World Water Day is celebrated globally every year on 22 March to sensitize the public about the water, its availability, accessibility, depletion, use efficiency, conservation and management. The ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai observed the world water day on 22 March, 2021 by organising a virtual seminar on “Sustaining Water for the Next Millennium”. Dr.K.K.Vijayan, Director CIBA in his world water day message highlighted the twin paradox of water indicating that while fresh water is required for multiple essential purposes -drinking, domestic chores, irrigation, construction and aquaculture-its depletion is a major concern. However, the brackishwaters which can only be used for aquaculture yet un-tapped adequately is also a cause of disquiet. The use of brine water coming out of desalinization plants also can be utilized productively mixing with brackishwater for the production of live feed Artemia which is totally imported at present he added. Dr.Indumathi M Nambi, Professor, Environment & Water Resources Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras was the invited speaker who gave a lecture on sustaining water for the next millennium. She in her presentation highlighted about water foot print for green, blue and grey waters, individual and national water foot prints, concept of virtual water, water foot print import and export and its impact on national trade policy. She informed the water foot print of various foods, different production systems including aquaculture and foot prints associated in their supply chains. She emphasized on water re-use, water re-circulation and even about their project on human urine recycling. She further underlined that we need to sensitize people on water use efficiency, individual water foot print and it is vital that everyone should pledge to reduce their water foot print on this world water day. The Director, CIBA in his concluding remarks stressed that social awareness on judicious and responsible use of freshwater need to be taken up as a community programme. Further, CIBA and IIT, Chennai could work jointly work on water foot print assessment of brackishwater aquaculture systems and sensitize the policy makers on brackishwater aquaculture the low foot print food print production system.
