TERI Honours Water Champions at the 4th Water Sustainability Awards 2024-25
New Delhi, March 21, 2025: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in association with UNDP India and endorsed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, hosted the 4th Water Sustainability Awards (WSA) 2024-25 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on the eve of World Water Day. Aligned with the World Water Day 2025 theme, ‘Glacier Preservation,’ the event emphasized the need to protect these critical freshwater reserves amid climate change. TERI’s event theme, ‘Glacier Preservation and Sustainable Water Management,’ reinforced the urgency of safeguarding water sources while promoting resilient management strategies. The prestigious awards recognized outstanding contributions toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) through innovative and impactful water conservation efforts.
Recognizing outstanding contributions to sustainable water management and advancing SDG 6
Mr Anshuman, Director, Water Resources Division, TERI commenced the event by emphasizing the vital role of sustainable water management in mitigating climate change and the collective responsibility to safeguard glaciers and freshwater resources. “Glaciers are the water towers of the world. Rising temperatures are causing the glaciers to retreat at an unprecedented rate leading to severe consequences. Therefore, addressing these challenges calls for a multi-pronged approach of strengthening scientific approach and real time warnings which hold tremendous value for the vulnerable zones,” he said.
The prestigious Water Sustainability Awards recognize individuals, organizations, and institutions that demonstrate excellence in water conservation, management, and stewardship. Through a ‘water neutrality’ approach, the awards encourage stakeholders across sectors—including industries, municipal boards, village panchayats, and civil society groups—to implement transformative water sustainability practices.
The Water Champions of this year’s awards included Mr Ramveer Tanwar, recognized as the Water Champion (Individual), and Water Digest, awarded the Water Champion (Institution). The winners across key categories were Earth Brigade Foundation (Water for All), Development Management Institute (Sanitation for All), NTPC Mouda (Excellence in Water Use Efficiency - Industrial Sector), Mawrah Village Dorbar, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya (Enhancing Water Management through Community Participation), NTPC Unchahar (Protect and Restore Community Water Structures), and L&T Construction (Innovation in Water Technology). Other notable winners included Aga Khan Agency for Habitat India, NTPC North Karanpura, NTPC Lara, NTPC Tanda, and APCPL Jhajjar.
Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Former Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, was the Chief Guest for the award ceremony and presented awards to the winners. Speaking on the occasion, he remarked, “Water is the elixir of life—‘Jal hi jeevan hai.’ While India receives over 1000mm of rainfall annually, water scarcity remains a pressing issue. The challenge isn’t availability but management. Efficiency is key—India’s water use efficiency stands at just 35–40%, meaning, we consume 2.5 times more water than needed. We must irrigate crops, not just fields. It is time to rethink our water footprint—from the cotton shirt we wear to the paddy we grow. We all know the three ‘Rs’, but let us add two more—Recharge and Respect—because we have lost respect for water, and it is time to bring that back.” Delivering the welcome address, Dr SK Sarkar, Distinguished Fellow, TERI, emphasized the importance of collective action in water sustainability, stating, “India’s SDG rank stands at 109 with a score of 63.9, highlighting the challenge of achieving all the 17 SDGs. With respect to ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’ (SDG 6), India lags with a score of 56.6. Further, global projections indicate the world will miss its 2030 target, pushing it to 2049. Urgent focus on integrated water management is needed as river flows decline and waterbodies shrink worldwide.”
In her special address, Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI, highlighted the growing importance of sustainable water management in the context of climate change, saying, “India is a water-scarce country, yet we do not value this precious resource. The melting of glaciers poses a serious threat—when they recede, what happens to our rivers? Water scarcity can create friction between nations, making effective water management critical. Therefore, research, policy, and implementation must work together to ensure clean water for all. The innovations recognized through WSA must reach the masses—bridging the gap between the lab and the field is essential.”
A highlight of the event was the special session on ‘Glacier Preservation and Sustainable Water Management,’ which featured a keynote address by Dr Bharat Lal, Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission. Dr Lal underscored the intrinsic connection between human rights and water, stating, “Around 200million people are dependent on glaciers for water. Adequate availability of water is the right of the people. While all want to enjoy the right, the need is also to perform the duty. So, there should be equal focus on glaciers and their conservation.”
The panel discussion, moderated by Shri Rajeev Kumar Mittal, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), explored the impact of climate change on glaciers and sustainable water management approaches. Shri Mittal underscored the importance of collaboration in tackling water challenges, noting, “Due to anthropogenic activities and climate change, the problem of glaciers melting is getting compounded and scarier. Addressing these kinds of problems require research, technology, finances, reforms and most importantly community participation.” Furthermore, “water needs a systems approach. There cannot be a piece meal approach in dealing with the issue,” he added.
The Water Sustainability Awards 2024-25 reaffirmed the commitment of policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability experts toward advancing SDG 6. By recognizing and promoting exemplary water stewardship, TERI and its partners continue to foster impactful solutions, ensuring a water-secure future for India.
As water challenges intensify globally, TERI continues to drive collaborative and science-backed solutions, ensuring a water-secure future for India.