In order to tackle the challenges and barriers to water security and sustainable development, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-D) Delhi is going to partner in a £20-million-pound international collaboration to develop new approaches to provide solutions for the same. Also, a project was launched on Monday under the aegis of Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, to bring together leading global experts from academia, industry and government to discuss upon the true value of water and address the challenge of water security for all.
According to the spokesperson of IIT-D, the project is funded by United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) - which is a key component in delivering the UK AID strategy and puts UK-led research at the heart of efforts to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“The water security of India is at stake because of the ever increasing demands for water, not only for irrigation but also for industrial and domestic sector. Most of the river basins in India are found to be over exploited, which is also corroborated by the alarmingly falling groundwater tables year after year. India accounts for 25% of the total groundwater extracted by the world. The conditions are expected to further acerbate in future due the impacts of climate change on water resources. Water security in India is going to undergo enhanced threat in future. Hence, this is the most opportune time to judiciously look into the reasons why the present water stress has been created so that appropriate and sustainable solutions are obtained for the present, which should also serve as good guide to adaptation options under the future conditions,” said Professor AK Gosain, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Delhi.
The new UKRI GCRF Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub is one of the 12 hubs being set up to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing today’s society, said the official.
Professor Richard Dawson, from the School of Engineering at Newcastle University and academic lead for the new Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub said, “Access to clean water is essential for life and it is the stepping stone to sustainable development because it improves health, supports jobs, and enables food production.”
The project will start in March and GCRF Water Security Hub will run for five years.
Dr Dhanya CT, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Delhi and Principal Investigator of the hub in IIT Delhi said, “The hub’s activities are focused to promote integrated and sustainable development and management of India’s water resources by using state-of-the-art technology. Suggested research shall engage in creation of a framework in collaboration with the Hub and the other Collaborators for planning, monitoring and assessment using an integrated approach.”
