Domestic Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Kerala 5.1 AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) 5.2 Steps in AHP 5. 3 Optimization of Domestic Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Kerala - District wise 5.4 Pairwise Comparison Matrix - District wise 5.5 RWH Performance or Suitability in Kerala 5.6 Optimization of Domestic Rooftop RWH in Kerala 5.7 Pairwise Comparison Matrix - Kerala 5.8 RWH Performance or Suitability in Districts CHAPTER VI Summary, Findings and Conclusion Bibliography