Landscapes to eco-scapes: prescriptive transitions for urban waterways for an Indian megacity

ABSTRACT Urban wetlands and waterways are vital for a city’s defence, transport, water supply, environment, and culture. However, overuse, environmental stress, and management issues degenerate their condition, particularly in countries with high populations, limited funds, and improper infrastructure. A megacity in eastern India, Kolkata is blessed with two significant rivers, an efficient canal system, and a wetland of international prominence. Unfortunately, various factors disturbed their natural flow, slaying them with pollution, sedimentation, and reduced aquatic biodiversity, thus losing their socio-cultural importance. The paper analyses the interactions and inter-relationships between the city’s main waterways in a comprehensive environmental, socio-economic, and cultural context. It also presents a prescriptive framework for the eco-restoration and management of the city’s waterways. The target-driven strategies comprise the spatio-physical components of land, land-water interface, and water for physical, ecological, and hydro-morphological restoration of these waterways as an urgent step towards urban sustainability and resilience.