India 5th most vulnerable among 181 countries to face the impact of water & climate change.

Once a water-surplus country, India runs the likely risk of becoming a water-deficit country in not too distant future. Blatant mismanagement, unscientific utilization, pollution and abuse of water resources, the future doesn't look too bright for us. “Conserving every drop of rain is our only hope in order to meet our daily demand of water requirement”, opines Dr Arvind Kumar, President and Founder, India Water Foundation (IWF) and & Governor at the World Water Council.

 

India Water Foundation, a New Delhi, India based organisation, which familiarizes people with the vital role water, energy and environment play in human lives, their impact on health, economic growth, livelihoods of the people and calamities that wreak havoc due to non-judicious harnessing of these natural resources.

Keeping in view the decisive role of water in sustainable development and climate change, Dr Arvind Kumar deems it imperative that actors across sectors must systematically integrate water resources management into their climate adaptation and mitigation strategies and provide sustainable solutions to water problems by changing water management practices, especially after coming into force of 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement on Climate Change (PACC). Inputs by Dr Arvind Kumar have enabled the government of Meghalaya to institutionalize the River Basin Management (RBM) mechanism, addressing climate and ecosystem related issues through its Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Programme (IBDLP) to promote gender equity, alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods of the native people.

Dr Kumar has been instrumental in Inter-Sectoral Convergence in Water Sector and Regional Water Diplomacy. He is Member Technical Advisory Committee for India's Third National Communication and Biennial Update Reports to UNFCCC. He is member 'National Wetlands Committee' and Meghalaya State Water Resources Council and the State Council for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, government of Meghalaya. Member of General Body of CAPART (Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology) GOI.

In recognition of its yeoman activities in water, energy, environment and related fields, IWF has been accorded Special Consultative Status by Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (UN-ECOSOC), Observer Status Governing Body of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), Observer Status with UNFCCC, Observer Status with UNCCD, CTCN membership for Southern Asia, member IUCN and it has afforded an opportunity for catapulting problems confronting India in particular and Asia-Pacific region in general in the realms of water, energy, environment and related sectors to the global stage to elicit international expertise to tackle them.

A PhD in Defense Studies, Dr Arvind has published over 400-plus research articles in reputed journals. He is Editor of online e-Magazine Focus Global Reporter. He is the lead author of a publication published by SAC in December 2015 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) entitled “SAARC Outlook on Water-Energy-Food Nexus in SAARC Region”.

SME WORLD in an email interaction with Dr. Arvind Kumar

How serious is the problem of water depletion in India?

As many as one billion people in India live in areas of physical water scarcity, of which 600 million are in areas of high to extreme water stress, according to 'Beneath the Surface: The State of the World's Water 2019' report. Apart from the economic cost, lack of water, sanitation and hygiene result in the loss of 400,000 lives per year in India. Regardless of improvements in drinking water, many other water sources are contaminated with both bio and chemical pollutants, and over 21% of the country's diseases are water-related.

Water conflicts are rising in water stressed areas among/between countries because sharing a very limited and essential resource is extremely difficult. They are often conceived in isolation, but solutions to the major challenges yet to be seen through the lens of an integrated approach. Links between water and climate change have, for a long time, been ignored in global deliberations. Viewed from the angle of the likely impact of climate change, various studies about India project the possible intensification of hydrological cycle due to rise in temperature leading to floods or drought, which would severely affect the poor and vulnerable sections of the society at large. The cost of environmental degradation in India is estimated to be INR 3.75 trillion ($80 billion) a year. The health costs relating to water pollution are alone estimated at about INR 470-610 billion ($6.7-8.7 billion per year) according to World Bank report 2019.

