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New Tool Launched for Effective Water Management

2nd March, 2015 – The new version of the India Water Tool (IWT 2.0), which helps users understand water risks and prioritise actions for sustainable water management, was launched at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Water India 2015 event held in New Delhi.  IWT 2.0, is a country-specific tool developed jointly by a 14-member working group, including 10 companies (ACC, Ambuja, Aditya Birla Group, BASF, ITC, Jain Irrigation, Mahindra, Monsanto, Nestle, PepsiCo) and three knowledge partners (World Resources Institute, CII-Triveni Water Institute, and Skoll Global Threats Fund), coordinated by The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

India faces the daunting challenge of water scarcity that imposes significant risks on health, agriculture and industrial operations. As industrialization and urbanization accelerate, water levels are in constant decline throughout this heavily groundwater-dependent country. Forecasts estimate that India will face a 50% gap in demand and supply by the year 2030 (Source: 2030 Water Resources Global Water Supply and Demand Model; Baseline agricultural production based on IFPRI IMPACT-WATER base case). Although Indian industry is a small consumer of water in India, yet it needs to be the most enlightened stakeholder.

The tool helps users respond to these challenges by enabling them to measure and map water risks at a meaningful scale. User-friendly and publicly available, it integrates 14 available datasets from Indian government agencies as well as water stress indicators from the World Resources Institute and Columbia Water Center. The tool is another step towards improved water management in India.

Anil Jain, Managing Director, Jain Irrigation, says: “The issue of water availability and quality is becoming a big issue in India especially when it comes to competing demands of water from industry, farmers and households. The tool delivers meaningful value in providing access to data so that value of water can be properly measured, risk can be properly assessed and industries and agencies can make the right decisions.”

To access India Water Tool 2.0, visit the link: www.indiawatertool.in