BusinessWire India
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 24: Water is at the core of sustainable development, critical for the survival of humanity and the planet. As part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2016, the SDG 6 focuses on achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030.
India's public and private sector enterprises are undertaking various CSR projects to conserve water across India. These include a broad spectrum of innovative ideas such as community-based governance of water resources, groundwater recharge, rejuvenation of lakes and other water bodies, and installation of water ATMs, to name a few.
In this backdrop, Senior CSR & ESG heads and professionals at some of India's leading organizations came together in Mumbai at the India Water Sustainability Forum to drive forward the agenda of water sustainability in India while addressing the critical intersection between corporate social responsibility and sustainable water resource management. The gathering, organized by SoulAce and chaired by CSR & ESG leaders and experts, was held at the Jio World Convention Centre on 10th September, 2024. The Forum witnessed insightful discussions and expert contributions from leading minds in areas of watershed management, lake rejuvenation, innovative drinking water initiatives, climate resilience and groundwater recharge.
"Water sustainability is not just an environmental priority, it's a business imperative for organizations globally. As business goals become more aligned with CSR and ESG, water security has emerged as a top priority for long-term growth and sustainable community development. By investing in water stewardship, companies not only protect this vital resource but also drive innovation, reduce risk, and create lasting value for both society and shareholders. The India Water Sustainability Forum was our effort to spotlight the important role that CSR can play in helping India meet its commitment to SDG 6," says Adarsh Kataruka, Managing Director, SoulAce.
The speakers who inspired the audience and sparked meaningful discussions included Dhanalakshmi Ramachandra, CSR Business Partner, Bayer; G Chandra Shekhar Gowda, Head-CSR, Sun Pharmaceuticals; Ms. Rema Mohan, CEO, NSE Foundation; and Shiv Santra, Head-CSR, Ultratech Cement, Aditya Birla Group who were part of the panel discussion on Watershed Conservation Initiatives and its Livelihood Impact. Moderated by Dr Pooja Prasad, Assistant Professor at IIT Delhi, the panel discussed community-based models in watershed protection and decision-making, challenges such as changing rainfall patterns, increasing droughts and floods that impact watershed initiatives.
The session on Innovative Drinking Water initiatives in CSR was moderated by Adarsh Kataruka, Managing Director, SoulAce and the speakers on this panel were Arshiya Mecklai, Lead-CSR & Employee Volunteering, Trent, Sandeep Kumar, General Manager - CSR, Indo Count Industries, Ms. Shilpashree Muniswamappa, Director-ESG & Communications, Colgate-Palmolive, and Ms. Sunita Sule, Director - Country Development & Government Relations, BASF India. While the speakers talked about the drinking water projects they are successfully steering in their respective organizations, they also discussed the challenges such as community involvement, infrastructure, government support, the linkage between safe drinking water and sanitation, and the impact of these initiatives in the lives of women of the community.
Vishwanath S, Director, Biome Environmental Solutions, during his expert session, gave a reality-check about the grim situation of availability of clear drinking water in the urban areas of India and the wide demand-supply gap that exists in large pockets of the indo-gangetic plain. He made a strong case for the government - industry collaboration to deal with the growing drinking water crisis and disappearing lakes and water bodies in India.
The panel discussion on Urban Water Security through Lake Restoration further emphasized on the historical and cultural significance of urban lakes, the urgent need for recharging groundwater, and the role that CSR is playing in supporting lake rejuvenation programs across India. Moderated by Vishwanath, the speakers on this panel included Ms. Ashwini Deodeshmukh, Head-CSR, Godrej & Boyce; Himanshu Nivsarkar, Senior EVP and Head-CSR & ESG, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Pallavi Barua, Director-CSR, Tata Communications; and Subrato Roy, SVP-Communications, PR & CSR, HDFC Life.
An expert session on an Innovative Approach to Sustainable Water Conservation and Resource Management by Sriram Raghavendran, Director at the Heartfulness Institute focused on a series of rainwater harvesting techniques that the Institute has implemented at its campus.
Mr. Manish Kumar, Head - ESG & CSR, ICICI Bank; Dr Pooja Prasad, Assistant Professor, IIT Delhi; Mr. Santos Verma, HSE Culture and Performance Coach, Sanofi; Vijay Vardhan, General Manager, Social Investments Programme, ITC came together for a panel discussion on Water and Climate Resilience. This discussion was moderated by Siddharth Agarwal, Founder, Veditum India Foundation. The panelists agreed that climate change is a reality, and its risks were becoming increasingly clear everyday. As a result, the linkages between water and climate were playing out in our fragile ecosystem having a large-scale impact on biodiversity. The discussion steered towards adopting a systems approach to water conservation besides leveraging the knowledge being generated through advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities.
The Forum culminated with SoulAce launching a new report - The Impact of CSR Initiatives on India's Water Security. The report is based on extensive research conducted by SoulAce, which includes over 100 impact assessment studies of CSR water programs.
LinkedIn: SoulAce
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