BHUBANESWAR: The Department of Water Resources (DoWR) and UNICEF signed a letter of agreement (LoA) here on Wednesday to collaborate on communication and policy initiatives of the department. The endeavour aims at engaging with the community on sustainable water management, prudent water use, equity in water distribution, water conservation, women as principal stakeholders in water governance and participatory irrigation management.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Secretary, Water Resources Anu Garg said the department, for the first time since inception, is unleashing its soft power through greater community engagement in matters of water governance, water conservation and keeping water clean.
Launching a website ‘Youth4Water’ for the purpose, Garg said rethinking State water policy, development of Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) as a centre of excellence, ‘Youth4Water’ and ‘Mo Nadi’ campaigns are the key features of the collaboration with UNICEF.
Signing the LoA, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Monika Nielsen said, “Large scale urbanisation, shifting cultivation patterns, and industrial growth have forced us to think more strategically about water and communication and work to achieve the SDG. While challenges continue to evolve in different sectors, more emphasis is given on communication to address few such challenges.”