How do you personally and professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?
I grew up in a society with limited access to water in the Kumaon Himalayas. I discovered early on that water is not a commodity but rather a source of dignity, health, and life itself. As a child, I frequently travelled great distances to get water. These encounters turned into life-changing events for me because they instilled in me a strong feeling of conservation and taught me to love and appreciate water. My early teachings inspired me to use space technologies to control water resources years later.
Space technologies, which are rich in data, enable us to evaluate threats to water supplies, research the dynamics and processes of the water cycle, and pinpoint locations for meaningful engagement with vulnerable people in order to properly prepare for water conservation as a natural resource. In areas with limited data, space technology has revolutionized water management by providing pertinent information that is not limited by geopolitical boundaries. We have incredible and urgent opportunities to achieve the SDGs and build resilient futures for everyone on the planet because we are at the nexus of space and water.
Can you tell us about your current position as an Associate Professor at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology?
I work at the Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar as an Associate Professor. My work covers teaching, research, and extension activities in accordance with the university's mandate. I instruct classes in advanced hydrologic modeling, irrigation engineering, watershed hydrology, water quality, watershed management, and soil erosion modeling. In the areas of soil and water conservation engineering, watershed management, ecosystem services, hydrological modeling, Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) dynamics, hydrometeorological disasters, geoinformatics, and water resource management, I oversee master's and doctoral students. I participate in extension education and provide talks to farmers about managing soil and water resources in addition to my academic and research commitments.
What is your proudest professional moment or research project?
A few standout experiences from my academic career have shaped who I am now. Making the decision to become a teacher is still one of my proudest life experiences. I believe that academics have given me the opportunity to realize my dream of becoming a teacher while also serving a larger purpose in terms of making significant contributions to society.
It was also quite fulfilling to work as a team member on the UNEP-TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) Agri-Food project in Uttarakhand. I took part in policy-focused research that supported organic farming and agroforestry, as well as biophysical watershed modeling. In the Himalayan region where I live, it was a contribution to sustainable agriculture and ecological services.
It was inspiring to present the results of our assessment of ecosystem services at the TEEB AgriFood Regional Symposium for Asia, Africa, and Europe in Bangkok in 2023. It was especially inspiring to hear case studies from around the world about how ecosystem services are valued, as well as to interact with TEEB teams and global experts who challenged my thinking and repeatedly engaged me in meaningful discussions that validated the economics of ecosystem services in keeping with TEEB's motto of "making the invisible visible."
How are space technologies and data best used for watershed sciences and hydrological modelling?
Managing a watershed used to require years of rigorous ground surveys, hand measurements, and intricate arrangements of sparse data collected from fixed monitoring locations. Teams would spend absurd amounts of time navigating challenging terrain in order to determine land use and soil erosion danger.
The entire watershed management process has changed as a result of space technologies. As we often say, "Satellites now show in a single orbit what took a generation of observation.” With significantly less time spent on fundamental science, we can now acquire comprehensive and almost real-time data on land cover, vegetation health, soil moisture, and hydrologic patterns.
As the expression goes, "Before space technologies, we were managing a watershed like we were feeling an elephant in the dark; now, satellites help us see not only the entire elephant, but also its footprints, and the forest it is walking through."
It is feasible to manage a watershed with unprecedented levels of accuracy, speed, and scale, and tasks that could require years of human labour can be completed in minutes. This represents not only a significant advancement in technology but also a paradigm shift in how we think about protecting our natural resources and taking care of our environment.
What are ecosystem services? How can they be managed with space technology?
Many of the advantages and services that nature offers are referred to as ecosystem services. These advantages fall into four categories: provisioning (food and water), regulating (water purification, flood and climate management), supporting (soil formation and nutrient cycling), and cultural (spiritual, artistic, and recreational qualities). As rewards of decisions made as part of economic and governmental considerations, environmental services are frequently disregarded and essentially unseen.
We are able to precisely see, measure, and control these services because of space technology. We can now map, track, and measure ecosystem functioning at a range of spatial scales thanks to satellite remote sensing technologies. For units at any scale, from the local watershed scale to the regional scale, it offers consistency in hydro-meteorological data, land cover, plant status, water bodies, and soil moisture. We can make ecosystem services visible and quantifiable in almost real time thanks to space-based technology. For instance, the TEEB project in 2010 calculated that mangrove restoration in northern Vietnam will save US$7.3 million annually for dyke maintenance after originally spending US$1.1 million.
More recently, research has tracked the results of mangrove restoration and ecosystem services using GIS and satellite data. This demonstrates how we can achieve efficient large-scale landscape-level management for sustainable management and climate change resilience using space technology.
What challenges do you see for water resource management in India? How can space technologies help?
