Water Management in a Climate Risked World and New Challenges, Lecture by Ms Sunita Narain

Date: March 22, 2021

Eleventh webinar in the webinar series organized by International Water Association India Chapter was held on 22 March 2021 (Monday) at 06:00 p.m. (evening) Indian Standard Time.

The World Water Day lecture titled, "Water Management in a Climate Risked World - New Challenges", was delivered by Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Editor, Down to Earth.

Ms Narain talked about CSE's research on India Water warriors as how they managed successful water management in their own towns.

Abstract

Climate change has a direct impact on the water cycle and hence climate change mitigation has to be about water and its management. With extreme weather events becoming a norm due to climate change, we need to think more about flood management, not only to embank rivers but to optimize the floodwaters so that we can store them in the underground aquifer and overground - wells and ponds. Currently, our water structures, the many millions that are being constructed under the MGNREGA, are designed for normal rainfall. With extreme rains becoming the norm, the structures will need to be redesigned. The loss of soil moisture due to increased temperature is a case for concern. The bottom-line is that we must plan deliberately to capture every drop, not just of rain but of floodwater, in this age of climate change.

We need to be more than obsessive about water and its management—we need to be determined and deliberate. This is the real make or break of our future.