K. J. Joy's introductory remarks about the report
Forum organized a release function and panel discussion on the report ‘Life, Livelihoods, Ecosystems, Culture: Entitlements and Allocation of Water for Competing Uses’ on 16 March 2011 from 4 to 6.30 pm at WWF India Office, New Delhi.
The report is the result of the work of the first of the two groups set up in 2009 by the Forum on two important issues, namely, 1) Water Entitlements and Allocation for Livelihoods and Ecosystem Needs and 2) Institutional and Legal Issues Related to Water Conflict Resolution.
Explaining the reason for bringing out the report K. J. Joy of the Forum said that the issue of entitlements and allocations for livelihoods and ecosystem needs has been at the root of most of water related conflicts in India. In his inaugural speech Shri Jairam Ramesh said that the competing water uses, environment protection versus the legitimate needs of a growing population for power and the lack of proper rehabilitation of project affected persons are the main water related conflicts in the country presently. The minister endorsed most of the propositions put forward in the report to resolve the conflicts around competing water uses and the tradeoffs between environment and growth.
