Inauguration of the Two-Day World Water Conference Hosted by Vidyapeeth on the Golden Jubilee Year of Tarun Bharat Sangh

Udaipur: As the world grapples with environmental issues, the solution lies deeply embedded in traditional Indian knowledge. The key is to combine modern education with this wisdom. This combination can serve as a life-saving elixir for our Mother Earth and the environment. To achieve this, the youth, who are often attracted to modern education, must be connected to Indian wisdom and its scientific strengths, so that the future of the current generation remains bright. These thoughts were shared by the renowned environmentalist and Magsaysay Award winner, Dr. Rajendra Singh, also known as "Waterman of India," during his keynote address at the Third World Water Conference organized on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee year of Tarun Bharat Sangh, in collaboration with Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Tarun Bharat Sangh, and KIWA, held at the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat Auditorium. Dr. Singh discussed water and environmental issues, emphasizing that adopting and passing on traditional knowledge to the next generation could help significantly resolve environmental and water-related challenges.

In the presidential address at the World Water Conference, Prof. S.S. Sarangdevot, Vice Chancellor of Vidyapeeth, pointed out that traditional Indian knowledge integrates the Five Elements, and the solution to every type of environmental problem lies in this. By balancing the Five Elements, harmony can be restored in nature. This balance has always been an integral part of Indian life, although it is often overlooked today. To solve environmental issues, we need to return to our roots and integrate traditional knowledge-based innovations into our daily lives. He also highlighted the importance of community involvement and global cooperation in the implementation of policies to address environmental challenges.

Prof. Anunay Choubey, Vice Chancellor of Anant National University, Ahmedabad, remarked that urbanization and development often result in environmental insensitivity. Environmental problems can be alleviated by engaging the youth beyond classrooms and connecting them to communities. He emphasized the need to prepare a generation equipped with the skills of social cooperation and understanding the economic and philosophical aspects of communities, thus creating a cooperative and sustainable approach to the environment.

Dr. Geetanjali from the German Embassy spoke about the importance of individual action for the planet, urging every person to take responsibility at their own level for the well-being of Mother Earth. Prof. Prithvi Yadav, Vice Chancellor of Singhania University, discussed the role of community cooperation in nature conservation, citing examples from Indore and Udaipur.

Helmut Kanjelmen from Mexico emphasized that, as nature has been exploited over time, it is essential to equip students with the skills of community cooperation to help them become better stewards of the environment in the future.

Heriberto Veliseneer from the United States discussed the importance of cooperation, traditional knowledge, and dialogue with children to maintain the existence of the Earth. He stressed that sharing knowledge with children is crucial to ensuring they understand and adopt traditional wisdom for the future. He shared how Indian knowledge traditions have helped revive rivers and biodiversity in his region and helped save the environment.

Dr. Yuvraj Singh Rathore, the organizer, stated that the World Water Conference is being hosted by Vidyapeeth in India, with representatives from 19 countries including Africa, America, North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. The countries represented have faced devastating floods and droughts in the past two years. Over 100 participants from countries like Sweden, Canada, Egypt, Portugal, Lithuania, Nepal, and various states in India including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Ladakh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Rajasthan are participating in the conference.

On this occasion, the guests launched the book *Pani Panchayat* written by Dr. Rajendra Singh, which highlights the work done by the Sangh over the last fifty years in the fields of environmental and water conservation.

The event was attended by environmentalists and dignitaries working on environmental issues in the city, including the university's registrar Dr. Tarun Shrimali, Prof. Saroj Garg, Dr. Yuvraj Singh, Dr. Anil Mehta, Dr. Pankaj Rawal, Dr. P.K. Singh, Dr. Puneet Kumar, Prof. Gajendra Mathur, Prof. I.J. Mathur, Dr. Rachna Rathore, Dr. Ami Rathore, Dr. Raman Sood, Dr. Neeru Rathore, Manjal Sarangdevot, and others.