Elaborating on how he had helped create 11,800 water bodies in India without the help of any governmental organization or corporates, Rajendra Singh gave credit for these initiatives to the local community. "Experts do not respect the community," he lamented, adding that scientists concentrate on calculations rather than focusing on communities. "Calculation-based research conducted by scientists and educational institutes does not involve the community and ignores nature," he regretted. Modern development is creating disruptions, which is leading to disasters, he added.
The Magsaysay-award winner illustrated how the initiative of water harvesting had metamorphosed the local climate in many regions of desert areas in Indian province of Rajasthan. He quoted the example of a transformation of areas plagued by degraded rivers to fertile lands. He urged scientists to return to basics and display love and affection with nature. "Conservation and discipline are the two arms that have to work together," Rajendra Singh said as he spoke about the success of his schema of water parliaments.
The three-day conference being organized at AIT got off to a start on 28 November 2016 with the AIT President Prof. Worsak Kanok-Nukulchai welcoming the participants. Keynote speeches will be delivered by Prof. Robert Costanza of Australian National University (ANU); Dr. Bindu Lohani, former Vice President, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Dr. Norbert Dichtl of the Institute of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering; and Prof. Janos J Bogardi of University of Bonn, Germany.
Prof. Mukand Singh Babel of AIT, who is spearheading the Conference on behalf of the Institute, outlined the program details adding that one of the outcomes of the event would be a special journal and a book. The Conference seeks to emerge as a platform for engaging leading experts in discussions on water security issues in Asia in order to facilitate the path towards water-secure societies. The event is organized by exceed centers CNRD (Cologne) and SWINDON (Braunschweig) along with AIT, and supported by Germany Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).