The impetus for the book crystallised after the 2015 Chennai floods, which triggered large-scale resettlement of slum dwellers from riverbanks to peripheral areas. This was recognised as part of a broader pattern across Asian river cities. In 2017, a refresher course for IHS alumni from South Asia on the social aspects of riverfront development led, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to a webinar series in collaboration with INHAF Habitat Forum India. Expanding to include multiple South Asian cities, these discussions among practitioners, researchers, and activists laid the foundation for the book. Published by Routledge India in May 2025, it is available on major online bookselling platforms.
The book was discussed in a Friday Waters Book Reading online session organised by the WforW Foundation, part of the International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) Asia Series. The editors, Dr Maartje van Eerd and Banashree Banerjee, were joined by chapter authors Rabia Ezdi, Bhuvaneswari Raman, Tarek Alahwal, and Sunitha Donbosco.
The discussion highlighted a critical gap in existing literature: the limited attention to social dimensions in riverfront development across Asian cities. At a time when numerous river restoration and waterfront projects are underway, growing evidence indicates that many fail to adequately address complex social challenges. Rivers, as social-ecological systems, require approaches that engage with the interplay between urban development, environmental restoration, and social justice.
Framework, Themes and Case Studies
A defining feature of the book is its focus on social challenges, an area often underexplored in literature dominated by technical, ecological, and recreational perspectives. Issues such as displacement, land and water conflicts, the right to adequate housing, and interconnected concerns of livelihood, health, and food security receive sustained attention. The book is relevant for students, researchers, and practitioners across urban studies, planning, geography, ecology, sociology, and governance.
Organised into two parts with ten chapters, the book examines riverfront development through a “social lens.” The first part, covering cities such as Dhaka, Lahore, Manila, Bangkok, Ahmedabad, and towns in Tamil Nadu, identifies common patterns across diverse contexts, including the pressures of globalisation, climate change impacts, and the privatisation of public space. The second part focuses on Chennai as a “laboratory,” analysing displacement, resettlement, and the political ecology of river restoration.
A recurring theme is the depoliticisation of riverfront development, often framed as a technical exercise despite its implications for land, resources, and rights. Case studies illustrate these dynamics. In Tamil Nadu, unplanned urbanisation transformed river systems into waste sinks, disproportionately affecting smaller industries and women workers. In Chennai, spatial and political analyses show how river boundaries are socially constructed, shaping unequal outcomes in eviction and resettlement.
Studies on forced evictions highlight gaps in rehabilitation processes, while research on communication practices reveals systemic failures in informing affected communities. In several cases, consultation remains limited or tokenistic, contributing to uncertainty and distress during displacement.
Comparative perspectives further underscore shared challenges. The Ravi River project in Lahore demonstrates how land valorisation can disrupt local socio-economic networks. In Manila, relocation efforts involving over 11,000 families reveal shortcomings in housing, infrastructure, and access to livelihoods. Bangkok’s canal revitalisation presents mixed outcomes, with some communities benefiting while others are excluded. Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Riverfront raises questions about social costs within widely celebrated development models, while Dhaka’s experience highlights class-based disparities in planning and enforcement.
Reflections and Conclusion
Methodologically, the book brings together spatial analysis, political ecology, and participatory approaches, emphasising the need to understand rivers as interconnected systems rather than isolated urban features. It also demonstrates the value of integrating research, education, and practice through collaborative initiatives such as the Chennai research atelier.
A key argument emerging from the book is the need for a decolonised perspective on riverfront development. Many contemporary approaches draw from Western models without sufficient attention to the distinct social, cultural, and ecological contexts of Asian cities. The framing of rivers as habitats—dynamic systems shaped by interactions among people, ecology, and infrastructure—challenges development paradigms that prioritise aesthetics or land value over lived realities.
Across case studies, recurring concerns include the displacement of vulnerable communities, exclusion of local knowledge, unequal treatment based on class, and weak processes of consultation and participation. These patterns point to the need for more inclusive and equitable approaches to riverfront development.
The book’s relevance is underscored by the scale of ongoing projects, particularly in India, where nearly 150 riverfront developments are being pursued, often drawing from the Ahmedabad model. Such initiatives call for closer examination of their social implications, especially for communities whose livelihoods are closely tied to rivers.
Efforts such as the Riverscape Series by the WforW Foundation continue to foster dialogue between research, policy, and practice. These conversations highlight that contemporary water challenges are as much about equity and justice as they are about resources or technology.
Rivers, Cities and People makes a significant contribution by foregrounding the social dimensions of riverfront development. It underscores the importance of ensuring that the restoration of urban rivers does not come at the cost of the rights, livelihoods, and dignity of riverine communities.
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Alejandra Amor works with the Greater Cambridge City Council as a Policy Strategy and Economy Intern and is also a part-time Senior Research Fellow at the WforW Foundation. Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava is an entrepreneur, researcher, educator, speaker, and mentor; More about her is available at: https://uol.de/en/icbm/geoecology/mitarbeiter, http://www.mansee.in, http://www.edc.org.in, http://www.wforw.in, http://www.woder.org.
Wednesdays.for.Water is an initiative of the WforW Foundation, a think tank built as a citizens’ collective. It seeks to connect water-related concerns and knowledge through dialogue among policymakers, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and youth, promoting water conservation through collective engagement.
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