The Fast Lane to India's Water Management

India is among the world's most water‐stressed countries. In 2018, NITI Aayog (an Indian government research body) released the results of a study warning that India is facing its “worst” water crisis in history and that demand for potable water will outstrip supply by 2030 if steps are not taken. The study further indicated that critical groundwater resources, which accounted for 40% of India's water supply, are being depleted at “unsustainable” rates and up to 70% of India's water supply is “contaminated.” The impact of water scarcity and the poor quality of water is already being severely felt in India's many regions, and it is only going to deteriorate if steps are not taken quickly to improve water management. Sensing the great challenge and urgency, the Government of India created the Ministry of Jal Shakti in May 2019 to consolidate interrelated functions pertaining to water management. Activities proposed by Jal Shakti are well‐intentioned but going by historical information, the strategy pursued so far has not worked effectively. Without reinventing the wheel, it is time for India's decision makers to pursue the fast lane to water management through innovative measures leveraging global experiences. This paper suggests adopting models of proven partnership projects between world's rivers and between large waterbodies. 摘要 印度是全球用水最紧张的国家之一。2018年,NITI Aayog (一所印度政府研究机构) 披露了一项研究结果,警告印度正面临史上最“严峻”的水危机,并且在不采取行动的情况下饮用水需求将于2030年超过供给。研究进一步表明, 占印度水供给40%的关键地下水资源正以“不可持续的”速度减少, 且70%的印度水供给已存在“污染”。印度多个地区已感受到水匮乏影响与水质差, 并且如果不迅速采取行动提升水管理, 该情况则只会恶化。察觉到这一巨大挑战和紧迫性, 印度政府于2019年5月创立了夏克提部 (Ministry of Jal Shakti) , 以期巩固与水管理相关的、相互联系的各职能。夏克提部提出的各项活动的意图都是好的, 但以 (借鉴) 历史信息的方式开展, 因此目前策略还未取得有效成果。在不重复不必要劳动的情况下, 是时候让印度决策者通过充分利用全球经验的创新措施来打开水管理快速通道。本文建议采纳全球河流之间和大型水域之间已证实的伙伴项目模式。 Resumen India se encuentra entre los países con mayor estrés hídrico del mundo. En 2018, NITI Aayog (un organismo de investigación del gobierno indio) publicó los resultados de un estudio que advierte que India se enfrenta a su "peor" crisis de agua en la historia y que la demanda de agua potable superará la oferta para 2030 si no se toman medidas. El estudio indicó además que los recursos hídricos subterráneos críticos, que representaron el 40% del suministro de agua de la India, se están agotando a un ritmo "insostenible" y que hasta el 70% del suministro de agua de la India está "contaminado". El impacto de la escasez de agua y la mala calidad del agua ya se está sintiendo gravemente en muchas regiones de l