Date: Friday, 20 March, 2026, 11:00 - 16:00 hrs (IST) (Hybrid Mode)   // Flyer // Detailed programme

Topic: Community-Led Water Governance

Community-led Water Governance refers to systems where community collectively plans, manages, monitors, and makes decision about their water resources and services. It shifts authority from centralized institutions to the community level.

PRESENTATIONS

Technical Session 1 - (11:00 am to 1:00 pm) IST

Theme: Community-led Water Conservation: Experiences, Lessons and Wayward

Welcome address by Dr. R.K.Gupta, Secretary General, ICID, New Delhi 

Special address on `Community-led Water Governance – Experiences of Axis Bank Foundation’ by Ms. Dhruvi Shah, Executive Trustee and CEO, Axis Bank Foundation, Mumbai

Community Driven Institutional Framework for Conservation of Traditional Water Resources: Experiences, Lessons and Way Forward by Mr. V. Venkatesan, Chief Executive, DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation, Madurai   

Experience Sharing by the Vayalagam Leaders at Different Layers of Institutional Framework  

Case 1: Success story of a Vayalagam (Tank) association showcasing community driven encroachment eviction in traditional water bodies by Mr. Durairaj, President, Vayalagam Mutual Movement, Tamil Nadu 

Case 2: Achievements of a Tank Cascade Association in Reviving the Water Commons and Agriculture Livelihoods in a Drought Zone by Mr. Gobalakrishnan, Board of Trustee, Vayalagam Mutual Movement, Tamil Nadu;

Partnership Experiences of Redington Foundation in Community-led Conservation of Water Resources by Mr. Hemant Lohiya, Head- CSR, Redington Foundation, Redington Limited, Chennai

Bankable Water Use Efficient Technologies for Scaling up of Tankfed Agriculture by Dr. P. S.  Brahmanand, Project Director, WTC, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi

Water Quality Management in Command Areas of Tank Irrigation by Dr. Khajanchi Lal, Professor & Principal Scientist, WTC, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi

Experience Sharing by the Vayalagam Leaders on Technology Integration 

Case 1:  Transformation in Paddy Cultivation Towards DSR (Direct Seeded Rice) Method by Mr. Bheemireddy Srinivasa Reddy, Vayalagam President, Kothagudem, Telangana

Case 2: Integration of Traditional Technologies in Organic Farming and results Realized by Mr.Nagaraj C L, Board of Director, Kolar Vayalagam Federation, Karnataka   

Concluding and Way forward by Mr. Krishan Jindal, Programme Advisor, DHAN Foundation (CGM (Rtd), NABARD)

Technical Session 2 (2.30 pm to 4:00 pm) IST

Theme: International experiences in Community-Led Water Governance

Opening remarks by Dr. R.K Gupta, Secretary – General, ICID  

Presidential Address by Dr. Marco Arcieri, President, ICID

Presentation on Irrigation Management Based on Rural Communities in Japan and Jica’s Initiatives in Participatory Irrigation Management by Prof Dr T. Watanabe, Hon Vice President, ICID

Building Climate Resilience through Nexus Planning in Rural Community by Prof. Dr. Sylvester Mpandeli, Hon Vice President, ICID

Community-led Water Governance in Sri Lanka: Lessons from Farmer Organizations and Village Tank Cascade Systems by Eng. (Ms.) T Janaki Meegastenna, Member, SLNCID

Participatory Community led Water Governance – Role of Woman and SDGs Connection by Dr. Veena Khanduri, Executive Secretary, GWP-IWP