Poor state of India's water bodies

Water scarcity in India was attributable to factors like shrinking water resources while increasing demand for water in India; limited supply; pollution of surface and groundwater resources; and overexploitation of groundwater resources. The first Green Revolution in India, which did resulted in self-sustained agriculture and mass production, came along negative impacts like excessive ground water extraction, rampant use of subsided electricity, extensive use of piped and borewell water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides plugging India's water bodies in a poor state. In the name of economic growth, most rivers and streams have been turned into sewer canals and are getting difficult to be treated. In State of India's Environment 2019 report, both surface and groundwater in the country are under stress.

Over the past decade, there has been a reduction in inflow of fresh water up to 40%, leading to increased salinity in the system. The extent of the wetland has also been reduced.  Water ecosystems are natural and man-made ponds and lakes built for irrigation, fisheries are harming water-related ecosystems and are facing deterioration and extinction. India's most water-stressed blocks situated in Tamil Nadu (541), followed by Rajasthan (218), Uttar Pradesh (139) and Telangana (137), with several other states are reeling under drought-like conditions.

How much time do we have before the water crisis wrecks our lives?

Water shortages have been identified by industry, government, academia and civil society as one of the top three global risks of highest concern with India being the fifth most vulnerable among 181 countries to face the impact of climate change. The theme of World Water Day 2020 is 'Water and Climate Change' which explores how the two aspects are deeply linked. Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) aims to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. By definition, this means leaving no one behind. Marginalized groups - women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, disabled people and many others - are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access and manage the safe water they need.

Water demands to worsen

Pollution and climate change adversely affects the agricultural sector due to declining soil productivity, groundwater depletion and increased incidence of pests. India, home to 16 percent of the world's population, has only 4 percent of the world's water resources at its disposal. Burgeoning demand for water due to growing population is projected to very soon overtake the availability of water. By 2040, it is predicted that 33 countries are likely to face extremely high water stress - including 15 in the Middle East, most of Northern Africa, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan and Spain. Many - including India, China, Southern Africa, USA and Australia - will face high water stress. Policy think-tank NITI Aayog, in a 2019 report, has said that 600 million Indians already face “high to extreme water stress", adding that 21 cities including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad will run out of groundwater by 2020, affecting 100 million people. The outlook is stark and given these worrisome statistics, we are left short of time and action.

Matters are only likely to worsen with the country's water demand likely to double by 2030, indicating there will be a 6% loss in gross domestic product by 2050. Water was treated as an 'engineer good' without focus on water governance. However, with water often termed as blue gold, its importance has been significantly raised. We do not have much time left with us and lack of availability, quality access to water can lead to cascading effect like impaired food production, the loss of livelihood security, large-scale migration and increased economic and geopolitical tensions, moving beyond national borders.

When water problem is so serious across nations, why has our government failed to come out with tangible water policy and national awareness campaigns?

Water-related problems are particularly acute in Asia. The issue of water resource depletion and mismanagement is particularly severe in India. The region's aquifers number among the world's “most stressed,” and the impacts of worsening climate change have engendered water supply uncertainties. Water conflicts arise due to inter-sectoral/inter-states competition & conflicts due to limited sharing and judicious utilization of resource is intensely becoming difficult.

India has witnessed policies like National Water Policy and campaigns such as Namami Ganga, Jal Shakti Abhiyan, reviving the traditional way of conservation, springs initiative, wetland management, and recently 'Catch the Rain Water' to name a few. However, the water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Roughly one in every two individuals (52 percent) will be living in water-stressed regions by 2050 as climate change affects the water cycle and makes it harder to manage resources, highlights World Water Development Report 2020 released by the United Nations (UN). Hence our water policy and campaigns are at cross-roads and the absence of 'holistic and integrated National Water Act' with punitive measures, our water problems remain un-resolved even today.

India Water Hub

Ministries such as Water Resources, Urban Development, Rural Development and Environment and Forest, etc all have got different roles to play to provide drinking water of adequate quantity and potable quality to meet the health needs of the community. But as things stand now not all the water consumed by the community is potable. Keeping in these urgencies, India Water Foundation had proposed to establish India Water Hub, which will serve as a platform where the data/ information, technological advancements, knowledge, best practices/ success stories in the water sector could be networked and disseminated to stakeholders.

