All should work for sustainable water management: Water resources secy

Achieving sustainable water management cannot be done by governments alone, a senior Jal Shakti ministry official said on Monday while emphasising the need for cooperation from industries, academia and civil society on the matter.

A day ahead of the start of the eighth edition of India Water Week, Secretary of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Debashree Mukherjee said, "It is an effort to bring together multiple stakeholders, to look at, learn from each other and also try and find solutions to the issues facing us."

The event, held once every two years, brings together various stakeholders from diverse fields to discuss sustainable water management. This year, the event will start on September 17 and continue till September 20.

 

"This year, the theme is 'Partnerships and Cooperation for Inclusive Water Development and Management,' which underscores a fundamental truth that achieving sustainable water management cannot be done by governments alone. Water needs to be everybody's business," she said.

In her briefing to the media, Mukherjee highlighted the diverse participation at the event, noting that state governments, industries, academia, international organizations, and even young students from engineering colleges and schools working on environmental issues were all involved.

"It is an effort to bring together multiple stakeholders, to look at, to try and find solutions, to learn from each other but also try and find solutions to the issues that are facing us," she added.

The event's key sessions include a Global Water Leaders Plenary, featuring ministers from four international countries and eight Indian states, who will share their experiences on water management.

Mukherjee emphasised the inclusion of ground voices in these discussions, particularly two women water warriors who will speak about their real-life experiences managing water resources.

"We have organised a platform where practitioners from government, private, and non-government sectors will share best practices in implementing water sector programs. Additionally, startups will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas at our exhibition," she stated.

The exhibition at the event will feature high-tech solutions from countries such as Australia, Canada, and the UK, alongside academic institutions and centres of excellence.

Highlighting the role of state governments, the Union secretary stressed that "action on water is happening in the states. The Government of India sets goals and provides technical support, but the real work is on the ground."

Multiple sessions have been organized by states to showcase their efforts in water management, she said.

India Water Week aims to position itself as an international knowledge-sharing event, with over 4,000 delegates registered from South Asia alone.

Mukherjee expressed optimism about the growing participation, saying, "We have received a much better response than the last Water Forum, and our next editions will only get better."

The event is set to provide a platform for discussions on participatory groundwater management, climate change's impact on water resources, and collaboration with international organizations such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and the World Water Council, she added.