Water Resource Management Scenario… A boon or bane in India … RAVINDER PAUL SINGH MALIK, IWMI talks about the water resource management scenario in India. India’s turbulent water future: “Rising population, growing economic activities, rapid urbanization, changing lifestyles, rapid increase in food demand, increase in bio- energy demand are the contributing factors, which put pressure on the available water resources.” The two main questions addressed by him during the course of the presentation were: 1. What are the major water development and management challenges facing India? 2. What are the critical measures that can be taken to address these challenges? Demand is more than the supply: India is on the road to be hit by acute water scarcity if the water resources are not efficiently managed. India is the second populous country with unsustainable water management techniques which is a growing issue pertaining to the food security and economic development of the nation. Looming challenges: According to him the challenges in efficient management of water resources include requirement of huge investments for building storage for water, lack of stock of existing water storages (eg: Dams), lack of maintenance of the water storages, lack of financial sustainability of irrigation investments, deal with civil wars on water conflict, growing burden of power subsidies due to the growth of consumption of electricity for agricultural sector. A new dimension: Climate Change deals with the increase in the water conflicts raging in many states of the country. “Ways of the past” to the “ways of the future” in Water Resource Management… In the past India’s focus was on the supply side, investment for water infrastructure which were decentralized for both surface and groundwater, broad regional impacts, irrigation availability for all farm holdings and not restricted due to farm- size, economic increase in grain production and reduction of poverty levels. In the future different stakeholders should be involved in the water resource management. Future Scenario: An agenda for reforms: 1. Initiate reforms where there is a powerful need and demonstrated demand for change 2. Involve those affected in decisions 3. Prioritize list of reforms 4. Nothing succeeds like success 5. Good Water Management= Good Politics 6. Be realistic, patient and persistent “Anyone who can solve the problems of water can be worthy of two nobel prizes- one for peace and one for science.”- John F. Kennedy