Asia Pacific water stewardship forum
Senior figures from government, business and civil society, and a diverse range of case studies from across the region, ensured that the 2nd Asia Pacific Water Stewardship Forum was a meaningful learning exchange with rich discussions on how to advance water stewardship in different contexts.
Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Ayog) (pictured) provided the keynote on how wate
r stewardship can support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Earlier Ravi Singh, CEO of WWF-India, Russell Rollason from the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Michael Spencer (AWS Chair) had introduced the event.
The Forum was co-convened by AWS, WSA and the India Water Stewardship Network (IWSN), whose members now include ITC, WaterAid India, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, the International Water Management Institute, CDP, WWF-India, CRB, and the Better Cotton Initiative. This was the IWSN’s first public event.
A session on water stewardship in industry helped to identify some of the opportunities for advancing water stewardship, both in India and across the region. AS well as case studies from India and China, this session included two videos from projects in Pakistan
Nestle’s implementation of the AWS Standard in Sheikhupura, in partnership with WWF-Pakistan
Archroma’s water stewardship progress from Jomshoro, including implementation of the AWS Standard
Water stewardship in agriculture was discussed with examples from China, Australia and India. The focus of the panel discussion was on opportunities for connecting business and community needs, and the potential for water stewardship in rainfed areas.
A short session examined the potential for water stewardship to support other initiatives, exemplified through the WAPRO project, the Better Cotton Initiative and the City Wide Partnership in Lahore, Pakistan.
A concluding session brought the discussion back to the SDGs, helping to understand how best water stewardship can support major development priorities like access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
