Water may not be the point of entry into the debate on climate change but that it is at the heart of the issue was widely accepted at the World CEO Forum held during the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2010.
Acknowledging the subject as an important part of climate change, water resources minister P K Bansal said, “The reducing per capita availability of water and the poor maintenance of existing facilities are just some of the concerns we are faced with in the Indian region.”
Launching the Regional Knowledge Hub for Water and Climate Change Adaptation in South Asia at The Energy and Research Institute (TERI), Bansal emphasised the centrality of water to economic growth and life. Voicing concern about depleting water reserves and emphasising the urgency of efficiency in water management, Bansal added that while India fed 17% of the world’s population, it had access to only 4% of the world’s water reserves.
While Bansal took up cause of water management in India and its neighbouring regions, other issues discussed at the CEO forum ranged from creating a vision document for sustainable development and pushing the agenda of building a green economy. On Friday, the climate change debate will continue, with PM Manmohan Singh and heads of states from countries across the world gathering at DSDS to discuss strategies in this regard.
On February 6, a parallel, in-camera session will be held between the heads of state.
