Roorkee Water Conclave 2020 begins at IIT Roorkee
Roorkee: Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) is organizing the Roorkee Water Conclave (RWC) in collaboration with National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee (NIH Roorkee). RWC-2020, the first edition of this bi-annual event started today at IIT Roorkee. It would culminate on the 28th of February. The focus of the first edition of RWC-2020 is on “Hydrological Aspects of Climate Change”.
Climate Change and the resultant impact on water resources is one of the most critical global environmental challenge. Various studies predict a rise in global temperature due to climate change over the next hundred years. This makes the issue all the more pertinent. The paucity of water resource is likely to have a global effect but countries in the nascent stage of development are likely to be impacted more due to climate change due to dependence of their economy’s on agriculture.
Shri R. K. Jain, Chairman, Central Water Commission, Ministry of Jalshakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India, New Delhi was the Chief Guest of the Inaugural Event of the Conclave. Many dignitaries including the Director-General, NMCG, also graced the Conclave.
Speaking about the government’s resolve on optimum utilization of water resources during the inaugural session, Shri R.K. Jain emphasized on problem of water resources management being faced in the country. He said, “India has about four per cent of world’s freshwater resources despite having only 2.4% land area making it a better placed country on the global average. But due to high population, temporal and excessive variability we are facing very high stress as far as water is concerned. The planning and projections of the past have failed miserably. We need to formulate new mechanisms to address the challenges that lie ahead in the wake of the impact of global warming on water resources.”
Prof. V P Singh, Distinguished Visiting Professor, IIT Roorkee and the Guest of Honour congratulated the chairman and co-chairman of the conclave and said, “This series will go a long way in contributing and sustaining the rich culture of excellence for which Roorkee has come to be known worldwide. The schedule and programmes suggest a possibility of quite a few invigorating sessions and paper presentations which will present great learning experience. This will prove to be beneficial for both the academicians and students, even I look forward to gaining from the stimulating sessions.”
The inaugural session was followed by a plenary session-I which covered several topics related to water resource management. The session was chaired by Shri G Ashok Kumar, NWM and co-chaired by Shri R. K Pachauri, CWC. Er. R. K Jain was among the keynote speakers of this session and he gave an ‘Overview of Water Resources Management in India’. Professor Ramesh Kanwar spoke on Climate Change and Water Security: Policy Issues. The keynote session was followed by parallelly technical sessions which dealth with various themes like Monitoring of Hydrological & Hydro-Meteorological data and its Management, Climate Change, Climatological Modelling & Prediction, Hydrological Modelling under Climate Change and Assessment of Water Resources and Climate Change.
A special feature of RWC-2020 is an exhibition on the activities of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Namami Gange Program – a flagship program of the Government of India. NMCG is organizing a mega two-day exhibition for school students immediately after RWC i.e. on 29th Feb and 1st March, 2020. This exhibition for school students would enhance the knowledge and understanding of budding future engineers and managers.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event Dr Sharad K. Jain, Director, NIH Roorkee said, “The anticipated global warming and its resultant impact on freshwater resources is a grave challenge that is expected to have a massive impact on the global populace. Deliberating and discussing strategies is of utmost importance considering the severity of the situation. In this conference, we would deliberate with researchers to come up with better solutions for water management.”
Some reputed national and international agencies dealing with hydrological instrumentation are showcasing their products and services at the conclave.
A large number of academicians and researchers, both from India and abroad, policymakers, field practitioners and NGOs, students, and other stakeholders are participating in the conclave.
At the end of the first day’s proceedings a visibly delighted Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director IIT Roorkee said, “The first day of RWC was focused on the theme and I am delighted that important keynotes were presented by some of the best experts from India and abroad. We hope that the upcoming days of the event would be equally productive and the fraternity would be benefitted by the deliberations.”