Growing demand for adequate supply of fresh water requires management of water resources as efficiently as possible to ensure the sustainability of both societal and natural systems, Chandy said inaugurating international symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), through video conferencing.

Chandy said for countries like India, water resources management was critical for their economic growth.

‘Given the high percentage of the population dependent on agriculture, this sector holds an immense significance to stabilize livelihood structures’, he said, adding the state was committed to go for IWRM.

Noting that the state faces acute shortage of water during summer months, he said ‘though the state gets more than 3000 millimetres of rainfall, and the state has several rivers and wetland systems, it faces acute shortage of water during summer months’.

An integrated approach, specially at the river basin level, is essential for the management water resources in the state, he said.

In his presidential address, DrN B Narasimha Prasad, Executive Director, CWRDM, said that the mission of the Centre was to enhance the quality of life by ensuring water security for all by providing necessary research and development inputs, with special emphasis on humid tropics.