Background
The Sustainable Development Investment Portfolio (SDIP) is an Australian government initiative with the goal of increasing water, food and energy security in South Asia, targeting the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and girls. CSIRO is one of several partners that are delivering this initiative. The SDIP focuses on three major river basins; the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. The sub-region has an estimated 400 million people living in extreme poverty – the single largest in the world. The project is divided into three phases of four years each, the second phase has just been entered after the successful completion of the first.
A key target area where CSIRO expertise can help is water resources management. Within the SDIP, preliminary research and development by CSIRO has focused on building relationships and understanding the biophysical, socio-economic, environmental, water management and policy environments of basins and sub basins within this region. The work has focused on building capacity within key agencies and educational institutions in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. CSIRO is assisting these countries in building the capacity and tools needed to support their respective water reform journeys. Through this work CSIRO aims to support the SDIP goals and improve the livelihoods of the people dependent of the water resources of the region.
Themes
Partner organisations
MOWP: Ministry of Water and Power (Pakistan)
ICIMOD: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
ICE WaRM: International Centre of Excellence in Water Resources Management
IRSA: Indus River System Authority
DFAT: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
WAPDA: Water and Power Development Authority (Pakistan)
WECS: Water and Energy Commission Secretariat
