Water, Climate and Human Well-Being

Story by: Sharmila Shar

Location: Kerala, India

Sharmila is a teacher with 18 years of experience in the academic sector, mainly in the state of Kerala, India. It has been one year since she registered her own academy which she runs.

Across the world, the climate crisis is no longer a distant threat: it’s reshaping water cycles, intensifying droughts, and making safe drinking water one of the most urgent developmental challenges of our time. In India — a nation of over 1.4 billion people — warming temperatures, erratic monsoons and declining groundwater levels are colliding with longstanding gaps in water infrastructure and sanitation. Yet, responding to this complex crisis, the Government of India has launched bold programmes aimed at water security alongside climate resilience, public health and equity.

Climate change affects water in two stark ways: by reducing availability in some regions and increasing floods and contamination in others. These shifts put millions at risk of waterborne disease, crop failure, and economic disruption — disproportionately impacting women, children and low-income communities who bear the burden of water collection and caring responsibilities. Addressing the challenge means not only supplying water but ensuring clean, reliable, local access that can withstand climate stress.

I am writing about water security in the context of climate crisis, considering my geographical area and how I came upon a ‘free’ project in 2025. My intention is to create awareness about the project and governmental measures to tackle the problems of climate crisis.

I live one kilometer and more from the coastline. The recent summers were hard to bear. The number of houses in my municipality are increasing year after year. Majority of the households have well. Since they are getting closeby, there are chances of wells getting dried up. People have more reasons to take a bath and drink water during summer. The number of clothes that enter a washing machine will also be high as body sweats heavily.

My house is one among the oldest in my locality. There is a well. In the month of October, I came upon the fact that all new connections to public water supply, passing near my house, is free. I thought, I’ll apply for a connection anyway. Summers are getting intense. There have been reports of well dried up a few years ago. Can’t predict. Several water conservation projects are underway. I will focus on the one I currently benefit.

AMRUT 2.0 – Urban Water Security and Quality

To complement rural efforts, the central government repositioned the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2.0) to focus on urban water supply, sewerage and sanitation infrastructure. Approved by the Union Cabinet with a central allocation of tens of thousands of crore rupees, the scheme’s goals include extending tap water connections to all urban households, modernising pipe networks, and ensuring safe quality water through improved systems. I’ve been benefitted by this scheme.

Mission Amrit Sarovar – Water Conservation and Climate Resilience

Beyond supply, the government has recognised the need to address water security through conservation. Mission Amrit Sarovar, launched in April 2022, aims to construct or rejuvenate 75 ponds in every district, enhancing groundwater recharge, supporting local ecology and providing community water storage that mitigates drought stress. By late 2025, tens of thousands of such water bodies were completed across the country — an initiative that blends climate adaptation with local livelihoods and environmental stewardship.

Challenges, Gaps and the Road Ahead

While these initiatives represent large-scale ambition, implementation and quality remain complex. On the ground, ensuring continuous water flow, maintaining infrastructure and monitoring quality are ongoing challenges in both rural and urban locales. Experts stress the importance of community participation, climate-smart planning, and robust local governance to sustain gains and reach the hardest-to-serve populations.

Yet, the strategic coherence of combining household supply, urban distribution, and conservation illustrates an understanding that water security in the climate age must be multi-dimensional — bridging health, gender equity, economic stability and environmental resilience.