Water and Life in the Ganges – A comparison with the other Big Asian Rivers

The major river basins of Asia-Pacific are the source of the rich and varied ecosystem and are home to one-fourth of the world's population. These rivers include the Indus, Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (hereafter GBM), Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady), Salween, Chao Phraya, Mekong, Red River (Song Hong), Pearl River (Zhu Jiang), Yangtze (Changjiang) and the Yellow river. Within the Asian countries, India alone encompasses around 12 major river basins having a combined catchment area of 25.3 lakh sq. km. In India, the Ganga River basin is the largest, that covers 8.6 lakh sq. km. and passes through 11 states. This basin receives nearly 1000 mm of rainfall, mostly falling in the monsoon season, and the agricultural area accounts for 67% of the basins. These rivers play a crucial role in the country's development and impact a region's land, Life, economy, and culture. During the last two decades, these river basins have faced numerous challenges in climate change, natural disasters, urbanization, industrialization, and poor land use practices that have disrupted the river's natural flow and polluted them. In this study, a comparative assessment has been made among major river basins of Asia based on climatic conditions, hydrology, topography, land use, habitat, and population dynamics. Moreover, the strength and problems of the basins are highlighted. At last, the corrective measures and management strategies for sustainable development and the welfare of society are discussed.