The South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERs) annual reports

SaciWATERs, South Asia Consortium for interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies, was formed as a project on the theme “water for food and rural development” after the 2000 World Water Forum at the Hague and was established with the aim of bringing a paradigm perspective. Based in Hyderabad, India, the consortium comprises of accomplished scholars and activists from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SaciWATERs produces new knowledge to address the pressing problems in the water sector in South Asia through education, research and advocacy. It has created a new group of professionals and experts through its Crossing Boundaries Project which aims to contribute to the paradigm shift in water resources management in South Asia by means of various partnership-based programmes for capacity building of water professionals through higher education, innovative and social learning focused research (“research with an impact”), knowledge-based development and networking. SaciWATERs is a policy research institute. Since its inception in 2001, it has focused on critical issues related to water resources management in South Asia. A key endeavour at SaciWATERs has been to enhance the dominant water resources management paradigm in the region with a consideration of all issues using a pro-poor human development approach. The emphasis is on the accumulation of new knowledge through a combination of research, capacity building, advocacy, partnership and knowledge mobilization. Accordingly, it partners with universities and academic institutions from across global north and south to fundamentally reshape water resources knowledge systems in South Asia. A pro-poor, gendered and human development perspective, is at the core of SaciWATERs’ interdisciplinary approach to understand water resource issues. It’s solutions-oriented strategy is based on a platform of improved exchange, interaction and collaboration at a regional level.