Of all the amount of water available globally, only 2.53 percent is freshwater and remaining is salt water. Moreover, around two third of this freshwater is locked up in glaciers and permanent snow cover. Rapid increase in human population has resulted in a severe scarcity of potable water worldwide. This problem has been compounded by issues like water pollution, water security and governance which include disputes because of sharing of water at both national and international level.

Law has been a major source to solve most of the problems related to water crisis. There is hardly any country where there are no provisions to deal with water related issues. Water is also one of the most serious threats to regional stability and peace worldwide. International agreements have been implemented to avoid conflicts. In spite of the efforts taken by the international community currently over 260 river basins are shared by two or more countries mostly without adequate legal or institutional arrangements.

In India, water has been traditionally perceived to be a free good available from the nature. This perception has not materially changed. Existing institutional, legal and governance framework relating to acquisition, distribution and utilization of water has not helped in changing this perception.

The role of the Central Government in sustainable management of water resources is and will continue to be quite critical. While the sovereign right of the central government on any natural resource like water is undisputed, the role a government should assume to exercise this right and it needs to be defined through consensus among stakeholders. The objectives & goals of water policy, howsoever meticulously formulated, cannot be achieved without appropriate water laws and efficient implementation mechanisms. There have been policy assertions that suggest that management of water resources needs to be done in an integrated and holistic manner rather than being managed in a compartmentalized approach, however, these assertions have not got reflected into instruments that can give such approaches operative effect.

This conference will focus on the role of law in promoting of water; an effort would be made to understand water laws from all aspects including the regimes that they law down for rural and urban water supply, watershed development, and irrigation management groundwater management, amongst others. The role of the judiciary, and in particular the higher courts, in promoting better water regulation and management from the standpoint of sustainable development would also be discussed in this context. While discussing these themes the issues and concerns of the industry as also of the larger civil society would also be kept in focus.

We have invited Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Union Minister for Water Resources, Government of India to be Guest of Honour at the Conference. A galaxy of prominent speakers has been invited from the Government, Industry, Economists and Civil Society representatives to address the gathering.

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