Page 4 - Reliance Foundation - The Change Maker - Issue 45

4 The ChangeMaker

Sustainable Water initiatives with and for

communities

eliance Foundation’s water related
Rinitiatives across India aim to
ensure adequate water for agriculture
and drinking purposes for rural
households. Reliance Foundation
supports communities in identifying
their water needs and planning locally-
relevant cost-effective solutions to
improve availability of water and its
management.
Since 2011, Reliance Foundation has
helped enhance India’s water harvesting
capacity by 1,634 lakh cubic metres.
Its efforts have further led to effective
water management on 65,092 hectares
of land and improving of drinking water Reliance Foundation supports through the village resources planning
access in over 3,500 villages. communities and smallholder farmers exercises and through 300 plus Digital
This was possible by uniting people in identifying ways to improve water Farm Schools, which is another focus
in more than 4,700 villages, through availability at community and farm levels. area in the Foundation’s approach to
village-level platforms, to prepare water These efforts often result in improved driving water-use efficiency. Further,
resources management plans. Not or new water infrastructure, such as to improve access to drinking water,
only have these efforts contributed to dams, ponds, tanks and wells, and Reliance Foundation strengthens supply
prosperity, they have also led to peace sustainable and efficient use of water. and water distribution infrastructure
through water, which is the theme for Reliance Foundation also empowers in villages, ensuring clean and safe
this year’s World Water Day. communities with information to enable drinking water at the doorstep of
Recognising water distress as a key them in adopting climate-smart crops homes.
inhibitor for remunerative farming, and farming practises. This happens An independent study of Reliance