World Water Week 2023

Published: 24th Aug, 2023

Context

World Water Week has been recently organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute at the Waterfront Congress Center.

About World water week 2023:

Theme: “Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World”.
The event this year invites a rethink of how water is managed, and urges consideration of the ideas, innovations, and governance systems that are needed in an increasingly unstable and water scarce world.
World Water Week 2023 will draw on the latest scientific knowledge and experiences from around the world to explore how water can be a powerful tool for addressing the water crisis, global warming, biodiversity loss, and poverty.
The World Bank Group will convene and participate in multiple sessions on a wide range of topics, including digitalization for water utilities, tools for managing flood and drought risks, water services for refugees, and smart water management in rice cultivation.

Need of such initiative:

The world population is currently on the rise which has led to an increased demand for water.
Our natural water cycles are also currently being disrupted by man-made activities and climate change.
Improper water management, pollution, extraction of resources and infrastructure construction further aggravate negative impacts on our freshwater sources.

Significance:

Water is a necessity to sustain life on our planet. Clean water is required for drinking, sanitation, and providing for our crops.
The fresh water on our planet accounts for less than one per cent of the world’s water.
Fresh water can be found in rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams and even groundwater.
Despite having several sources, the freshwater levels on our planet are currently under threat.

India’s effort for Water Conservation:

Jal Jeevan Mission
Under the mission, the government aims to provide tapped water connections to all rural households by 2024.
The scheme also has a major focus on sensitizing the communities and implementing officers at all levels.
One of the stated key objectives is to “Take up all support activities like Information, Education and Communication (IEC), training, development of utilities, water quality laboratories, water quality testing and surveillance, research development, knowledge centers, capacity building of communities etc. to make the mission successful”.

Concerns:

As per government data, 22 per cent villages are yet to set up the Village Water Sanitation Committee which has the crucial responsibility of maintaining and overseeing the water supply on a day-to-day basis. Even the capacity of the members at the village level needs to be improved.
The programme has a robust dashboard where centralized progress of the scheme is pushed out for the general public. However, it does not locate the source sustainability structures like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge.

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