Shashikant Nishant Sharma – författare

This book offers a comprehensive examination of nature-based solutions (NbS) as sustainable, cost-effective, and community-centered approaches to tackling environmental and socio-economic challenges in India’s vulnerable delta regions. Focusing on key ecosystems such as the Ganga-Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Krishna-Godavari, and Cauvery deltas, it highlights how integrating natural processes into planning and policy can enhance climate resilience, restore ecological integrity, and support local livelihoods. India’s deltaic zones are ecological hotspots and home to millions, yet they are increasingly threatened by climate change, sea-level rise, urban expansion, and unsustainable land use. Through applied research, case studies, and policy analysis, this book illustrates how nature-based strategies—such as mangrove restoration, wetland conservation, river rehabilitation, and sustainable agriculture—can reduce disaster risk, improve water security, and protect biodiversity. Key themes include the science and implementation of NbS, delta-specific climate vulnerabilities, ecosystem services, participatory planning, climate finance, and governance mechanisms. The book also addresses the role of indigenous and local knowledge, urban delta challenges, and pathways for mainstreaming NbS into national and sub-national policy frameworks. With contributions from experts across academia, government, and international development, it combines theoretical insight with practical guidance. By weaving interdisciplinary perspectives with grounded examples from Indian deltas, this book not only informs but also encourages action toward adaptive, inclusive, and ecologically sound development. This book is essential reading for students, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and NGOs working in climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, environmental planning, and sustainable development.

This book provides a comprehensive exploration of how rapid urbanisation is reshaping waterscapes in the world’s urban deltas and what strategies are needed to ensure resilience and sustainability in these fragile environments. By combining conceptual insights, global case studies, and practical approaches, it examines the dynamic relationship between cities, water bodies, and deltaic ecosystems under the pressures of climate change, sea-level rise, and socio-economic transformation.The book highlights the urgent challenges that urban deltas face today—flooding, water pollution, ecosystem degradation, and social inequalities in water access—while showcasing adaptive pathways that can secure sustainable futures. It brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from urban planning, environmental science, water governance, engineering, and social studies to offer a holistic understanding of urban waterscapes. Particular emphasis is placed on the interconnectedness of ecological health, infrastructure, and human well-being, positioning deltas as critical laboratories for sustainable urbanisation.Key themes addressed include the historical evolution of deltaic cities, the governance of water bodies, the socio-ecological impacts of urban expansion, and the disproportionate vulnerabilities experienced by marginalised communities. The book also explores forward-looking strategies such as nature-based solutions, smart water technologies, climate-sensitive planning, and community-driven resilience frameworks. Drawing on case studies from diverse regions—including the Ganges-Brahmaputra, Mekong, Nile, Mississippi, and European deltas—it demonstrates both the risks of unchecked growth and the opportunities for innovative water-sensitive urban development.In tackling these issues, the book seeks to answer a pressing global question: how can cities thrive while living with water, rather than against it? The synthesis of theory, evidence, and practice presented here makes it not only an academic contribution but also a policy-relevant resource.This book will appeal to researchers, scholars, and graduate students in the fields of urban studies, environmental science, sustainability, geography, water management, and climate change adaptation. It will also be of great value to urban planners, policymakers, development practitioners, and NGOs working on sustainable urbanisation and delta resilience.