Convergence and co-financing opportunities for climate-resilient water management
Mohammad Faiz Alam
Convergence and co-financing opportunities for climate-resilient water management - India : GIZ, 2020. - 109 pages
In 2019, NITI Aayog estimated that India’s GDP by 2050 could be lost by 6% due to water scarcity. Given growing climate-induced uncertainties and the centrality of water in India’s largely agrarian and rural livelihoods, the adoption of climate-resilient water management (CRWM) is crucial for India’s ‘water future’. CRWM can be summed up as water management interventions that enhance the system’s ability to maintain hydrological processes and build flexibility and adaptability to deal with climate-induced uncertainties at different geographical and temporal scales. The core components of CRWM may be categorised as water resource assessment, water supply augmentation, water demand management, water quality management, water risk management, capacity building/awareness, value/income enhancing activities and indirect or co-management. With this in mind, this report focuses on identifying CRWM avenues by mapping convergence and co-financing opportunities for executing them within existing institutional regimes. The report carefully and meticulously maps several central and state level government initiatives, policies and schemes with the potential for building and enhancing climate resilience through improved water management and governance. e Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India is the nodal agency for water resources planning, management and development in the country. It underlines its water vision through the National Water Mission and National Water Policy; providing broad objectives, goals and framework for water resource development along with numerous flagship programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for delivering ‘har khet ko pani’; Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABhY) for reducing groundwater over-exploitation; Jal Jeevan Mission (for delivering safe drinking water to all households); Namami Gange (for rejuvenation of Ganges river); National Hydrology Project (for improved water information, planning and management);Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-Gramin, for rural sanitation; and so on. Apart from MoJS, there are number of complementary schemes that contribute to CRWM components, for example: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) of the Ministry of Rural Development; Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. All of these, and some more, are mapped and different CRWM components identified. In addition, we also review and map several relevant programmes, schemes and policies in the four WASCA project states- Madhya Pradesh (E.g. Mukhyamantri Krishak Samraddhi Yojana); Rajasthan (E.g. Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan); Tamilnadu (E.g. Kudimaramath; Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project); and Uttar Pradesh (E.g. State Groundwater Conservation Mission) - tat contribute to CRWM. To address funding and knowledge gaps in developing CRWM, we also explore opportunities presented through private players, CSR initiatives, international and national donors and civil society organizations. Some of the largest industry-led initiatives in water conservation, restoration and quality management financed by Reliance Foundation, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Tata Motors Ltd, Hindalco, etc. exhibit immense potential for co-financing CRWM activities. Apart from that, role of Confederation of Indian Industry-Triveni Water Institute (CII-TWI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and ASSOCHAM Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) as organisations involved in private CSR activities is also important. Additionally, international and national donor agencies working closely on water and related sectors such as green climate funds, international climate initiative, adaptation funds, international fund for agriculture development, NABARD’s Watershed Development Funds (WDF) and WDF-Climate proofing offer significant co-financing opportunities. Civil society organisations have a large pool of personnel with field and community organisation skills that can be leveraged for implementing CRWM plans. With a specific focus on WASCA project states, the report offers some potential convergence models for CRWM execution. The institutional framework for executing convergence is critical in CRWM planning and implementation. Most of the central and state schemes have their respective convergence guidelines with tasks identified and it is suggested that for planning and implementation of CRWM, village/gram panchayat is the most appropriate unit to bring about meaningful impact of convergence and co-financing with Mahatma Gandhi NREGA as the central scheme for water adaptation to climate change. Finally, the concept of convergence is not new; it has been the suggested ‘mantra’ for inter-sector collaboration for co-financing for a while, especially for implementing development schemes and programmes. It is not without challenges and despite the best of intentions, it often suffers in execution due to sectoral/silo-thinking; lack of flexibility and imagination; absence of conducive policy framework; and a general aversion for risks associated with institutional innovations. the convergence and co-financing mechanisms and models we propose can hopefully overcome some of these issues by offering attractive win-win opportunities and by clearly demonstrating that the combined effort will bring results that are substantially more than the sum of individual results. e report also suggests that capacity building of implementing agencies and their programme staff; field testing and fine-tuning of co-financed CRWM models before execution of large scale; development of a common planning and reporting format; and making these accessible through a common portal can also go a long way in improving convergence.
