Constraints affecting the efficiency of the urban residential land market in developing countries: a case study of India

Access to serviced land for housing is one of the major problems faced by practically all developing countries. In most cities of developing countries, the urban poor and even the middle-income group often have to step outside the formal land market to gain access to land and housing. Generally, in cities of developing countries the informal land market is much bigger than the formal market. To improve the operation of the formal land market it is necessary to understand the constraints that are preventing it from operating efficiently. It was found that finance, policies, regulation, laws and other instruments formulated to improve the efficiency of the land market have often themselves become constraints requiring change. It is suggested that to overcome these constraints it will be necessary for governments to recognise the informal market and work with it, rather than ignore or oppose it as at present.     

Inclusive Water Governance: a Global Necessity. Lessons from India

Efficient water management has emerged as a critical challenge of environmental protection and human security in the twenty-first century. Lack of water management affects the hydrological cycle of the earth, leading to a major influence on the livelihood of the people. This paper reviews the enhanced role of IWRM in water management. It discusses the functioning of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) as a global approach to overcome the challenge(s) regarding the efficient management of water. Further, the paper argues for ‘inclusive water governance’ developed at the local level as against IWRM developed at the global level. The paper emphasizes on the approach of inclusive water governance as a practical solution to address the water management crisis in India, in particular, and developing countries, in general. Inclusive water governance is sensitive to equitable access to water, as a human right, and also to sustainability of water, as an important resource.