Developing a State Water Resources Assessment for the Government of Assam

An integrated evidence base for Assam’s water policy

Overview

The Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA) is leading the development of Assam’s State Water Resources Assessment (SWRA), with support from the World Bank. The SWRA covers hydrology, floods, river morphology and erosion, water quality, and other water allied sectors. It aims to engage stakeholders and develop an integrated scientific evidence base documenting the status, trends and issues facing water management in the state. The assessment is being developed by RMSI Pvt. Ltd. (India) in partnership with HYDROC GmbH (Germany), with technical guidance from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and strategic advice from Australian Water Partnership (AWP), Australia.

The Challenge

Assam faces severe water challenges marked by recurrent devastating floods and intense riverbank erosion. Rivers such as the Brahmaputra and Barak sustain millions of people but also cause annual devastation. Key challenges include:

Extreme seasonal water variability, causing recurrent floods and lean-season scarcity

Severe riverbank erosion, sedimentation and ageing embankments

Fragmented institutional coordination and the absence of integrated water governance

Low irrigation coverage and increasing localized groundwater stress

Water pollution, wetland degradation and biodiversity loss

Competing water demands and inadequate protection of vulnerable communities

The Solution

The SWRA provides a comprehensive assessment of Assam’s water resources by integrating scientific, analytical, socio-economic, environmental, and administrative information on water and allied sectors. It aims to address floods, riverbank erosion, contaminated groundwater, and urban water stresses by weaving together scientific data and community insights. The solutions proposed for Assam include:

Integrated State Water Policy: Preparation of an integrated State Water Policy that strengthens institutional coordination

Flood, erosion and sediment management: Integrated strategies for managing floods, erosion and sediment

Basin-level planning: Stronger transboundary coordination and basin-level planning

Wetlands and water quality: Recommendations to protect wetlands and improve water quality

Water allocation: Establishment of a cross-sectoral water allocation framework

Inclusive water governance: Promotion of climate-resilient livelihoods, community participation and inclusive water governance

Tech Stack

The Impact

The findings of the SWRA will be used to inform a strategic water investment plan for the state, as well as to develop Assam’s State Water Policy.

From the outset, the focus has been on developing a credible evidence base to inform future policy and plans, and on designing appropriate channels for stakeholder dialogue that bring together key water stakeholders for informed discussion around trade-offs and opportunities.