The Ministry of Jal Shakti is hosting the 9th edition of India International Water Week (IIWW) 2026 from 22 to 26 September in New Delhi. The event brings together policymakers, researchers, industry leaders and community representatives from India and around the world to discuss sustainable and climate-resilient approaches to water management. More than 150 countries have been invited, with 11 expected to join as formal partner countries.
The week-long forum reflects India’s shift from top-down water policy to a model that emphasises community participation alongside scientific planning and institutional coordination. It showcases both national initiatives and ground-level projects that demonstrate how villages, towns and entire districts are addressing water challenges through rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, river restoration and inclusive water governance.
Key facts
- Event dates: 22–26 September 2026, New Delhi
- Theme: Climate Resilient Water Management
- Participants: 6 Union Ministries, 16 States and Union Territories, 150 countries invited, 11 as partner countries
- Sessions: 49 focused discussions including ministerial plenaries, youth forum and start-up forums
- Seven sub-themes: Inclusive and Equitable Water Governance; Collaboration for Optimal Use of Water Resources; Technology and Community for Water Security; Water in Climate-Related Risk; Innovative Financing Models; Sustainable Water Resources Management; Water for People and Planet
- Groundwater recharge: increased from 432 billion cubic metres in 2017 to 448.52 billion cubic metres in 2025
- Balod district, Chhattisgarh: 2.84 lakh recharge structures created between June 2025 and May 2026
- Tawera Nala restoration: 6,250 water conservation structures created along 14.3 kilometres
- Khowai district, Tripura: 6,000 Self-Help Group women engaged in water management; 860 Anganwadi centres with rainwater harvesting structures
- Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh: Ban River revived across 42 kilometres; Sot River restored across 17 kilometres
- Odisha: 905 rainwater harvesting and recharge structures; 849 rooftop rainwater-harvesting structures; 56 recharge shafts; 98 tanks under renovation across all 30 districts
What the water week covers
The seven sub-themes reflect India’s comprehensive approach to water security. Inclusive governance focuses on how water access and management decisions can benefit all sections of society, especially marginalised communities. Collaboration addresses how states, industries and institutions can share water resources efficiently. Technology and community partnerships highlight how scientific tools and local knowledge combine to solve water problems. Climate risk discussions examine how water management must adapt to changing rainfall patterns and extreme weather. Financing models explore how to fund large-scale water infrastructure without burdening governments alone. Sustainable management emphasises long-term groundwater and surface-water conservation. The final theme positions water as essential to both human welfare and environmental health.
National schemes and progress
The government’s water security push has expanded significantly over the past decade. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan is a mission-mode programme for water conservation. Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain focuses on rainwater harvesting in schools, hospitals and public institutions. The Atal Bhujal Yojana supports groundwater management in water-stressed areas. Mission Amrit Sarovar aims to rejuvenate ponds and water bodies. Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari is a recent initiative that emphasises community participation in water conservation. NAQUIM 2.0 uses scientific data to tailor groundwater management strategies for specific regions.
The results are measurable. Groundwater recharge—the natural replenishment of underground water reserves through rain and seepage—has grown by 16.5 billion cubic metres over eight years. This matters because groundwater supplies drinking water to millions of rural households and agriculture across India.
Community-led examples from across India
Balod district in Chhattisgarh demonstrates how village councils and local communities can work together at scale. In a single year, they built check dams, recharge pits and contour trenches across multiple villages. One restored seasonal stream, the Tawera Nala, now supports 6,500 water structures and is expected to preserve 6.5 crore litres of additional rainwater annually and raise groundwater levels by 5 to 10 feet in surrounding areas.
In Khowai district, Tripura, women Self-Help Groups have become water managers and monitors. They train students to test water quality using field kits, bringing basic water surveillance into schools and villages. All 860 local childcare centres now harvest rainwater. The district combines this grassroots work with formal monitoring—geo-tagged records, third-party audits and regular accountability meetings.
Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh links household tap connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission with river restoration. Two rivers, the Ban and the Sot, have been revived across nearly 60 kilometres combined through community labour, monitoring and women-led water-quality checks. Odisha has used the Catch the Rain campaign to educate students about water cycles and groundwater while constructing 905 rainwater structures statewide, including rooftop systems in schools and health centres.
What this means for you
If you live in a village or small town, IIWW 2026 signals that your local water sources and conservation efforts now have national and international visibility. Government investment in groundwater recharge and river restoration directly affects the reliability of water in your area. If you work in water management, civil engineering, agriculture or public health, the week offers networking opportunities with global peers and exposure to emerging technologies and financing models. Students in schools and colleges across India participating in Catch the Rain campaigns are gaining practical skills in environmental science while contributing to real water security. Women in Self-Help Groups are finding new economic and social roles in water management and monitoring. Businesses in water-tech and infrastructure development may find opportunities to partner with government schemes showcased at the forum.
What happens next
The week will conclude on 26 September 2026. Outcomes, recommendations and case studies from the 49 sessions are expected to guide future water policy and investment decisions at national and state levels.