Water is wonderful. But water is limited. And fragile. Do we have any alternative?

H20 Today, Smithsonian Institution

India sustains 16 percent of the world population with only 4 percent of the world’s water resources. With the rapid growth and expansion of metro cities like Chennai and Bengaluru in South India, providing safe drinking water is one of the biggest challenges that the region faces today. One of the major challenges to tackling water stress is the ongoing mismanagement of resources that has led to the overexploitation of water resources, particularly groundwater.

It has been predicted that in South India, climate change would affect water resources in terms of, increase in both drought-like situations and flood events, change in groundwater quality and groundwater recharge, and increased saline intrusion of coastal and island aquifers due to rising sea levels. Therefore, it is important to leverage technological expertise to explore innovative solutions to these problems and at the same time generate awareness about water sustainability in the region.

As part of the U. S. Mission India Public Diplomacy Grants Program, Care Earth executed Project ‘Water Matters: An Interactive Sustainability Showcase’, that aimed at utilising different mediums to educate, advocate, and support South India in addressing water challenges. Starting August 2018, the campaign was designed to take the message of sustainable water management to students, administration and the community through specifically targeted interventions.

The Exhibition

The Water Matters exhibition, an interactive showcase designed to generate awareness about water as a resource and the importance of creating a sustainable environment was launched on February 10, 2020 in Chennai. The exhibition and the associated events were very well received with over 24,000 people participating in the initial three weeks of the event. The exhibition was designed around “H2O Today”, obtained through a paid license to the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Through a combination of text panels, installations and audio-visual content, the exhibition explored diverse topics from the universality of the resource to South Indian traditions and the challenges and innovations that lay ahead.

Water Matters: Events

Curated list of events from heritage trails to workshops, discussions and masterclasses leading up to, and through the Exhibit period

Water Management Professional Fellowship

As part of the larger ‘Water Matters’ campaign, the Water Management Professional Fellowship program was offered to students and research scholars to capture innovative solutions to water problems in southern India. It aimed at capturing innovative solutions to water problems, and help drive the market uptake of scalable novel ideas.

Speaker Engagement

Effective water management in South India will advance bilateral trade, regional economic stability, health and safety, and people-to-people/institution-to-institution connectivity while tapping into the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of young people in South India – a demographic that will either inherit or successfully manage this problem. ‘Water Matters’ as a platform seeks to promote and leverage America’s technological and scientific expertise, public institutions and officials, and private partners to explore solutions to water management challenges in South India with the primary focus being economic development, sustainability, and security.

Project Updates

Water Matters Photo Contest: Submit entries on or before February 3, 2020. Click here for more.

Feb 05, 2020

Water is wonderful.

Water is limited.

WATER MATTERS!

Feb 04, 2020

‘Evoke a sense of responsibility among people to manage water’ – Water Matters in The Hindu

Feb 27, 2019

The exhibit, curated by Dr. RDK Herman, Senior Geographer, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, U.S., explores topics ranging from traditional wisdom to present day challenges and technological innovations.

Feb 23, 2019

Starting in 2019, the Water Management Professional Fellowship is a six-month program with 30 hours per month of flexible working hours. Interested individuals should send their applications to watermatters2018@gmail.com

Jan 29, 2019

CALLING FOR APPLICATIONS by emerging researchers, academics, and innovators who wish to collaborate with senior experts to address policy, technical, management or infrastructure issues in the water sector. Deadline – February 1, 2019

Jan 12, 2019