Water resource management in India faces a multitude of complex issues that arise from environmental, demographic, and governance issues. The reliance on monsoon rainfall throughout the country by water users creates highly uneven distributions of water - some regions are left inundated, while others are facing extreme droughts. Agriculture is the largest user of water in India, but traditional canal irrigation systems and the use of groundwater do not efficiently allocate this precious resource. Several wells are starting to draw water from significantly lower levels, and the situation has worsened for surface-water bodies because of polluted runoff that has caused contamination. By "supply side dynamics” and "demand side patterns,” water resources and agricultural use would be capable of resolving interrelated challenges.
In this context, satellite remote sensing has the unique capability to assess land use and land cover, soil moisture, crop water demand, reservoir levels, and groundwater status in near-real time, and can help advance proactive and adaptive integrated water resource management. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s Bhuvan geo-portal and India-WRIS (Water Resources Information System) allow for the integration of geospatial data for their various uses in rainwater harvesting in conjunction with the national level “Catch the Rain” campaign, pollution tracking to support Namami Gange Programme, and command area development to facilitate irrigation planning. To sustainably manage India’s groundwater resources, the Atal Bhujal Yojana (India's national groundwater management programme supported by the World Bank) uses aquifer mapping, which utilizes both satellite and in-situ data to delineate locations for groundwater recharge, allowing for community-led water conservation planning in water-stressed regions. The Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural Resource Assessment (TRISHNA) mission will fully leverage satellite capabilities to monitor surface temperature and evapotranspiration for irrigation purposes. The Megha-Tropiques mission managed to create a description for monitoring the tropical water cycles, which improved monsoon predictions.
In response, progressively, the Government of India has recognized these challenges and is implementing space-based actions, remote sensing, and GIS applications to support water resource management. I remain hopeful that, aided by programmes like Jal Shakti Abhiyan, “Catch the Rain”, Namami Gange, new command area development programmes, or coordinated innovation in agriculture, we will see a holistic, resilient, and equitable approach to water stewardship in India where livelihoods and the environment will be secure.
How are the Himalayas affected by climate change, and what can and needs to be done by the space community to avoid the worst?
The Himalayas, whose glaciers are melting quickly, are being severely impacted by climate change. According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), nearly 2.4 billion people in the Hindukush Himalayan Region may not have access to water due to the climate catastrophe, which also increases the danger of devastating floods and landslides. To avoid serious and maybe irreversible ecological harm in the Himalayan region that could affect water security and regional stability, quickness and coordination are essential.
Information development is urgent, but there is also a big and special chance to use geospatial technology and interact with the space community to support the management and conservation of Himalayan ecosystems and the water resources in the area. The Himalayan region may suffer significant and maybe irreparable ecological harm in the absence of prompt and concerted action, which would have far-reaching effects for regional stability and water security. Information use is urgent, but there are also many chances to employ geospatial technology and interact with the space science community to support the management and preservation of Himalayan ecosystems and the water resources in the area.
How do you integrate machine learning and geoinformatics in your work?
I integrate geoinformatics along with machine learning in my work to solve practical water management challenges. Machine learning assists in the analysis of changes in land cover and usage, enhances hydrological models, and increases the accuracy of hydro-meteorological forecasts. By estimating important factors including evapotranspiration, groundwater potential, soil moisture dynamics, and rainfall-runoff patterns, it reveals relationships that conventional approaches frequently miss. By revealing insights into complicated spatial data, it also helps with evaluating ecosystem services, forecasting disaster risks, and optimizing resource allocation. We can identify patterns, make wise decisions, and develop workable solutions that enhance water security, assist people, and advance sustainable ecosystems by combining satellite images, GIS data, and machine learning. This method also fosters continuous learning, hands-on experimentation, and teamwork, which are crucial for turning technology into real-world benefits.
What do you need to innovate?
Curiosity, conviction, and cooperation are necessary for water management innovation utilizing space technology. Our curiosity motivates us to investigate how GIS technologies and satellite data may assist in resolving actual water-related issues. Even when the route is unclear, conviction keeps us dedicated to putting solutions into action. In order to put ideas into practice, collaboration guarantees that scientists, engineers, and local communities work together. Additionally, innovation is a two-way learning process. Learning and teaching take place simultaneously. Both practical training with the tools and technologies and experience are important. Solutions that are useful, significant, and long-lasting are based on a sincere interest in water management and a solid understanding of GIS and satellite technology.
What is your favorite aggregate state of water?
Snow: Powerful, silent, yet immaculate. Because it covers the mountains with a silent grandeur and has so much life-giving potential, snow has recently become my favourite state. As a gentle reminder of the delicate equilibrium of our frozen protectors and what we all need to preserve them through science, stewardship, and teamwork, the year 2025 was also designated as the International Year of Glacier Preservation.
