Living with Water: Development and Urbanism in South Asia

by Mohammed Mahbubur Rahman (Editor), Nawrose Fatemi (Editor)

Overview

Living with Water explores the perennial, dynamic relationship between water and the built environment in South Asia. This interdisciplinary survey of the unique urban and ecological landscapes of the region presents a diverse selection of cities and projects, and offers practical, contextual strategies for the design and protection of these sites against emergent impacts of climate change and population growth. Water resources in South Asia are some of the most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. In the many historic urban centres that have grown over time along the rivers and waterfronts of the region, deteriorating water systems and rapid population expansion have contributed to problems such as water insecurity, exposure of built structures to weather damage, floods, and erosion.

Case studies drawn from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka illustrate a range of contemporary and traditional approaches to living with water within the ecosystems, floodplains, wetlands, waterfronts, river systems, and water networks of the region. Chapters authored by architects, planners, historians, sociologists, geographers, and environmentalists combine insights into analytical methods and processes of urban planning and development, with critical attention to the importance of cultural heritage, vernacular construction, traditional water systems, and indigenous knowledge in shaping climate-resilient built and natural environments. This context supports resilient ecology and a sustainable approach to building and resource management, offering guidance in the creation of water-sensitive development, integrated urban design, wetlands restoration, and more.

Living with Water is an essential read for researchers and professionals in architecture, urban planning, water management, environmental conservation, real estate development, tourism, and local governance, and will appeal to broad range of readers interested in the history, geography, and culture of South Asia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032910642
Publisher:	CRC Press
Publication date:	07/31/2025
Pages:	402
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mohammed Mahbubur Rahman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Ahsanullah University, has taught in Canada, Malaysia, Bahrain, KSA, Oman, and Bangladesh, and led academic and professional entities. A Nottingham University PhD-holder, Commonwealth Scholar, and McNamara Fellow, Mohammed studied architecture and urban development. During a World Bank fellowship, he researched housing NGOs. Mohammed has published on and appeared at conferences on the global city, the waterfront, housing, liveability, traditional architecture, conservation, and the like. He has seven books on various urban development and design issues to his credit, and is a reviewer for several international journals on architecture, planning, vernacular settlements, environment, sustainable development, and construction. Mohammed edited the Handbook of Waterfront Cities and Urbanism, published by Routledge in October 2022.

Md. Nawrose Fatemi is the Head of the Department of Architecture, University of Asia Pacific, Dhaka. A Monbukagakusho Scholar, Prof. Fatemi completed his PhD research at the Urban Design and Development Studio of the Department of Global Architecture at Osaka University, Japan. His research interests include urban resilience, urban water management, canal restoration, and riverfront development. He earned his Master of Architecture degree from the Department of Architecture at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. Prof. Fatemi is also actively connected as a member of the International Water Association—a UK-based nonprofit organization and knowledge hub for the water sector.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors    

Introduction                         

PART I                       

Water and Urbanism           

1          Population, Urbanization, and Water in South Asia: A General Prospective

Asad Aziz and Muhammad Mushahid Anwar                       

2          Living on Water’s Edge: Prospects of Hydrological Urbanism in Bangladesh

Iftekhar Ahmed                      

3          Factors Influencing Integration of Waterfront in the City through Urban Waterfront Transformation Phenomenon

Bhavna Vimawala                  

4          One River, Many Incarnations: Revisiting the Interplay of City, Water and Culture in the Delhi Triangle

Jyoti Pandey Sharma            

5          Landscape of Land-Water Interface: Sustainable Water Sensitive Development of Eastern Periphery of Dhaka Metropolitan Area

Ayasha Siddiqua and Farida Nilufar                                

PART II                      

Water and Nature                 

6          The Making of a Hydro-Hazardscape: A Historical Geography of the Ravi River in Lahore

James L. Wescoat Jr.            

7          Wetlands, Urbanization, and Climate Change in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Elizabeth Dean Hermann                  

8          Co-learning, Unlearning, and Relearning from the Experiences of the Communities ‘Living with and on Water’ in Bangladesh

Md. Nawrose Fatemi and Tahmina Rahman            

9          Braided River Ecosystems of India: A Conundrum to Coexisting with Rivers That Meander

Manju Rajeev Kanchan, Vishakha Jha, and Jyoti Verma                 

                                   

PART III                     

Water and Culture               

10        Waterfront Development and Disaster Management in the Vernacular Settlement of the Mountainous Region in Remakri, Bangladesh

Anindita Laz Banti                  

11        A Vernacular Response to River-erosion: The Traditional Houses of Munshiganj, Bangladesh

Dilruba F Shuvra                    

12        Yamuna and The Sacred Urban Landscape of Vrindavan, India

Amita Sinha, Nidhi Kapri, and Neha Goyal Tater                 

13        Delving into the Hiti System- the traditional water system of Kathmandu Valley

Padma Sunder Joshi             

14        Meaning of Insularity and Isolation for Karachi’s Manora Island

Suneela Ahmed and Sarah Athar Khan                                     

PART VI                     

Water and Development                 

15        Objectively Verifiable Indicators to Analyze the Impact of Urban Wetland Management System in The Colombo Metropolitan Region

Dilshan Remaz Ossen and Surangi Gunawardena              

16        How Urban River Integrates or Disintegrates a City: A Case of Mongla Town, Bangladesh

Imon Chowdhooree, Tasfin Aziz, Md. Jubaer Rashid, and Meherab Hossain                    

17        On the Water’s Edge: Rural Migrants and Continuum of Livelihood Vulnerabilities in the Waterfront Informal Settlements of Khulna

Sheikh Serajul Hakim, Apurba K. Podder, and Md Toukir Hossain             

18        Greywater Recycling at Household Level to Mitigate Water Scarcity Issues in Pakistan

Muhammad Mohsin Shafique and Naeem Shahzad            

Index