One-Day National Conference on “Sustainable Water Management for Urban & Rural Andhra Pradesh” Successfully Held at SPA Vijayawada
The School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada (SPA Vijayawada) successfully conducted a One-Day National Conference on “Sustainable Water Management for Urban & Rural Andhra Pradesh” on 29 August 2026 at the SPA Vijayawada campus.
The conference was organised around the overarching theme “Towards a Circular, Climate-Resilient Water Economy”, bringing together experts, academicians, policymakers, researchers and professionals to deliberate on emerging challenges and sustainable approaches to water management in both urban and rural contexts of Andhra Pradesh.
The conference focused on four key themes:
Digital Twins & Emerging Technologies for Water Security
Governance of Regional Water Systems
Rainwater Harvesting & Urban Water Supply
Circular Water Economy & Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)
The inaugural session was graced by Shri Lanka Dinakar, Chairman, 20 Points Program, Vikasit Bharat, Government of Andhra Pradesh, as the Chief Guest. Prof. K. Sarat Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh State Council of Science & Technology (APCOST), participated as the Guest of Honour.
The valedictory session featured Prof. Dr. Ramji Koona, Vice-Chancellor, Krishna University, as the Chief Guest – Valedictory. The conference was held under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Ramesh Srikonda, Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada.
The conference also received the support and guidance of Prof. Dr. Adinaryanane R, Head, Department of Planning, and Prof. Amitava Sarkar, Head, Department of Architecture, as Patrons. Dr. R N S Murthy, Convenor, and Dr. Arpan Paul Singh, Co-Convenor, coordinated the conference proceedings.
The conference provided a valuable platform for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary discussions and collaborative thinking on water security, regional water governance, rainwater harvesting, urban water systems, circular water economies and the integration of indigenous knowledge with emerging technologies.
The deliberations highlighted the importance of adopting innovative, inclusive and climate-resilient approaches to water management to address the evolving water challenges faced by urban and rural communities. The conference concluded successfully with a renewed emphasis on strengthening sustainable water practices and fostering collaborative solutions for a circular and climate-resilient water economy in Andhra Pradesh.