Need for Integrated National Water Policy

We recently organized a session on the need for 'Integrated National Water Policy' it was observed that 'National Water Policy 2012' was myopic and contemporary interventions were yet to be accommodated with latest water development and challenges given our aspirations of Jal Shakti Abhiyaan's mandate to provide tap water to all of these households by 2024. The need is to not just to meet ambitious national developmental targets and regional cooperation goals, but also to meet the regional aspirations of states by turning it into a mass movement.

However, the envisaged National Water Framework law, a prerequisite to supplement the National Water Policy/guidelines/Act in pursuit of requisite responsibility & accountability is non-existent. We have River Basin Management bill 2018 still in the pipeline which if implemented along with competent River basin Authority can resolve 'trans-local” water issues along several development assistance initiatives in internationally shared river basins. Since Water is a State subject, States are required to formulate their own water policies, which currently only Meghalaya has formulated comprehensive 'State Water Policy 2019' towards holistic water management and replication by other states is yet to be seen. Our country needs an 'Integrated National Water Policy' plan that encompasses Demand side-Supply side synergy like Water-Energy-Food security, Water Equity, Disaster management.

It is said that the Third World War will be fought on water issue. Kindly elaborate.

It was rightly said by Boutros Boutros-Ghali in1985 that “The next war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics.” which was also corroborated by Ban Ki Moon in 2007 that 'the consequences for humanity are grave. Water scarcity threatens economic and social gains and is a potent fuel for wars and conflict.” With changing geo-political situation among countries, 'WATER is considered the new OIL' is true in contemporary times and nobody spoke about water a decade before India Water Foundation preconceived such notion much earlier.

Lack of Integration

An estimated territory of 148 nations falls within international basins and more than 30 countries are located almost entirely within these basins. In all, there are 276 international basins covering around 45% of the Earth's land surface, host about 40% of the world's population and account for approximately 60% of global river flow. As the world continues its fight against the coronavirus, the U.S. and Chinese militaries are testing each other's limits in the Indo-Pacific region. For quite some time now, Ethiopia and Egypt have been at loggerheads over the construction of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) across the Blue Nile River and in Eastern Africa, the severe case of drought has led to the fatal combat between Africans and the Somali clans vying for the right to water accessibility. The problem of water wars becomes more pronounced because around 60 per cent of the world's international river basins lack any type of cooperative management framework according to 4th UN World Water Development Report, 2012 and water remains a contested issue among countries.

On one hand, the United Nations (UN) Millennium Declaration 2000 called upon all UN members. “to stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels which promote both equitable access and adequate supplies. On the other, significant progress has been made on cooperative transboundary river basin management by countries of the Himalayan region, especially in the aftermath of the Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas – Bhutan 2011. Also, Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) like Barack-Meghna river basin has encouraged knowledge sharing, community mobilization and active stakeholder participation for transparent and fact based decision making towards water cooperation. However, these justify very few examples of cooperation.

The current trajectories based on 'sectoral or silo approach' have failed to attain the goal of sustainable development. Hence increasing attention is being focused on water-energy food nexus approach as a viable and sustainable solution. Trans-boundary river basin management cooperation based on nexus approach can be instrumental in enhancing a broader set of mutual benefits and opportunities than individual unilateral country approaches.

There is a need for the establishment of a Regional Water Hub (RWH) to strengthen regional cooperation on water security issues in South Asia wherein all countries of the region should be represented. This Hub should have close synergy with water related national agencies of each member country of South Asia. The proposed RWH would serve as a repository on water-related knowledge to facilitate implementation of such programmes like judicious implementation of anti-flood measures, development of entrepreneurship and improvement in people's livelihoods more effectively through convergence, coordination and cooperation with national/international agencies and respective governments.

In your opinion, what should be done to save our planet from water Holocaust or have we missed the bus?

