Two countries.
One water problem.

Australia and India’s water issues and challenges share many common elements, including natural extremes of floods and droughts, increasing competition for water between urban, peri-urban and rural sectors and increased threats to water security from climate change. There are also pressures due to the over-exploitation and water quality degradation of surface and groundwater resources.

Although India has a much larger population than Australia, the Gross Domestic Product of both countries heavily relies on access to fresh water. Therefore, effective surface and groundwater management plays a critical role in food production, sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development.

Both countries are going through increasing urbanisation, which has added to the complexity of managing stormwater, provision of sanitation services, surface and groundwater pollution and the demands for drinking water and other uses. Further, India is currently undergoing a rapid socio-economic transformation with changing demographics and the need to sustain the farming sector; for this, water availability of the required quality and quantity will be critical. As such, both countries can partner for mutual benefits and learn significantly from each other’s experiences and strengths.