Project description:

India has consistently faced a water problem in recent years and the situation has only become worse. This project aimed to show the extent of the water shortage in the Indian subcontinent.

Impact reached:

The visualisations showed how water especially in northern India has been depleted and an impending crisis is looming. The story was picked up on social media and pointed towards the gravity of India’s water shortage problem.

Techniques/technologies used:

QGIS and D3 were used to build these visualisations. Using the AQUASTAT database, the team was able to geographically locate increase and decreases in the water tables around the subcontinent.

What was the hardest part of this project?

Combining the variables of population and water stress to harmoniously make that connection. This was crucial in order for teh reader to see the actual impact of the water stress.

What can others learn from this project?

We felt that water is a very hard subject to visualise, so trying multiple ideas before arriving at our final visualisation was critical.

Project links:

graphics.reuters.com/INDIA-ENVIRONMENT-WATER/0100B2C41FD/index.html