India International Water Week 2026 — Delhi Summit

India’s water ministry has formally launched the 9th India International Water Week 2026, with Union Minister C. R. Patil unveiling the event in New Delhi on April 22. (indianexpress.com) (pib.gov.in) The conference itself is scheduled for September 22-26 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the theme “Climate Resilient Water Management.” Patil also released the brochure and activated the event website at the launch. (indiawaterweek.in) (thewaterdigest.com) The ministry says the five-day program will include 49 sessions and bilateral meetings, alongside ministerial, global water leaders’, youth and start-up forums. Around 150 countries have been invited, with 11 expected to participate as partner countries. (indianexpress.com) Water management is the work of storing, moving and reusing freshwater so cities, farms and industries do not run short. The “climate resilient” part means planning for harsher swings between flood and drought as rainfall becomes less predictable. (pib.gov.in) (thewaterdigest.com) This year’s event also marks a branding change. The official site says the forum was launched in 2012 as India Water Week and that the 2026 edition will now be organized as India International Water Week. (indiawaterweek.in) That change follows eight earlier editions held in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024. The National Water Development Agency lists 2026 as the ninth event in the series. (indiawaterweek.in) (nwda.gov.in) The 2024 edition gives a sense of scale. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated that meeting in New Delhi, where the government said ministers from Denmark, Guyana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania joined discussions with Indian states. (pib.gov.in) For now, the April 22 launch is less a summit than a starting gun. The government has opened registrations and abstract submissions ahead of the September gathering in Delhi. (indiawaterweek.in)