India and European Union agree to deepen cooperation in Sustainable Water Management

India and the European Union (EU) agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable water management at the 6th EU-India Water Forum held on the sidelines of the 8th India Water Week, in New Delhi.

Discussion Agenda of 6th IEWP

• The 6th EU-India Water Forum serves as a key platform for discussing water sector challenges, sharing best practices, and enhancing business and research opportunities.
• As India and the EU continue to advance their cooperation in water management, this forum reaffirms their commitment to achieving sustainable water resource management for future generations.

Highlights

• The shared commitment between the EU and India to address global water issues through technological collaboration, policy exchange, and sustainable investment strategies.
• The current phase (Phase III) prioritizes government and business partnerships, aligning with India’s National 2030 Agenda and the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy, which promotes sustainable investments, connectivity, and infrastructure development focused on green, digital, and inclusive growth.
• The forum explored trilateral collaboration between East Africa, India and the EU, to address challenges in East Africa’s water bodies such as Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, leveraging the combined strength of India and the EU.

About The India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP)

• As part of the India-EU Strategic Partnership and in accordance with the Joint Declaration between the EU(European Union) and the Government of India (2016) as well as the Memorandum of Understanding on Water Cooperation between the EU and the GoI (2016), the EU and India established the India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP) as a political dialogue between the EU and India.
• It was set up to strengthen the political and strategic framework for a more coherent and effective collaboration between the EU and India on water management issues.
• Its aim is to bring together governments, businesses, research institutions, and other key stakeholders to promote innovative approaches and the systematic implementation of existing policies.

The India – EU Water Partnership consists of five components.

• The EU and Ministry of Jal Shakti cooperation based on the Joint Declaration and MoU
• The EU and BMZ funded IEWP Action
• EU Member States
• Research and Innovation
• Businesses

Projects Under IEWP

• Under IEWP, the EU and India are collaborating on river management on Tapi and Ramganga River Basins.
• Under Phase III, the partnership will extend its efforts to other key basins like the Brahmaputra. Both regions have co-jointly funded 7 research and innovation water projects with €37.4 million (EU €23.4 M + India €14 M), bringing together 743 participants from the EU and India.
• These projects focus on drinking water purification, wastewater treatment, and real-time monitoring and control systems, and the IEWP will further provide support for market uptake of these cutting-edge water technologies in India.