Why Water Data Important ?
Water Data – a key challenge for managing India’s water resources
One of the key challenges in managing India’s water resources is the lack of water data. Data in the water sector exists in silos, with very little horizontal and vertical data sharing across the value chain. Lack of co-ordination amongst the water data collection and management agencies both at the Central and State level implies that a lot of good data remains unutilized both within the Government as well as by society at large. Such data issues directly impact policy formulation, infrastructure maintenance, promote sub-optimal user behaviour, and limit research and innovation.
Water Security - Water Data helps us to understand
- Rural Water Security
- Urban Water Security
- Economic Water Security
- Environmental Water Security
- Water related Disaster Security
Water Data – essential for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
IWRM needs data and information about the quantity and sources of water, quality of water and its uses such as domestic, agriculture, industry and environment at local, state and national level. Such a data is at present scattered across multiple agencies, multiple platforms with different standards. Water data is essential to ensure Integrated Water Resource Management that supports real-time decision-making, identifying trends and patterns, forecasting future conditions at a larger scale towards sustainable management of water resources to achieve water security for all in the country.
