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Last Updated: December 30, 2024

Overview

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham advances SDG 6.5.5 – Cooperation on Water Security through strong partnerships with local governments, national agencies, international universities, and communities. 
The university implements field-based, community-driven water solutions while offering research, innovation, and capacity-building programmes supporting integrated water resource management (IWRM). 

Its approach is structured around: 

  • Shared governance with Panchayats & Water Committees 
  • Technology-enabled solutions (GIS, IoT, biophysical monitoring) 
  • Hands-on research through purpose-built sustainability labs 
  • Knowledge exchange via international academic partners 
  • Community training, awareness, and empowerment initiatives 

Evidence: Community-Based Water Security Initiatives

Jivamritam Purified Drinking Water Programme

A flagship initiative demonstrating Amrita’s leadership in community-owned drinking water systems.

Key Governance Elements

  • Implemented in partnership with Grama Panchayaths
  • Water Committees formed with ward members & local residents
  • Shared management of system operation, distribution, and maintenance
  • Periodic capacity-building training by Amrita faculty and Live-in-Labs

Impact

  • Hundreds of communities now have access to purified drinking water
  • Improved water security and strengthened local governance
  • A replicable model adopted in multiple districts
Jivamritam project-related meetings with panchayat officials
Installation of Jivamritam water purification systems
Jivamritam purified drinking water system installed in a community
Community members benefiting from Jivamritam system

Wave of Change – Water for a Sustainable Future (2024)

Organised by the UNESCO Chair on Experiential Learning for Sustainable Innovation & Development and the Amrita School for Sustainable Futures, this month-long World Water Day initiative included:

  • Distinguished Lecture Series with top international scientists
  • Student–faculty–community interaction on global water challenges
  • Awareness campaigns on water conservation
  • Scientific discussions on future water technologies

International Experts Included:

  • Dr. Jun Young Cheong (Germany)
  • Prof. Miroslav Cerník (Czech Republic)
  • Dr. Stanisław Wacławek (Czech Republic)

This programme strengthened international cooperation, a key target 6a.

New Component (2025): Amrita Sustainable Ecosystem and Environmental Resilience (SEER) Lab

Amrita launched the Amrita Sustainable Ecosystem and Environmental Resilience (SEER) Lab , a campus-based innovation ecosystem dedicated to water-related research, training, and community capacity building.

Purpose of the Lab

The lab is intentionally designed to support:

  • Water quality research (chemical, biological, physico-chemical testing)
  • Development of sustainable water purification innovations
  • Field-testing of rural water technologies
  • Student and researcher-led sustainability projects
  • Live-in-Labs investigations on groundwater, surface water & household systems

Training & Workshops Offered

The lab conducts regular hands-on training sessions for: 

  • Community members
    • Safe drinking water handling 
    • Contamination awareness 
    • Low-cost household water treatment 
    • Water purification demonstrations 
  • School students
    • STEM water experiments 
    • Basic water testing exercises 
    • Awareness on conservation & climate impacts 
    • Exposure to sustainable technologies 
  • College students & youth volunteers (AYUDH)
    • Water-testing
    • GIS/IoT data-collection for village water mapping 

Relevance to SDG 6.5.5 

The Sustainable Solutions Lab strengthens water cooperation by: 

  • Enhancing technical capacity at the community and student levels 
  • Functioning as a training hub for integrated water resource management 
  • Supporting research-based interventions for rural water security 
  • Providing a space for government–university–community collaboration 
  • Serving as a platform where international partners participate in joint learning 

This lab directly contributes to the institutional support, innovation, and capacity-building dimensions of SDG 6.5.5. 

Multi-Level Cooperation

Local & Regional Cooperation 

Amrita collaborates with ~300 Panchayats, implementing: 

  • Jivamritam drinking-water systems 
  • Water body rejuvenation 
  • Village-level water resource mapping 
  • Community awareness programs 
  • Water governance leadership training 

National Partnerships

  • Namami Gange / National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) 
  • ESRI India – Mera Gaav, Hamara Jal GIS project 

International Partnerships

  • TU Delft (Netherlands) – Joint research centre on water solutions 
  • UNESCO Chair collaborations 
  • Global Water Partnership

Impact Summary

Quantitative 

  • 300+ Panchayats partnered 
  • 60+ water bodies revived 
  • 480,000+ community members reached 
  • 63 international & 25 national collaborations 
  • Thousands of students & community participants trained through the lab 

Qualitative 

  • Local governments empowered with sustainable water governance tools 
  • Strong cross-sector partnerships for water security 
  • Increased scientific awareness and community resilience 
  • Scalable, community-centered water management model 

Replicability

Amrita’s framework integrates technology, community governance, training, and research, making it suitable for scaling in: 

  • Rural water-stressed regions 
  • Schools and community-based organisations 
  • Low-resource environments 
  • National & international field projects 

References 

  • Amrita SDG 6 Portal – Cooperation on Water Security 
  • Jivamritam Project Page 
  • UNESCO Chair – Sustainable Water Initiatives 
  • Sustainable Solutions Lab – Training & Research Updates 
  • ESRI India Partnership 
  • TU Delft International Collaboration 
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