By: Pankaj Kumar
The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India is organizing the 7th India Water Week – 2022 (IWW-2022) during 1-5 November 2022 at India Expo Center, Greater Noida, adjacent to National Capital Region, Delhi. The event will be the seventh in line since its inception in 2012.
Keeping in view the vital role of water in all aspects of life and also in assuring the development of economy, the Ministry of Water Resources decided in 2011 that India Water Week (IWW), a multi-disciplinary forum may be initiated as a flagship event of the Ministry, creating an international platform for meaningful deliberations and generating valuable recommendations and action points.
India Water Week event is designed as a “knowledge hub” for innovative ideas and solutions. Its objective is to invigorate the discussions and exchange of ideas amongst the participants for optimally managing water resources.
India Water Week provides a forum for various stakeholders, including policy makers, water managers, professionals, academia and the user groups from different sections of the society, wherein all water related issues are discussed and measures identified to address water security challenges in a sustainable way.
The first event was organised in New Delhi in 2012 for which the theme was “Water, Energy and Food Security: Call for solutions”. Subsequently, five more events were organized in years 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, covering various water related aspects such as efficient water management, water management for sustainable development, water cooperation, water and energy. These events encompassed major issues related to water resources development and management and thus provided an opportunity to the water resources fraternity to forge pragmatic strategies towards addressing them. These events have received encouraging response from the water resources community across the globe.
The United Nations World Water Development Report 2021 brings out that annual fresh water withdrawals in the world have increased several fold, from 500 BCM in 1900 to more than 4,000 BCM now. The report cites a study which projects that global population experiencing severe water scarcity, which was 32 million in 1900, would increase to 3.1 billion by 2050. This brings out the need for sustainable management of water resources and their equitable access.
The 7th India Water Week is being organized with theme “Water Security for Sustainable Development with Equity” focusing on various aspects of water security and related challenges for equitable development with following three sub-schemes:
- i) “aspects of water security and their impact”;
- ii) “addressing challenges of growing water demand through water cooperation”;
iii) “water governance – policies, action plan and institutions”.
India Water Week – 2022 will have various events including seminars, panel discussions and special sessions organized in cooperation with stakeholders particularly the State Governments, the related Ministries of the Union Government, International Organizations, Partner Countries and related institutions, including NGOs from within the country. An exhibition supporting the theme and showcasing the technologies, latest developments and solutions available in various fields related to water security would also be part of IWW. The exhibition would be spread over an area of about 3,500 square metres and co-located with the IWW-2022 at India Expo Center, Greater Noida. Participation of about 2,000 professionals is expected from India and abroad.
The event will be inaugurated by Honourable President of India and her august presence will be an inspiration and encouragement for mobilizing efforts to address emerging challenges in the water sector.
We all have to join hands to have a water secure future. The deliberations in the sessions of the conference and dissemination of the knowledge during this mega event would guide us to the path of water resource development in a sustainable manner.
The writer is Secretary, Deptt. of WR, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI
