| Summary: | Water is essential for the survival and sustenance of ecosystems and human societies. We are also aware that water is finite and a limited resource that is getting scarcer. People across the globe are experiencing a water crisis and this crisis is largely our own making. Globally, over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress (UN, 2018). In India, 54 percent of the country faces high to extremely high water stress (WRI, 2014) and India ranks 13th among the world’s ‘extremely water-stressed countries (WRI, 2019). The existing climate change scenario further amplifies the crisis and its impact on people.
The need and urgency to address the water crisis has been acknowledged and recognized at local, regional and global levels. The right to clean and safe drinking water has been recognized as a human right essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. 193 countries (including India) have committed to ensure availability and sustainable management of water for all by 2030. There is also an increasing attention to issues of universal and equitable access, water-use efficiency, protecting and restoring water related ecosystems (mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes) (Goal 6, Sustainable Development Goals).
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