As I said, Water is the most effective tool to tackle vagaries of climate change because climate change is water change. In the wake of the fact that the impacts of climate change are felt through water, water demand has failed to commensurate with the increasing needs of 1.3 billion with flooding, erratic rain patterns, pro-longed droughts, and other extreme weather events; water becomes a critical factor for successful climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

Country like Israel is renowned for its water conservation initiatives such as successfully harnessed drip irrigation, wastewater management and effective water supply and conservation infrastructure that can fully function without rain. It is appreciative to see that Ministry of Jal Shakti has timely initiated 'Catch the Rains' just before the onset of monsoon. When our Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his June's edition of Mann Ki Baat has asked people to focus on saving water this year, understanding the increasing water needs/demands and variations in water availability, conserving every drop of rain is our only hope in order to meet our daily demand of water requirement. In addition, the priorities for addressing the issue of water conservation and optimizing Rain Water Harvesting under Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) towards a time-bound and mission-mode is much acknowledged.

In the light of these challenges, we need to speed up our understanding and actions to address the relationship between water and climate to prevent putting humankind's future in jeopardy. Therefore, it is time to systematically 'integrate water management' into our climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, some of the strategies include:

• Securing human right to safe drinking water must place obligation on States to ensure that services are affordable. It is now widely recognized that the primary determinant for addressing the issues of global poverty is the provision of safe water; access to safe water enhances the potential for educational opportunities and facilitates participation in local community economic development
• Goal 6 must call for water use efficiency, water quality and water resource management to help conserve water-related ecosystems. Nature based solutions like recharge of natural aquifers, community conservation water bodies, Integrated Water Shed Management, Eco-system based Adaptation, restoring wetlands, water-food-energy nexus should be adopted.
• Bring Water as Concurrent subject under the Constitution of India to effectively confront the many intertwined issues concerning water so that departments within national government and State governments can collaborate effectively.
• A well-designed National Water Act needs to have a substantive 24X7 vision   encompassing an integrated approach.
• Dissemination and Assimilation of wit and wisdom along with best practices generated locally, regionally and globally in water and environment sectors and making it accessible to all stakeholders.
• In view of the growing recognition of indispensability of wetlands to address climate change, investing in wetlands shall enhance climate resilience; improve livelihood security of people and fostering economic growth in tandem with water-energy-food security.
• Consideration of water aspects must encompass carrying generic principle of water planning at macro-level but customized with location specific purpose. High prioritization is required towards community pooling under the public trust doctrine towards food security, livelihoods and sustainable development.
• River Basin Management bill 2018, in the pipeline must be implemented to resolve 'trans-local” water issues along several development assistance initiatives in internationally shared river basins. This must be backed by River basin Authority.
• Scaling up partnerships by way of Convergence, right chord between the stakeholders and the government, among different departments must be leveraged to enable inter/intra convergence.
• Emerging technologies and innovative tools can help in enhancing the prospects of provision of real time data to understand the enigma of climate change. Utilize the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) data to develop early-warning systems, mapping water risk, and generating greater understanding holistic view on water shortages.
• Sustainable interventions to reduce Urban-Rural disparity can only be achieved through education, empowerment and ownership by the rural community. Progressive & Learning Environment outcomes through qualitative behavioral change, Knowledge exchange among stakeholders and disseminating scientific literacy holds the key to bring qualitative life among the rural community.

What are the broad programs the IWF is initiating towards water conservation?

Experiencing in-depth observation, discussion and understanding since the year 2000 by visiting countries, places enhanced my perspective with environment, I raised the case for water and environment understanding policies, institutions etc. at Pan India level and beyond. I started quite early highlighting and discussing issues of water conservation, hydro-diplomacy, trans-boundary cooperation, etc. My experience of 24 years in the 'media' could not bring me closer to address people's plight at large. After years of determination and efforts, India Water Foundation was founded in 2008 which fostered Cooperation-Coordination-Convergence at various levels through Sensitize, Incentivize & Galvanize model.

