Environment

River Conservation Vital for Building Climate Resilience

By bigwire bigwire

Posted on March 24, 2024

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Angul (Odisha), March 23, 2024– The 4th Odisha River Conference held on 21-22 March in Angul concluded with a resolute focus on increasing river conservation education across society to salvage our deteriorating rivers.

Organized by Water Initiatives, Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), and 53 global partners, the conference aligned with the International Day of Action for Rivers and World Water Day.

Over 150 participants engaged in two days of robust discussions, highlighting the pivotal role of rivers and interconnected ecosystems in sustaining life.

The conference, inaugurated by veteran Sarvodaya leader Krishna Mohanty, underscored the importance of regarding rivers as living entities deserving reverence and care.

Ranjan Panda, Convenor of Water Initiatives, stressed the heightened involvement of youths, strategically planning the next phase of the Youth4Water campaign initiated during the 3rd Odisha River Conference in 2019.

Swapnasri Sarangi, General Manager, FES, hailed the collective effort of 53 partners committed to securing a water-sustainable future amidst escalating climate change challenges. Bishakha Bhanja, chairperson of the conference organizing committee, emphasized the collaborative approach towards conserving rivers as interconnected ecosystems.

Distinguished speakers including Shubha Kulkarni from the Living Rivers Foundation, Pune, and Anurag Gupta from Water Aid India advocated for collective action to disseminate river education and engage more youths in the cause.

The conference witnessed the presentation of the 4th Odisha Water Honors, recognizing individuals and communities dedicated to water conservation. Farmer leader Saroj Mohanty received the Odisha Jala Joddha Sammana 2024, while the Budanpipali Community Forest Protection Committee from Kandhamal was honored for their pioneering forest conservation efforts.

The inaugural Youth4Water ‘Water & Climate Impact Award’ was bestowed upon local youth Urmila Behera for her relentless advocacy on water and forest conservation. Additionally, the Green Picnic Awards acknowledged innovative initiatives promoting plastic-free picnics.

A river rally held on World Water Day demonstrated solidarity towards river conservation, with local youths pledging to undertake cleanup and conservation initiatives.

Ranjan Panda reiterated the conference’s mission to foster collaboration for river conservation, livelihood resilience, and climate action. He urged collective efforts to alter the trajectory of river decline and actively engage with diverse stakeholders.