Water is an essential resource for ensuring environmental stability, food security, and industrial production. Although potable water has historically been abundant across India, a growing population, changing climate, severe neglect, and over-exploitation has gradually led to water scarcity. While lack of access to freshwater is a growing concern across the world, India is one of the most vulnerable regions on account of its growing demand and lack of holistic management of water as a resource. There is a need for immediate attention by stakeholders to ensure the sustainable use and safeguarding of water resources.
The built environment, including buildings, campuses, and urban infrastructure, is both a significant consumer of water and a potential catalyst for positive change in water management. Urbanization and the expansion of built infrastructure have increased water demand for domestic, commercial, and industrial purposes, while also contributing to the depletion and pollution of local water sources. Buildings are responsible not only for direct water use (drinking, sanitation, cooling, landscaping, etc.) but also for indirect impacts such as stormwater runoff, groundwater recharge disruption, and wastewater generation.
Integrating water-efficient strategies and technologies within the built environment offers a unique opportunity to address water scarcity at scale. By rethinking how water is sourced, used, treated, and returned to the environment, projects can move beyond merely reducing consumption to actively replenishing water resources. Sustainable water management in the built environment includes measures such as low-flow fixtures, rainwater harvesting, on-site wastewater treatment and reuse, permeable surfaces, and groundwater recharge systems.
Recognizing the pivotal role of the built environment in achieving water security, GRIHA Council’s Water Positive Certification has been developed to assess and guide projects to adopt holistic water management practices. This certification framework enables buildings and campuses to not only minimize their water footprint but also contribute positively to local and regional water cycles.
The following are the key approaches for any infrastructure to be water positive:
- Water Conservation: Measures to reduce water use through efficient low-flow fixtures, process optimization, and behavioral change. In other words, it is reducing the amount of water consumption, either by implementing restrictive measures, or actively monitoring and limiting usage.
- Wastewater Treatment and Recycling: Treating used water to meet non-potable applications like landscaping or flushing demands.
- Rainwater Harvesting: Capturing and storing rainwater for reuse or groundwater recharge.
- Groundwater Recharge: Techniques to enhance the natural replenishment of aquifers.
For more information and detailed proposal write to us at: info@grihaindia.org
