Stockholm World Water Week 2023, Junior Water Prize And Namami Gange

G Ashok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) chaired the online session on 'Collaborative Networking for Integrated River Basin Planning and Management' at Stockholm Water Week on 21 August 2023.

More than 160 people participated in this session. G Ashok Kumar, Director General, NMCG, also participated in a session on 'Water Quality Management: Lessons Learned from India' on the inaugural day of Stockholm Water Week on 20th August.

• There was an interactive discussion on adoption of the river basin management approach.
• According to the Director General of NMCG, the Namami Gange project is focused on five important pillars – Nirmal Ganga (pollution-free river), Aviral Ganga (unrestricted flow), Jan Ganga (people's participation), Gyan Ganga (knowledge and research-based activities) and Artha Ganga (Connect through the bridge of man-river economy).
• Namami Gange is one of the world's acclaimed river rejuvenation programs and has been recognized as one of the top 10 "world restoration flagships" during the United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity (COP 15) in Montreal on December 13, 2022. 
• The Namami Gange project involves substantial financial assistance of US$ 4.5 billion and the required efforts have already made a positive impact on the water quality of the Ganges River.
• This is evidenced by the renewal of polluted stretches of the river and the significant improvement in river water quality.
• There has been a significant increase in the number of aquatic species like the Gangetic dolphin, alligator and turtle. More than 93 lakh Indian major carp fish (katla, rohu and mrigal) and 90,000 hilsa fish are reared in the Ganga basin. In addition, capacity development programs have also been initiated for forest officials to further enhance conservation efforts.
• The NMCG through Arth Ganga aims to guide sustainable development efforts through institutional building, zero-budget natural farming, formation of FBOs, public participation, monetization of wastewater and silt, cultural heritage and tourism and livelihood generation and To use it is to establish flexible institutions.

World Water Week:

• World Water Week is organized every year since 1991 by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). It is the leading global water conference, advocating cooperation across all sectors and national boundaries.
• Tackling the biggest challenges of our time often starts with water.
• Here you can discuss a wide range of topics from food safety and health to agriculture, technology, biodiversity and the climate crisis. Each year has its own theme which is decided from many different perspectives.
• World Water Week is organized every year from 23 August to 1 September. 
• The theme for the year 2023 is 'Seed of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World'.
• During this week, experts discuss programs focusing on Sustainable Development Goal 6. Sustainable Development Goal 6 is dedicated to ensuring access to water for all.
• The world famous Stockholm Water Prize is also awarded during World Water Week. The award is presented by the SIWI.
• The award winner is announced on World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March. In the year 2022, the award was received by Wilfred Brutsaert.

Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2023

• Naomi Park from USA receives the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2023 for her research on the removal of carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean. 
  HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the winner with her award during a ceremony at World Water Week in Stockholm.

Namami Gange: Universities Connect:

• An MoU signing ceremony aimed at promoting awareness and youth engagement through a network of universities - Namami Gange: Universities Connect - was held in April 2023.

River-City Alliance:

• Director General, NMCG said that this is yet another unique initiative to provide a dedicated platform to river cities in India to discuss, deliberate and share insights for sustainable urban river management.

Ganga Rejuvenation/India EU Partnership GIZ India:

• Martina Burkard, Head of Cooperation Program for Ganga Rejuvenation/India EU Partnership GIZ India, highlighted the need for more collaborative efforts in river basin management.
• The curvilinear path of Ganga basin governance has evolved through various phases from the development of comprehensive Ganga basin management plans to implementation-oriented sub-basin plans.