Waterscapes, Water Resource Management, and Irrigation in South India

Abstract

Abstract Water resource management is an important strategy associated with the formation of state, complex societies, and urbanization. Water resource management includes strategies, processes, and techniques adopted for managing and engaging with the water resources available in nature for cultural and economic functions, treatment of effluents and tackling seasonal floods and drought, along with the associated disaster management efforts with the involvement of various agencies. South Asia is endowed with the monsoon systems of the Indian Ocean and the Himalayan glaciers that supply seasonal water flow, which has been managed by the states and societies from the late prehistoric period. South India has moist, semiarid, and arid environments wherein rainwater harvest and irrigations have been essential for the sustenance of the people and polities. This paper presents an overview of the waterscapes and water management strategies of South India from prehistoric times to the Late Medieval Period with a focus on irrigation traditions and techniques.