AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio Newsonair. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation. 

This article is about the discussion on India Water Week-2022: “Water Security for Sustainable Development and Equity”. 

Participants:

1. A.B. Pandya, Former Chairman of the Central Water Commission
2. Suresh Babu, World Wildlife Fund India
3. Sanjay Jha, Journalist

Context: The 7th edition of India Water Week was celebrated from 1st November to 5th November 2022.

Introduction: 

• The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India is organising the 7th edition of India Water Week (IWW) with the motive to raise awareness, conserve and use water resources in an integrated manner.
• The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7th India Water Week in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• The theme of the 7th edition of India Water Week is  “Water Security for Sustainable Development and Equity”. 
• Denmark, Singapore and Finland are the partner countries for IWW 2022.
• Union Minister of Jal Shakti has declared the vision of ensuring 100% water availability across India by 2024.

Significance of India Water Week:

• The issue of water is multifaceted and complex, for which efforts are required by all.
• India Water Week is set to bring together experts, planners and stakeholders from across the globe with a focus to build dialogue, and action plans and addressing issues for the sustainability of water resources development as well. 
• It also aims for a management system in accordance with sustainable development goals. 
• A large group of international and national persons of eminence will be imparting their experiences in the field of water management and discussing the latest development and solutions available for the areas of water management for sustainable development.

Impact of various factors on water availability:

• Impact of Climate Change: The water resources in India are under severe threat of climate change in terms of changes in the magnitude and intensity of rainfall, groundwater recharge, floods, and drought disasters, including contamination of surface water and groundwater resources. 
• Irregularities in water displacement have been visible with either extreme cases of floods or droughts in various parts of the country. This has also resulted in the depreciating levels of groundwater. 
• As per the 2017 Global Risks Report of the World Economic Forum, in terms of impact on humanity, the water crisis is ranked as the 3rd most important global risk.
  • Water scarcity can result in forced migration. It may lead to domestic or regional conflicts, in geopolitically fragile areas.
  • As per the UN report, over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. As per UNESCO, 24 million and 700 million people will be displaced in some Arid and Semi-arid regions by 2030.
• Land use and its changes: Deforestation, agriculture, urbanisation, and soil and water conservation measures affect the actual rate of evaporation, characteristics of surface runoff and rates of infiltration, all fundamental factors affecting water storage and availability.
• Impact of Urbanisation: The ever-growing population is placing increasing demands on water for drinking, food production, sanitation and other basic social and economic needs. Human activities are becoming increasingly intensive and diverse, producing a definite, ever-growing impact on water resources through depletion and pollution.
  • By 2050 it is predicted that 67% of the world population is expected to be living in urban areas, with the most rapid levels of urbanisation taking place in developing countries. Urbanisation is often directly linked to the degradation of environmental quality, including the quality of water, air and noise. 
• The negative impacts pose significant challenges, especially in developing countries where resources to mitigate these impacts are limited. 

Sustainable Development and Management of Water Resources:

• Sustainable development is the centrepiece and key to water resource quantity and quality, as well as national security, economic health, and societal well-being.
• Sustainable development of water resources refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation in such a way that the water demands of future generations are not hampered.
• Water conservation programs are typically initiated at the local level, by either municipal water utilities or regional governments. 
• Demand management and conservation should be focused to target efficiency in water use.
• To meet current and future water demands, increased attention should be given to precautionary approaches such as innovative uses of natural supplies and new technologies. 

Policies to Address the Issue of Climate Change affecting Water Availability:

• National Water Policy (2012) advocates rainwater harvesting and conservation of water and highlights the need for augmenting the availability of water through the direct use of rainfall.
• Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the “Environment (Protection) Act, 1986” for the purpose of regulation and control of groundwater development and management in the country.
• The ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan’ has been launched in 2019 with a focus on water conservation and renovation of traditional and other water bodies.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana is implemented for sustainable management of groundwater with community participation in the identified over-exploited and water-stressed areas.
• The National Water Awards (NWAs) were introduced to recognize and encourage exemplary work and efforts made by States, Districts, individuals, organisations, etc. across the country in accomplishing the government’s vision of ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.
• Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Groundwater – 2020 has been prepared by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), which is a macro-level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country.
• Regulating over-extraction of groundwater, tracking water resources in rural-urban areas, access to installing wells, pumps, etc. for irrigation, protecting aquifers, rainwater harvesting structures like check dams and field bunds, not polluting water resources are some of the ways by which water management and its sustainability can be achieved. 
• The use of new technologies, sensors and satellite imagery is enabling us to improve ‘water accounting’ and equitability in water management.

International examples of water conservation:

• Israel’s water management has made its agriculture less dependent on rain or freshwater sources. Israel practises the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle. 
  • The country makes use of drip irrigation, desalination process, and reuse of treated sewage for farming to cut down dependence on groundwater and lakes. The country recycles 85 percent of wastewater.
• Singapore, which has no original source of water, and has little land to collect and store water has come up with other viable solutions. The country adopted desalination and came up with the NEWater Project. 
  • NEWater is water produced from treated used water, which is further purified using advanced technologies and ultraviolet disinfection, making it clean and safe to drink. 

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