Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan inaugurated the 9th India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 22, under the theme "Climate Resilient Water Management." The five-day event, organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and running through September 26, has brought representatives from more than 35 countries together to discuss water security, reuse and climate adaptation.
Who Is Involved
The inauguration was attended by Union Minister of Jal Shakti C. R. Patil, Ministers of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Archana Varma, and Central Water Commission Chairman Anupam Prasad. The Netherlands and Germany are participating as partner countries, alongside 14 partner states and two partner central ministries.
What the Vice President Said
Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan described water as the foundation of life and civilisations, and stressed the need for its judicious use, conservation and effective management. He called for a multi-stakeholder, multi-dimensional approach, noting that water challenges cannot be addressed by any single institution, sector or state. He said the deliberations at IIWW-2026 were expected to generate technological, policy, socio-economic and environmental approaches for climate-resilient and integrated water management, summarising the message as "Jal Suraksha will lead to Jan Suraksha and Rashtra Suraksha."
On the occasion, the Vice President launched the Sustainable Urban River Management (SURM) Framework and an AI/ML-driven Integrated Reservoir Sediment Management initiative, both aimed at bringing more data-driven approaches to river and reservoir management.
Why Water Reuse Is a Central Theme
India's water challenges, erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion, urbanisation and pollution, are interconnected, which is why this year's IIWW theme frames water management as a matter of climate resilience rather than supply alone. A recurring point in the run-up to the event has been the need to scale circular wastewater systems and viable models for water reuse, supported by appropriate standards, reliable operations and clear institutional responsibility.
This framing echoes a broader shift already underway across India's water and wastewater sector, from treating wastewater as a discard stream to treating it as a resource, through wastewater reuse for irrigation, industrial processes and non-potable urban applications.
What the Event Covers
The five-day event combines a conference, exhibition and a study tour on the final day, bringing together policymakers, global water leaders, experts, researchers, industry and start-ups. It functions as a platform for policy dialogue, technology demonstration, knowledge exchange and new partnerships, addressing water challenges that span drinking water supply, sanitation, groundwater management, river rejuvenation and industrial water use.
Key Highlights
- The 9th India International Water Week 2026 was inaugurated by Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 22.
- The theme, "Climate Resilient Water Management," runs through the conference, exhibition and study tour from September 22 to 26.
- More than 35 countries are represented, with the Netherlands and Germany as partner countries and 14 Indian states as partner states.
- The Vice President launched the Sustainable Urban River Management Framework and an AI/ML-driven Integrated Reservoir Sediment Management initiative.
- Water reuse and circular wastewater systems featured prominently among the event's stated priorities.
Sources & Further Reading
This article is based on reporting from Kashmir Despatch and The Governance Post, both dated September 22-23, 2026, along with the official event details published at indiawaterweek.in.
