US consulate Kolkata celebrates World Water Day

KOLKATA: Life can't exist without water. International World Water Day is held annually every year on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The foreign commercial service office of the US consulate Kolkata recently organized a day-long seminar to raise awareness about water issues and potential solutions.

Inaugurating the event to celebrate World Water Day at the American Center, US Consul General Craig Hall said, "It is a day to make a difference for the people around the world who suffer from water related issues. For the 2.5 billion people living without access to sanitation and 748 million without safe drinking water, these challenges mean a life threatened by illness, lost income, and malnourishment."

In his keynote address, Hall added: “We know that effective water diplomacy and development aid can save millions of lives and help countries develop sustainably and peacefully. Two of the world’s greatest river basins — the Ganges and the Brahmaputra — capture water from east and northeast India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and China. Working together across national and state boundaries to manage water use is critical to regional development.”

In the inaugural session, the US Consul General was joined by Anand Rudra, project management specialist, water and sanitation, USAID and Asadur Rahman, chief of field office, UNICEF.

Businesses, NGOs and academics participated in panel discussions focused on this year’s theme ‘Water & Jobs’ in the first session, ‘Commercialization and Application of Water Technology’ in the second session, and 'Jobs, Technology, and Sustainable Development’ in the third session. Participating organizations showcased exhibits on water.

One of the panelists, Dr Vijayraghavan M Charier of Ekam Eco Solutions talked about recycling used water, including human waste, using bio toilets which use less water and adopting water-friendly habits.

Joe Charbonnet, a PHD student of University of California, Berkeley and working under an Indo-US Science & Technology Forum Arsenic Remediation Project, Dr Suneel Pandey, director, Green Growth & Resource Efficiency Division of The Energy & Resource Institute, Kara Cherniga, senior manager Splash and Ravi Varanasi, head — sustainability, Kohler India, explained the importance of water conservation with the help of slide shows.

The documentary film ‘When the Water Tap Runs Dry’ by Ron Meyer and United Nations documentary on water, “One Water” produced by University of Miami were screened at the event.

The Obama administration hosted the first-ever White House Water Summit this year to shine a spotlight on the importance of cross-cutting, creative solutions to solve today’s water problems, as well as to highlight the innovative strategies that will catalyze change across the ways in which we use, conserve, protect, and think about water in the years to come.