ICAR-IISWC, Dehradun Inaugurates National Training Workshop on Integrated Water Resources Modelling and Basin Management

7 September 2026, Dehradun

A two-day National Training Workshop on “Integrated Water Resources Modelling and Basin Management using MIKE HYDRO Basin” was inaugurated today at the ICAR–Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun. Being organised in hybrid mode on 7–8 September 2026, the workshop is being conducted under the project “Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources of Burhi Gandak Basin”, supported by the INCCC, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, and the River Rejuvenation Project of the Kamal Ganga River, funded by the Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARRA), Uttarakhand.

The training programme is jointly organised by ICAR–IISWC, Dehradun; Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARRA), Uttarakhand; and DHI India, with the theme “From Basin Data to Water Management Decisions using MIKE HYDRO Basin.”

The Chief Guest, Dr A. K. Dimri, Joint Director, Watershed Management, Directorate of Watershed Management, Uttarakhand, highlighted recent challenges related to flash floods and climate change in the context of watershed development and management and emphasised the need to undertake watershed interventions at the river-basin scale.

Guest of Honour, Dr D. S. Rawat, highlighted the importance of institutional collaboration between ICAR–IISWC and SARRA in addressing challenges related to water resources and river systems. He emphasised that river rejuvenation requires a holistic understanding of rivers and their catchments, supported by scientific assessment, field-level interventions and coordinated planning.

Dr Charan Singh, I/c Director, ICAR–IISWC, Dehradun, highlighted the Institute’s significant contributions to soil and water conservation, watershed development and natural resource management. He emphasised the importance of adopting scientific and technological approaches for sustainable natural resource management and appreciated the initiative for bringing together experts and participants from different parts of the country.

The workshop emphasises the importance of strengthening scientific and technical capacities in integrated water resources modelling and basin-scale management. It provides a platform for researchers, scientists, students and Line Department professionals to understand how basin-level data and modelling tools can be translated into practical water-management decisions, particularly in the context of SARRA’s One District–One River programme.

The workshop has received an encouraging response, with around 400 participants registered from across India. Participation represents 29 States and Union Territories, covering 98 districts, and includes universities, research institutions, government departments, research organisations and other agencies.

Participants from states including Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh, among others, have registered for the programme. Senior experts from National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee; ICAR–Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Karnal; and DHI are serving as resource persons.

The programme also highlighted the need to move beyond fragmented watershed-level interventions towards an integrated river-basin-scale approach, particularly in view of increasing pressure on water resources and the emerging impacts of climate variability and change.

(Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun)