Water activist Rajendra Singh has won Stockholm Water Prize 2015 for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve the living conditions for those most in need.

This was announced at a programme organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Delhi on March 20.

He has already won Ramon Magsaysay award in 2001 for his work on community-based water harvesting and water management.

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According to the Stockholm Water Prize Committee, contemporary water problems cannot be solved by technology itself. They are instead human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience. Singh’s work on building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and social norms are commendable.

“In a world where demand for freshwater is rising, where we will face a severe water crisis within decades if we do not learn how to better take care of our water, Mr Singh is a beacon of hope,” says Torgny Holmgren, SIWI’s executive director.

“We need to learn more about managing and harvesting rain in order to reduce our exposure to droughts as well as floods.”

H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, patron of the Stockholm Water Prize, will present the award to Rajendra Singh at a Royal Award Ceremony during 2015 world water week in Stockholm on August 26 .

What is Stockholm Water Prize

The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding water-related achievements. The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives USD 150,000 and a specially designed sculpture. H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize.