'The Water Man of India', Rajendra Singh, wins Stockholm Water Prize

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, March 21 (UPI) -- A man named Rajendra Singh, sometimes called the "Water Man of India," has received the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize.

Singh is known for reviving and modernizing a traditional Indian rainwater harvesting technique, and has worked with villagers in the state of Rajasthan to build johads, or traditional earthen dams.

The Stockholm Water Prize Committee explained its decision to give the award to Singh.

"Today's water problems cannot be solved by science or technology alone. They are instead human problems of governance, policy, leadership, and social resilience. Rajendra Singh's life work has been in building social capacity to solve local water problems through participatory action, empowerment of women, linking indigenous know-how with modern scientific and technical approaches and upending traditional patterns of development, resource use, and social norms."

Singh, trained in Ayurvedic medicine, initially set out to set up health clinics, but found water was more crucial. He is now credited with the revival of a number of rivers in Rajasthan, and after more than two decades of work, forest vegetation and animals have increased in India's driest state.

"In a world where demand for freshwater is booming, 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," Torgny Holmgren, SIWI's Executive Director, said in a statement. "He has literally brought villages back to life. We need to take Mr Singh's lessons and actions to heart if we are to achieve sustainable water use in our lifetime."