Industry and Sustainable Water Management

1. Industry and Sustainable Water Management Sunita Nadhamuni CEO, Arghyam

2. About Arghyam • Charitable Trust with an endowment from RohiniNilekani • Working on domestic water since 2005 – Safe, sustainable water for all • Support grass-roots, community-based efforts by NGOs on sustainable water management. 80 projects in 18 States • Run the India Water Portal; also in Hindi • Action research projects to improve governance, promote transparency and accountability, develop decentralized models of water management

3. Why water? • India -16% of world’s population, 4% of available freshwater • Water is a common pool resource - has competing uses, is divisible, amenable to sharing, results in tradeoffs and high exclusion costs • Industrial + energy water demand to grow at 4.2% per year • Industry - second largest consumer of water. 6 - 13% of freshwater • Urban & industrial sector will have huge implications on use of water and discharge of waste

4. Negotiating for water • In developing countries, 70% of industrial wastes are dumped without treatment, polluting the usable water supply. (WDR) • Each litre of wastewater discharged pollutes about 5–8 litres of water. Industrial water use ~ between 35–50% of the total water; not 7–8% (CSE) • Vicious cycle: peri-urban water -> urban consumption -> waste water -> pollutes peri-urban water -> reduced water availability • Lack of accountability - need for state-imposed regulations, strong community opposition

5. Competing Demands • Hirakuddam - irrigation, power generation, flood control. • Water allocation for industrial use reduced irrigation water availability. • Industrial water demand VS agricultural needs, livelihoods • Farmers asserted right over reservoir water in 2007

6. Competing Demands • Chalakudy, Kerala • The hydro power reservoir in dam regulates the water flow downstream. • This regulation has adversely affected the drinking and irrigation water needs of the downstream population • Upstream-downstream conflicts

7. Competing Demands • Parabs in Kutchch • Painstaking work by NGOs over years. Build local capacities, revive local water bodies, frameworks for community management • Groundwater, streams restored • Allocation for industrial purposes endangers fragile, carefully nurtured system

8. Future-proofing for water • The cost of water will only go up in these scenarios • Future proofing -using as little water as possible throughout supply chain • Water cost - in cement, beverages, automobiles, pulp and paper, power, engineering, chemicals and fertilizers- 0.15% to 1.3%. Product cost linked to water cost • CPCL petroleum refinery in Chennai recycles 1.4 million m3 of water per year, and uses the same. The liquid discharge of refinery is 0

9. Low-water business opportunity • Great business opportunity in a low water economy. • How to create the low cost low water filters pumps meters, water efficient energy production units • Water metering can help regulate water: GandhigramGP of Tamil Nadu • Water treatment devices for industries as well as for domestic areas: SBT • RWH regulations in Bangalore has created a local industry and innovation ecosystem in Bangalore

10. There is a strong moral imperative We have intergenerational responsibilities We have only one planet THANK YOU sunita@arghyam.org www.arghyam.org