World Aqua Congress

V^th WAC 2011 Recommendations

Sustainable water management is a key environmental challenge of the 21st century. Developing and implementing innovative management approaches and to cope with the increasing complexity and uncertainties, the approach of Adaptive and Integrated Water Management is required to be adopted.
Bureau of Water Efficiency (BWE) should be set up to address to efficiency issues in all sectors. BEW should co-ordinates with all the stakeholders to ensure efficient use of water in rural, agriculture, urban and industrial sectors. BWE should undertake regulatory and promotional functions for water efficiency.
Nodal centers, ‘Aqua Clinics’, may in introduced in all towns of the country. This clinic may have the composition of policy makers, administrators, academicians, researchers, NGOs and farmers. These clinics can look into region specific issues and can also provide necessary relevant information and guidelines to public.
Development of human resources (capacity building) for water resource development is urgently required. Extensive training to water professionals need to be imparted on continuous basis to keep them updated on latest advancements and available tools/ technologies/ models etc.
These trainings at Panchayat Raj Institutions need to be promoted by Government on priority basis.
There is an accentuated need for proactive and assertive activism (Institutional, Legal & Policy Changes) in ensuring equitable distribution & accountability (in case of water management) by the states & its citizens.
There is an urgent need of capacity building in water sector. Ministry of Water Resources & other concerned Ministries need to review/ revise/ update training modules developed by various institutes, Aqua Foundation and other active NGOs in water sector, and give its ‘recognition’ and widely distribute these modules.
In view of rapid urbanization, there must be a Policy framework for protecting urban water-bodies/wetlands.
Water audit for real-estate/building sector should be done over entire life-cycleboth at construction and operational stages.
Urban Water Utilities need to become more efficient and have to upgrade their infrastructure urgently.
Pollution control boards should consider initiating treatment by third party or an alternative mechanism, charging industries for treatment.
Reduce Reuse, recycling and waste water management has to be taken up on top priority, at all levels: domestic included.
Climate change is a vital issue and hence adaptive approach of integrated water management is need of the hour.
Agriculture sector, the biggest user of fresh water resources, need urgent attention and modern techniques of drip irrigation, sprinklers, etc., needs to replace traditional irrigation systems. NGOs need to play major role by interacting with farmers at root level. Government needs to come up with required funding for adopting these modern techniques.
Modelling and simulations should be increasingly used to predict behaviour like floods, ground water and should be updated on newer available data on regular basis. There should be efforts towards data sharing at all levels.
Clear, region specific guidelines have to be prepared and implemented. Model Recharge Centers can be developed at district levels to showcase and educate the type of recharge structure suitable for that area.
Groundwater contamination and deteriorating water quality is a big concern, and immediate corrective steps are required.
Groundwater recharge and harvesting should be a major focus in both the urban and rural areas in the form of Geo-membrane Lined pond for enhancing the ground water quality and quantity. There is an important need of a "Groundwater Research Institute" that should focus specifically on groundwater research based on modern technologies in the country, as there is till now no such institute in the country.
Effective involvement of children for water to make all generations of human race conscious about this vital resource.

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