New Delhi, Sep 18 (PTI) India and the European Union (EU) have agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable water management with focus on river basin management, fostering innovation and technology transfer, while promoting sustainable investments.
EU Ambassador to India Hervé Delphin highlighted the success of the ongoing water projects in India, emphasising that the European Union and India have developed a strong and innovative water management partnership.
At the inauguration of the India-EU Water Forum on Wednesday during the India Water Week, he praised its growing collaboration with India in water management and expressed interest in expanding this partnership to Africa.
“We have developed a successful partnership in India. We are now keen to work with Africa to bring our respective expertise, develop innovative water management strategies and foster regional water security,” Delphin said during the forum.
India and the European Union (EU) agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable water management at the 6th EU-India Water Forum held on the sidelines of the 8th India Water Week, according to a statement issued after the meeting.
Both sides committed to advancing cooperation in river basin management, fostering innovation and technology transfer, while promoting sustainable investments, the statement said.
The forum explored trilateral collaboration between East Africa, India and the EU, to address challenges in East Africa’s water bodies such as Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, leveraging the combined strength of India and the EU.
The India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP), established in 2016, aims to enhance technological, scientific, and policy frameworks in water management.
IEWP, currently in Phase III, focuses on creating impactful and sustainable solutions in key areas such as river basin management, climate resilience, urban flooding, and water governance.
Under IEWP, the EU and India are collaborating on river management on Tapi and Ramganga River Basins. Under Phase III, the partnership will extend its efforts to other key basins like the Brahmaputra.
Both regions have co-jointly funded seven research and innovation water projects, bringing together 743 participants from the EU and India, the statement said.
These projects focus on drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, and real-time monitoring and control systems, and the IEWP will further provide support for market uptake of these cutting-edge water technologies in India.
The India-EU water collaboration has made significant progress in areas like river basin management, the safe reuse of treated water and climate resilience, the EU envoy said while addressing the gathering, This partnership is contributing to improving India’s water management infrastructure, strengthening efforts to tackle climate change impacts and ensuring water security for millions, he said.
India’s Minister of State for Water Resources Raj Bhushan echoed these sentiments, stating that the partnership continues to enhance India’s water management and climate resilience.
Secretary of Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Debashree Mukherjee also stressed the importance of addressing challenges such as urban flooding and water storage together.
With the success of their collaboration in India, Delphin said they are now looking to take this expertise to other regions, such as Africa, as they work towards global water security and sustainable management practices. PTI UZM RT RT
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