Curtain Raiser Event to WSDS 2022: Sustainable, Equitable and Resilient Water Use
The curtain raiser event of the Summit was held on the theme of Sustainable, Equitable and Resilient Water Use, on 4th June 2021, the eve of the World Environment Day 2021.
On 4th June 2021, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM IST
Given the current planetary, health, and humanitarian crises, TERI's annual flagship event, the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) next year will be held under the umbrella theme of 'Towards a Resilient Planet: Ensuring a Sustainable and Equitable Future'. In its 20-year-journey, WSDS has become a flagship Track II event to connect policy makers, corporates, civil society, and citizens in an attempt to bridge the gap between ambition and action on sustainable development and climate change.
The curtain raiser event of the Summit was held on 4th June 2021 on the eve of the World Environment Day 2021. Apart from announcing WSDS 2022, the event has a discussion which sought to bring together perspectives on the theme of 'Sustainable, Equitable and Resilient Water Use'. The event was hosted on WebEx and streamed live on YouTube, and saw the participation of over 2000 attendees.
The event was addressed by Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Government of India, Mr. Prakash Javadekar who was the Chief Guest. The programme opened with Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI who welcomed everyone and spoke about the serious implications of India's depleting water resources and the role of the agriculture sector. The event saw the launch of a major public campaign on water, in partnership with Editorji, the digital media platform led by renowned journalist Mr. Vikram Chandra. A study on sustainable groundwater management in Lucknow city was released along with the India Water Factsheet.
In his keynote address, Hon'ble Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Mr. Prakash Javadekar highlighted the need to augment rivers, which are a perennial source of water, especially through the protection of forests. A special address was given by Shri Bharat Lal, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, who talked about the government’s progress in increasing household access to piped water.
This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Mr Vikram Chandra, Journalist and Founder of Editorji, and included Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UN Resident Coordinator (a.i.) and UNICEF Representative, India; Dr. Syamal Kumar Sarkar, Distinguished Fellow and Senior Director, TERI; Mr. Ayyappa Masagi, Water Literacy Foundation; Ms. Amla Ruia, Aakar Charitable Trust; Ms. Nafisa Barot, Utthan; environment journalist Ms. Bahar Dutt; and Mr Shresth Tayal, Senior Fellow, TERI. Mr. Manjeev Singh Puri, Honorary Distinguished Fellow, TERI summarized the discussion and gave the closing remarks. This was followed by announcement of other WSDS events and activities by Ms. Shailly Kedia, Fellow, TERI.