Since our inception through our Jal Mitra campaign, we have been advocating water conservation as a public movement building around 50,000 Jal Mitras till date. Nursing the conviction that no policy or programme can be efficiently and effectively implemented sans capacity building of the people who always remain at the receiving end and having no say in policy-making process, India Water Foundation has been emphasizing on involvement of CSOs in facilitating capacity-building of the people. Concomitantly, the civil society is better placed to ensure people's participation and mobilization of volunteers. We have been opposed to treating water as a commodity; rather espousing the cause of treating water as a social good to which everyone should have equal and free access. We have been pioneering the cause of incorporating Right to clean freshwater into the Constitution of India and this is amply reflected in the presentations and social messages disseminated from time to time. In order to engulf the chasm between policy-making and policy-implementation in water sector, we have been offering its cooperation to various Ministries at the Centre.

IWF Spearheading Programs

We are focusing on 'Putting People First' and strengthening 'capacity building' endeavours at Pan India level and beyond as it is a sine qua non for adaptation & mitigation of environment related woes. Major activities undertaken by us since inception veered around major themes of water and climate change, which inter alia, included: exchange and sharing of views on salvaging river Yamuna, rejuvenating river Ganga, managing water resources, climate change, tackling water scarcity, focus on SDGs and proposal for generating awareness among school children about abandoning the use of plastic. We have drawn the attention of the Government towards degrading environmental conditions and water-related woes of Delhi, with special focus on urgency for central government's intervention in salvaging river Yamuna. We have been emphasizing on the theme; “Water is life and sanitation is lifestyle.” We have consistently opposed the prevalent practice of open defecation in India and emphasized on building toilets as well as building capacity of the people, especially in the rural areas to make aware of the ill-effects of open defecation. We have offered cooperation and services to the government in making this mission of Swacchh Bharat a success.

Achievements

We shared inputs on water saving mechanism in irrigation systems such as micro irrigation (drip, sprinkler, bamboo-drip), recycling of canal seepage water through groundwater use, water storage structures (water reservoirs, rain water harvesting) which in-turn facilitated wise-use of water, availability of drinking & domestic water for irrigation, fisheries, micro-hydel projects etc. and overall water security. We have implemented Public Awareness and Public Participation (PAPP) activities under JICA assisted Ganga Action Plan Project at Varanasi towards keeping Ghats clean and promote appropriate waste management initiatives.

We are continuing our earnest efforts to foster close rapport and cooperation with UN specialized agencies, international agencies, organizations and institutions in SDGs and climate change with specific reference to Paris Agreement on Climate Change, especially in water, energy and environment sectors, in the aftermath of water having been accorded priority in negotiations on climate change and maintaining its synergy with UNEP, UNDP, UNESCAP-SSWA office, WHO, UNICEF, FAO, UN-Habitat etc. Accreditation to United Nations has allowed us to learn from other organizations, assimilate and disseminate best practices, innovative solutions and case studies at local level.

Beyond borders

At the international level, the prospects of a Regional Water Hub to tackle water related problems in South and South-West Asia was presented in 2010 at Nairobi (Kenya) and harnessing the Water-Food-Energy-Nexus for Trans-boundary Basin Management Cooperation”: A Case Study of Meghalaya's Climate Change Adaptation was presented in Geneva, Switzerland 2014. A paper was presented on Ecosystem Based Adaptation & Resilience in Meghalaya, India at 6th Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, Manila, Philippines in 2018. Being member of World Water Council, we are contributing inputs towards actions and a roadmap related to water security especially in areas of transversal approach, rural development, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships.

Over the years, we have adhered to harnessing the digital power, the Internet and social media strategically and dynamically to motivate, involve and generate enthusiasm among the people about water related issues. We are convinced that institutions are not more powerful than people and by empowering people and communities we can bring to effect the change they want to see in water, environment and other related sectors for their well being.