Text in English
Financing
Climate resilience
Water management
Partnerships
Convergence and co-financing opportunities for climate-resilient water management - India : GIZ, 2020. - 109 pages
In 2019, NITI Aayog estimated that India’s GDP by 2050 could be lost by 6% due to water scarcity. Given growing climate-induced uncertainties and the centrality of water in India’s largely agrarian and rural livelihoods, the adoption of climate-resilient water management (CRWM) is crucial for India’s ‘water future’. CRWM can be summed up as water management interventions that enhance the system’s ability to maintain hydrological processes and build flexibility and adaptability to deal with climate-induced uncertainties at different geographical and temporal scales. The core components of CRWM may be categorised as water resource assessment, water supply augmentation, water demand management, water quality management, water risk management, capacity building/awareness, value/income enhancing activities and indirect or co-management. With this in mind, this report focuses on identifying CRWM avenues by mapping convergence and co-financing opportunities for executing them within existing institutional regimes. The report carefully and meticulously maps several central and state level government initiatives, policies and schemes with the potential for building and enhancing climate resilience through improved water management and governance. e Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India is the nodal agency for water resources planning, management and development in the country. It underlines its water vision through the National Water Mission and National Water Policy; providing broad objectives, goals and framework for water resource development along with numerous flagship programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for delivering ‘har khet ko pani’; Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABhY) for reducing groundwater over-exploitation; Jal Jeevan Mission (for delivering safe drinking water to all households); Namami Gange (for rejuvenation of Ganges river); National Hydrology Project (for improved water information, planning and management);Swachh Bharat Abhiyan-Gramin, for rural sanitation; and so on. Apart from MoJS, there are number of complementary schemes that contribute to CRWM components, for example: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (Mahatma Gandhi NREGA) of the Ministry of Rural Development; Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. All of these, and some more, are mapped and different CRWM components identified. In addition, we also review and map several relevant programmes, schemes and policies in the four WASCA project states- Madhya Pradesh (E.g. Mukhyamantri Krishak Samraddhi Yojana); Rajasthan (E.g. Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan); Tamilnadu (E.g. Kudimaramath; Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project); and Uttar Pradesh (E.g. State Groundwater Conservation Mission) - tat contribute to CRWM. To address funding and knowledge gaps in developing CRWM, we also explore opportunities presented through private players, CSR initiatives, international and national donors and civil society organizations. Some of the largest industry-led initiatives in water conservation, restoration and quality management financed by Reliance Foundation, Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Tata Motors Ltd, Hindalco, etc. exhibit immense potential for co-financing CRWM activities. Apart from that, role of Confederation of Indian Industry-Triveni Water Institute (CII-TWI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and ASSOCHAM Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) as organisations involved in private CSR activities is also important. Additionally, international and national donor agencies working closely on water and related sectors such as green climate funds, international climate initiative, adaptation funds, international fund for agriculture development, NABARD’s Watershed Development Funds (WDF) and WDF-Climate proofing offer significant co-financing opportunities. Civil society organisations have a large pool of personnel with field and community organisation skills that can be leveraged for implementing CRWM plans. With a specific focus on WASCA project states, the report offers some potential convergence models for CRWM execution. The institutional framework for executing convergence is critical in CRWM planning and implementation. Most of the central and state schemes have their respective convergence guidelines with tasks identified and it is suggested that for planning and implementation of CRWM, village/gram panchayat is the most appropriate unit to bring about meaningful impact of convergence and co-financing with Mahatma Gandhi NREGA as the central scheme for water adaptation to climate change. Finally, the concept of convergence is not new; it has been the suggested ‘mantra’ for inter-sector collaboration for co-financing for a while, especially for implementing development schemes and programmes. It is not without challenges and despite the best of intentions, it often suffers in execution due to sectoral/silo-thinking; lack of flexibility and imagination; absence of conducive policy framework; and a general aversion for risks associated with institutional innovations. the convergence and co-financing mechanisms and models we propose can hopefully overcome some of these issues by offering attractive win-win opportunities and by clearly demonstrating that the combined effort will bring results that are substantially more than the sum of individual results. e report also suggests that capacity building of implementing agencies and their programme staff; field testing and fine-tuning of co-financed CRWM models before execution of large scale; development of a common planning and reporting format; and making these accessible through a common portal can also go a long way in improving convergence.
Text in English
Financing
Climate resilience
Water management
Partnerships