The South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies, SaciWATERs, is committed to bringing about structural change in the dominant water resources management paradigm in South Asia. Within that, SaciWATERs focuses on transforming water resources knowledge systems. Key ideas are an interdisciplinary approach to understanding water resources issues, from a pro-poor, human development perspective, with an emphasis on exchange, interaction and collaboration at South Asia level. The longer term aim is to establish a South Asian "virtual water university".

South Asia, home to nearly a quarter of the world population, has the highest concentration of poor people. It is also suffering the pangs of rapid industrialization apart from effects of global climate change and although endowed with vast water resources, it is living a palpable crisis with uneven distribution of these resources. It is surrounded by water and yet accompanied by grief. Hence, a paradigm shift in the overall framework for water management is necessary.

We, at SaciWATERs, aim to contribute to this paradigm shift by means of various partnership-based programmes for capacity building of water professionals through higher education, innovation and social learning focused research 'research with an impact', knowledge based development and networking.