CE-803-D Integrated Water Management - May 2026 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aExplain the concepts of blue water, green water, and virtual water and discuss their significance in water management.
   How to answer

   • Define blue water, green water and virtual water
   • Differentiate sources and occurrence of each type
   • Explain water footprint and trade concept for virtual water
   • Discuss significance in planning, allocation and conservation
   • Give examples of applications in agriculture and policy
2. 7 Marks
   bDiscuss the global and national perspectives of water crisis and water scarcity with suitable examples.
   How to answer

   • Define water crisis vs water scarcity - physical and economic
   • Summarize global status with statistics and hotspots
   • Describe national Indian perspective - availability, demand, stress regions
   • Give suitable examples - Chennai, Cape Town, Bundelkhand etc.
   • Conclude with management implications
3. 7 Marks
   aExplain the human-landscape interventions and the major water management issues and challenges.
   How to answer

   • List human-landscape interventions - urbanization, deforestation, dams, agriculture
   • Explain alteration of natural hydrology and land use
   • Identify major management issues - depletion, pollution, conflicts
   • Discuss challenges - population, climate change, governance
   • Suggest integrated approach needs
4. 7 Marks
   bExplain the concept of sustainable development and its importance in water resources management ?
   How to answer

   • Define sustainable development - Brundtland definition
   • Explain three pillars - social, economic, environmental
   • Link to water resources - equity, efficiency, sustainability
   • Importance for long-term availability and intergenerational equity
   • Examples of sustainable water practices
5. 7 Marks
   aDiscuss the sustainability principles for water management and their applications.
   How to answer

   • State sustainability principles - equity, precautionary, polluter pays, participation
   • Explain each principle in water context
   • Discuss applications - demand management, reuse, watershed approach
   • Give examples of policy and field application
   • Link to IWRM and SDGs
6. 7 Marks
   bExplain the framework for planning a sustainable water future and important preconditions in water policy approaches.
   How to answer

   • Outline framework for sustainable water future - vision, assessment, planning, implementation
   • Describe steps - demand projection, supply augmentation, conservation
   • Explain preconditions - legal, institutional, financial, data systems
   • Discuss water policy approaches - National Water Policy
   • Emphasize adaptive and participatory planning
7. 7 Marks
   aExplain the modern principles of IWRM and discuss its components and objectives.
   How to answer

   • Define IWRM and its Dublin principles
   • Explain modern principles - integration, decentralization, participation
   • Describe components - enabling environment, institutions, management instruments
   • State objectives - efficiency, equity, ecosystem sustainability
   • Give basin-level example
8. 7 Marks
   bDiscuss the socio-scientific, economic, political, and ecological factors affecting the implementation of IWRM.
   How to answer

   • Identify four factor groups - socio-scientific, economic, political, ecological
   • Explain social acceptance, knowledge and capacity constraints
   • Discuss pricing, funding and economic incentives
   • Explain political will, transboundary and institutional issues
   • Discuss ecological limits and environmental flows
9. 7 Marks
   aExplain the river basin management approach with lessons learned from best management practices.
   How to answer

   • Define river basin as management unit
   • Explain basin approach - upstream-downstream integration
   • Describe best management practices - watershed treatment, stakeholder forums
   • Draw lessons - Murray-Darling, Rhine, Indian basins
   • Conclude with success factors
10. 7 Marks
    bExplain the impacts of development activities on the hydrological cycle, including runoff, infiltration, and stream flow.
    How to answer

    • Recall hydrological cycle components
    • Explain impact of urbanization and deforestation on runoff increase
    • Explain reduced infiltration and groundwater recharge
    • Explain altered stream flow regime - peak flows and baseflow
    • Give examples and mitigation measures
11. 7 Marks
    aDescribe the types of aquifer systems and their hydraulic characteristics with neat sketches.
    How to answer

    • Classify aquifers - unconfined, confined, semi-confined, perched
    • Define hydraulic properties - porosity, permeability, transmissivity, storativity
    • Draw neat sketches showing confining layers and water table
    • Compare characteristics in tabular form
    • Give field examples
12. 7 Marks
    bExplain the concepts of surface water–groundwater interaction, water balance, and sustainable groundwater development.
    How to answer

    • Explain gaining and losing streams and hydraulic connectivity
    • Define water balance equation - inflow = outflow +/- storage
    • Discuss sustainable yield vs safe yield for groundwater
    • Explain conjunctive use and management strategies
    • Mention over-exploitation consequences
13. 7 Marks
    aExplain the rainwater harvesting methods and their role in water security.
    How to answer

    • Define rainwater harvesting and need for water security
    • Classify methods - rooftop, surface runoff, recharge pits, check dams
    • Explain components and design steps
    • Discuss role in augmenting supply and drought resilience
    • Give examples and limitations
14. 7 Marks
    bExplain the non-conventional techniques such as desalination and treatment of poor-quality water for water security.
    How to answer

    • Define non-conventional sources for water security
    • Explain desalination - RO, thermal, electrodialysis
    • Explain treatment of brackish, saline and wastewater
    • Discuss cost, energy and environmental issues
    • Suitability for coastal and water-scarce areas
15. 14 Marks
    Write short notes on any two :

    1. a)Water stress indicators.
    2. b)Social sustainability.
    3. c)Ecological sustainability factors.
    4. d)Artificial recharge.
    How to answer

    • Select any two topics from four options
    • Give definition and key indicators/components for each
    • Explain relevance to integrated water management
    • Add examples or methods where applicable
    • Conclude with management significance