Pune-based scientist Dr Himanshu Kulkarni became the first  from the Indian subcontinent to be awarded the biennial ‘International Water Prize’ instituted since 2009, sponsored by the WaTER Center at the University of Oklahoma, USA.

The award is dedicated to the field of water supply and sanitation across emerging areas of the world.

While the award for Kulkarni was announced in 2024, he was handed the award at a ceremony held on September 15.

Kulkarni was co-chair of a Working Group of the 12th Plan of the Niti Ayog and contributed to the drafting of the National Aquifer Mapping Program.

A founder Trustee and Secretary of ACWADAM (Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management), Pune, he is also a Professor of Practice in Rural Management at Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence Deemed to be University and Visiting Professor at the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies at the Indian Institute for Technology Bombay and Tata Institute for Social Sciences.

“This award is a reflection of the many partnerships and collaborations that ACWADAM was able to catalyse through our work on aquifer-based groundwater management through the concept of community partnerships.

"Enabling the management and governance of groundwater as a common pool resource is the way forward in resolving the crisis surrounding groundwater resources in India,” said Kulkarni.

The OU International Water Prize recognizes and honours an individual who has made significant international contributions, either through research or teaching or service activities, in the field of water supply and sanitation, with focus on the world’s poorest living in developing countries. It consists of a trophy and cash prize of USD25,000.