A political industrial ecology of water in Bodh Gaya, India: Pre‐ and Post‐the World Heritage designation

Between 2001 and 2019, tourism following UNESCO World Heritage designation increased Bodh Gaya’s water demand eightfold—from 92 million to 730 million liters—while groundwater extraction surged from 1,586 million to 4,271 million liters. Despite this strain, the town paradoxically relies on distant water sources instead of leveraging local stormwater and wastewater, exacerbating socio-economic inequalities in access. A political industrial ecology approach revealed that fragmented governance and precarious infrastructure hinder equitable water supply for residents. The study underscores the need to integrate tourists' water demands into sustainable urban planning to mitigate scarcity and inequality.

Rajput, R., & Pu, J. (2025). A political industrial ecology of water in Bodh Gaya, India: Pre‐ and Post‐the World Heritage designation. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 29(6), 2324–2337. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70112