PA/15/13 10 April 2013
India Water Week: Australia and India partner to manage water for scarcity
In October 2012, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a Water Science and Technology Partnership with India, which is already leading to significant collaboration on one of the most important issues affecting both countries – water scarcity.
Australian agency eWater signed an agreement today with IIT Delhi to share Australia’s national hydrological modelling platform called ‘Source’. The technology and training package will enable IIT Delhi to become a Centre of Excellence for Source to assist Indian central and state governments develop river basin plans to improve water management.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Mr Patrick Suckling, said ‘the agreement marks a high point in our bilateral cooperation on water resource management. This technology transfer and partnership demonstrates Australia’s scientific excellence and our commitment to sharing expertise to support sustainable development with India.’
eWater CEO, Professor Gary Jones, and IIT Delhi Director, Professor R.K. Shevgaonkar, signed the agreement at a water roundtable on ‘The Road to Water Reform’ at the Australian High Commission.
IIT Delhi Professor, Ashvin Gosain, will head the Centre of Excellence for Source. ‘We see a great opportunity to apply Source to the Indian context and to work with government authorities and independent organisations across the country to improve the management of our increasingly scarce and valuable water resources,’ he said.
A consortium of Australian governments, universities and private sector organisations invested more than INR 1,600 crore (AUD 300 million) over 15 years to develop Source. The platform and related water modelling tools are improving the management of Australia’s major river system – the Murray Darling River Basin.
eWater is a publically owned not-for-profit partnership committed to ecologically sustainable water management in Australia and around the world. It supports the implementation and use of Source as the national hydrological modelling platform in Australia. eWater also builds strategic relationships with international river and water management organisations to facilitate the use of Source and Toolkit models around the world, especially in developing and emerging countries.