Experts Call for Sustainable Urban Water Management

Hyderabad: Governments need to adopt innovative and sustainable strategies for efficient urban water management in fast-growing cities, especially in developing regions, said experts in water management who converged in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Speaking at an International Conference on Sustainable Urban Water Management, Dr Mihir Shah, a former member of the erstwhile Planning Commission, stressed that rapid urbanisation is straining water resources and that collaboration among government, industry, and communities is crucial to ensure equitable access to water for all.

The discussions covered a range of key issues, including interdisciplinary approaches in urban water governance, integrated urban water management (IUWM), equity in water infrastructure: socio-cultural perspectives, and water quality. Experts agreed that only a coordinated effort between stakeholders can provide the solutions necessary for sustainable water systems, particularly in the Global South where urban growth is most intense.

Hosted by Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Hyderabad, in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, the event was part of the Centre’s Department of Science and technology-sponsored project, Structured Dialogue for Sustainable Urban Water Management.

Other prominent speakers included Dr Soumyo Mukherji, director of BITS-Pilani Hyderabad; Prof. Elisabeth Grohmann from Berlin University of Applied Sciences; Dr Manish Sharma, CEO of Parascalr Inc; Prof. Gora Datta from the University of California, Berkeley; Prof. T. Shashidhar from IIT Hyderabad; and Dr. Mitthan Lal Kansal from IIT Roorkee.

The experts reinforced the importance of developing solutions that not only improve water efficiency but also address the social inequalities surrounding water access in growing urban centres. They expressed the urgency for governments, academic institutions, and industry leaders to collaborate on creating equitable, sustainable water systems for all.