India’s Water Sector

India – has only 4 percent of World’s fresh water resources

Water is a vital natural resource critical to the survival and prosperity of India’s people, environment and socio-economic development. India has more than 17 percent of the world’s population, but has only 4 percent of world’s renewable water resources.

India – high temporal and regional variations in rainfall

Rainfall is highly seasonal with fifty percent of precipitation falling in just 15 days and over 75 percent of river flows in just four months. A large extent of the country is subject to floods and droughts.

Our Mission

India – faces key water challenges

India’s key challenges in water sector are as follows:

  • Water Stress due to rapidly growing and urbanising population, growing demand for energy and industry, increasing demand for irrigated crops amongst other factors
  • Access to water supply and sanitation services for all
  • Water Pollution particularly inadequate wastewater treatment and discharge of untreated water into water streams and bodies, surface and ground water contamination
  • Water related disasters such as floods, droughts and other extreme events
  • Ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss due to unsustainable models of development activities
  • Impact of Climate Change on water