The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and the Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) sponsored 3 days the 8th India Water Impact Summit [IWIS] and the first Climate Investments and Technology Impact Summit [CITIS] on November 22-24, 2023. The Summit was hosted in the Dr Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), 15, Janpath Rd, Windsor Place, New Delhi, with several dignitaries and special guests, such as Nitin Gadkari, expected to attend.
The India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) was founded in 2012 by a consortium of seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to bring clarity to the myriad scientific, technological, socio-cultural, legal, policy, and governance issues pertaining to river basin management in India in the context of highly diverse and divergent stakeholder interests, perceptions, and understanding of river processes.
Following the completion of the GRBMP in 2015, six additional Summits were held to further probe the unclear or contentious issues and build consensus for scientific understanding, assessment of analytical tools, data requirements, implementation and monitoring mechanisms, policy interventions, synergy and convergence in government and private efforts, and adoption of technological innovations for holistically and economically managing India's water environment.
IWIS is currently a much-anticipated annual event in which scientific professionals, important stakeholders, and government representatives debate the dynamic issues and opportunities in India's water and associated industries. Separate sessions are held to discuss key science, technology, and policy issues, elucidate the views of the central and state governments, review new promising technologies, and align the interests of financiers, economists, and technology providers in order to build a robust technological culture for comprehensive water management in India.
As a result of the aforementioned measures, there is an urgent need to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation for the water and environmental sectors through technical advancements. Thus, the current Summit is a linked system of two summits: the India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) and the Climate Investment and Technology Impact Summit (CITIS), with the latter summit streamlined to connect potential investors with technology providers following the review and testing of new technologies and innovative business models, the implementation of proven new technologies, the adoption of suitable financing mechanisms, and collaboration across multiple sectors such as energy.
The 8th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) will feature an exhibition of past IWIS achievements as well as intensive expert discussions on the themes of "Samarth Ganga and Productive Land" (highlighting the interdependence of Land and Rivers) and "Lifestyle for Rivers" (in the context of the ongoing national Lifestyle for Environment initiative). IWIS will also hold a series of in-depth discussions on specific aspects of river management in which successful or promising aspects of river restoration and conservation can be shared between India and other countries for replication - the twinning of river management, tools, and techniques for various river systems around the world.
Speakers and Panelists
1. Shri Nitin Gadkari (Hon'ble minister Road Transport and Highways)
2. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Hon'ble minister Jal Shakti)
3. Dr. Igor Papic (Minister Science Technology and Innovation, Government of Slovenia)
4. Dr. Debashri Mukherjee (Secretary Jal Shakti)
5. Shri G. Ashok Kumar (Director General, NMCG Ministry of Jal Shakti)
6. Dr. Vinod Tare (Professor and founding Head cGanga, IIT Kanpur)
7. Dr. Purnendu Bose (Professor IIT Kanpur)
8. Dr. Mohammed Jawed (Professor IIT Guwahati)
9. Mr. Sundeep Chauhan (Expert member cGanga IIT Kanpur)
10.Mr. Sanmit Ahuja (Expert member cGanga IIT Kanpur)
11. Jan Grimbrandt (CEO Boson Energy)
12. Tomaz Rodic (CEO Space.SI)
13. Per Lillebo (Chair of Board CAMBI)
14. Rob Sampson (CEO Ceres Biosystems)
15. George Buttler (Prinicipal Water and Sanitation Specialist IFC)
