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Reflections from an ACIWRM workshop on climate change adaptation and mitigation in Karnataka’s water sector, focusing on water governance, climate resilience, and integrated planning. The blog captures suggestions and perspectives shared by Mapping Malnad and other participating organisations and individuals.
Mapping Malnad participated in a state-level workshop convened by the Advanced Center for Integrated Water Resource Management (ACIWRM), under Karnataka’s Water Resources Department, on 24 March 2026 in Bengaluru. Representing Mapping Malnad was Dr. Sudhi Seshadri.
Dr. Seshadri is an independent research consultant and former Dean and Distinguished Professor at MYRA School of Business, with nearly four decades of experience across leading institutions in India, the United States, and Singapore. He holds a degree from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Management Sciences) from Pennsylvania State University. His current interdisciplinary research focuses on sustainability and water-related policy. The following write-up is by Dr. Seshadri.
The workshop focused on “Possible Solutions to the Impact of Climate Change on the Water Sector of Karnataka – State Specific Action Plan,” and brought together institutions and stakeholders to review the draft findings.
The presentation, Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Water Sector Karnataka: Draft Final Report, subtitled State Specific Action Plan on Climate Change, was prepared by Grant Thornton Bharat LLP. The plan aligns Karnataka’s water strategy with the National Water Mission under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change.
The session opened with remarks by Shri P. Somashekar Rao, Registrar and Engineer-in-Chief at ACIWRM, who stressed the urgency of integrating climate resilience into Karnataka’s water governance systems. This was followed by a presentation by Shri Ravi Prakash of Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, outlining the report’s structure, methodology, and key findings, including projected hydrological impacts, sectoral water demand shifts, and emerging vulnerabilities. The session provided the analytical and policy context for the interactive deliberations that followed.
Suggestions Made by Mapping Malnad at the Workshop
- Move beyond conventional water planning frameworks.
- Integrate decision-analysis tools into water governance, including social cost-benefit analysis, cross-portfolio optimisation, uncertainty assessments, and sensitivity analysis to better navigate climate-related risks.
- Treat information architecture as a strategic asset, with robust data systems and GIS-based spatial tools forming the foundation of effective planning.
- Develop interlinked financial mechanisms within Karnataka’s economy. Instruments such as voluntary market mechanisms and tradable water certificates could improve urban water efficiency and demand management.
- Recognize the interconnected nature of water across agriculture, industry, urban systems, ecosystems, and energy production. Hydroelectric systems such as those in the Sharavathi basin illustrate the deep links between water and energy.
- Acknowledge how water increasingly shifts toward higher-value uses, often at the expense of agricultural sustainability, as seen in the example of Tiruppur’s knitwear industry procuring groundwater from farmers.
- Address the fragmentation created by administrative boundaries, as programme implementation confined to Gram Panchayat scales often fails to reflect landscape-scale hydrological realities.
- Adopt a zonal and landscape-based approach to water management, supported by mapping and geospatial intelligence.
- Recognize that industrial, chemical-intensive agriculture has contributed to soil degradation, rising emissions, and water depletion, and support a transition toward agroecological systems for long-term water resilience.
- Pursue a systemic reorientation linking science, finance, governance, and public participation.
Photos of Workshop Interactions
Suggestions from other organizations
| Organisation / Delegate | Key Suggestions |
|---|---|
| University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad | Highlighted the importance of “green water” — soil moisture retained through ecological processes — and emphasized bunding, furrows, and soil-moisture conservation in black soil regions. |
| University of Agricultural Sciences Bangalore | Stressed that Karnataka’s 12 agro-ecological zones have distinct hydrological conditions and water demands that must shape planning approaches. |
| Arghyam | Emphasized water literacy, greywater management, and better sewage treatment systems; cited the Vrishabhavathi River as an example of severe pollution. |
| TERI / Bureau of Energy Efficiency | Discussed decentralized solar-powered pump systems and variable-speed motors as emerging energy-water solutions improving efficiency and resilience. |
| Paani Earth Foundation | Emphasized the intrinsic value of nature and the need for deeper cultural and ethical engagement with ecological systems. |
| Bhageerath | Highlighted the need for structured pilot projects, stronger BOD and COD monitoring, and improved wastewater management; noted that high river flows do not necessarily indicate ecological health. |
Some Takeaways
- The workshop highlighted the need for a clearer long-term and integrated approach to water planning across larger spatial scales.
- Karnataka’s water strategy must move beyond short-term programme cycles and adopt a more visionary, adaptive approach extending across decades, especially as climate variability and monsoon uncertainty intensify.
- Siloed institutional thinking emerged as a major structural risk, underscoring the need for stronger coordination across departments, states, and between Union and State governments.
- Existing planning bodies and multi-stakeholder platforms within Karnataka could play a greater role in collaborative water governance and climate planning.
- The discussions also pointed toward hybrid institutional models, including public-private partnerships, voluntary inter-municipal agreements, and landscape-scale planning frameworks.
- The workshop reinforced the importance of public participation in information systems and decision-making, recognizing water as a fundamental public good situated within the commons.
