Role of NGOs in Water Conservation: Impact of WOTR

 

Imagining a life without water is impossible. It is a vital element that sustains life on Earth, maintaining the balance of the environment and health.

However, despite its significance, several human activities have led to immense water pollution and contamination, wasting our precious water supplies. These actions have reduced the availability of clean water, making access to clean water resources extremely valuable and scarce.

Moreover, this carelessness can be a serious threat to our health, the sustainability of our ecosystems, and even the health of future generations. The activities have created an urgency to preserve and safeguard our water resources by working together. 

Therefore, water management NGO like WOTR are working diligently to protect this precious resource amid these tragedies. They have been working on the issue through a holistic, participative approach.

But before delving into their contributions and impact, it is crucial to understand the role and meaning of NGOs in water conservation. 

What Are NGOs In Water Conservation?

NGOs' water conservation efforts are essential to maintaining and safeguarding our scarce water resources. These groups support actions that conserve water supply and address other water-related issues in numerous ways. 

Furthermore, NGOs make significant efforts to minimise water scarcity, and implement sustainable practices. 

Role of NGOs in Water Conservation

The significance of NGOs in water conservation includes:

• Increasing Awareness: Spreading awareness and educating people about water conservation efforts and adopting sustainable practices to reduce waste and pollution. 
• Executing Projects: They plan, coordinate and manage clean-up campaigns and prepare various long-term water management strategies.
• Helping Communities: These groups also offer communities tools, instructions, and assistance, allowing them to manage water resources better. 

What has WOTR Done for Water Conservation?

Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR) is an internationally recognised non-profit organisation and think tank that engages at the intersection of practice, knowledge and policy at multiple scales, in collaboration with various stakeholders across sectors.

Established in 1993, their goal is to ensure the availability of water and food, along with livelihoods and income security, to support the sustainable growth and well-being of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in rural India.

Moreover, WOTR has also made significant contributions to water conservation by taking a holistic approach to ecosystem restoration and water management infrastructure.

With its strategic focus on reviving groundwater levels, conserving natural vegetation and enabling rural communities, WOTR is mitigating environmental degradation in rural India. 

Impact Created

For over 3 decades, WOTR has been working with rural communities in India. They have touched the lives of over 6.93 million across 7124 villages in 10 states of India, together with their partners. Here's the key impact created by WOTR for water conservation:

• Over 78,461 households from 7,635 villages were impacted through watershed development activities.
• They created a storage capacity of around 4.23 Billion  litres during the year 2024-25.
• They also impacted 3.836 million hectares of area through watershed development and climate change adaptation activities.
• About 1.81 billion litres of water was saved , helping agriculture and other activities.

Conclusion

Water is the most basic source of survival for any human being, and preserving it is no longer a choice; it is an urgency. Understanding this urgency, NGOs like WOTR are implementing workable solutions, increasing awareness, and promoting sustainable practices.

Their resilient, unwavering commitment to tackling water-related problems is critical to ensure a sustainable, healthy future.