Description
This session was part of the summer school which was followed by the workshop focused on understanding how peri-urban lakes in Ahmedabad are being shaped by ongoing urban expansion, governance challenges, and ecological shifts.My talk emphasised peri-urban lakes or water bodies within the peri-urban interface—areas at the edges of cities that are not quite rural or urban, but a mix of both. These are often zones of rapid transformation, with overlapping rules, blurred boundaries, and different actors—such as government bodies, lake communities, and NGOs—trying to manage the same water bodies, often with different goals. Using examples from Ahmedabad, the talk explored how lake governance has shifted over time, from community-managed spaces to more centralized, top-down control, and how this has led to new tensions and conflicts.
The workshop that followed encouraged open discussion with local stakeholders—residents, planners, and researchers—on real-world issues:
How is land around lakes being used or contested?
What happens when highways or city projects come too close to village water bodies?
How are people managing their drinking water—through canals, wells, or traditional lakes?
Participants also looked at examples of restoration efforts, examined groundwater data from the region, and talked about what sustainable lake management might look like going forward. The aim was not just to study peri-urban lakes, but to explore how local knowledge, everyday use, and community efforts could help shape more inclusive and resilient water governance.
| Period | 1 Apr 2023 → 20 Aug 2023 |
|---|---|
| Held at | Columbia University, United States |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- Peri-urban lakes
- Water Management
- lake ecosystem
- Peri-urban