India assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2026 at a time of profound global churn. The international system is under strain from geopolitical fragmentation, climate disruption, and growing inequities in access to essential resources. For the Global South in particular, these pressures are not abstract—they manifest themselves daily in water stress, food and energy insecurity, and climate-induced displacement.
Water (Representational Image)
BRICS, which began as a four-country forum in 2009 and expanded to include South Africa in 2010, has steadily evolved into a central platform for developing countries seeking greater voice and agency in global economic governance. With its recent expansion, BRICS now comprises ten members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia—together accounting for roughly 45% of the world’s population, nearly one-third of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms, and about 35% of the Earth’s landmass. This scale gives BRICS not only economic weight, but also a responsibility to deliver development-relevant outcomes.
India’s declared theme for its BRICS presidency in 2026—Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability (R.I.C.S.)—captures this expectation. It signals an intent to move beyond declaratory multilateralism towards practical, human-centric solutions that address shared challenges across diverse geographies. Among such challenges, none is more universal or urgent than that of water.
Water stress cuts across the BRICS spectrum in different forms. Brazil confronts the consequences of deforestation and ecosystem degradation in the Amazon basin. South Africa continues to face recurrent droughts and urban water crises. India and China are witnessing alarming rates of groundwater depletion driven by agriculture, industry, and rapid urbanisation. Russia, despite vast freshwater endowments, struggles with ageing infrastructure and seasonal accessibility across its immense territory.
Newer BRICS members too face equally acute pressures. Ethiopia’s development ambitions are entangled with trans-boundary water tensions in the Nile basin. Iran and Egypt are experiencing declining freshwater availability due to over-extraction, climate change, and population pressure. The UAE remains among the world’s most water-scarce countries despite technological sophistication. Indonesia confronts rising sea levels that threaten coastal freshwater reserves.
These challenges differ in context, but share a common thread: climate change is intensifying water insecurity, while traditional, centralised water solutions are proving increasingly inadequate. Large dams, long pipelines, and groundwater-dependent systems are capital-intensive, slow to deploy, and sometimes environmentally disruptive. A new paradigm is needed that prioritises decentralised, adaptive, and climate-smart technologies capable of delivering immediate impact. This is where India has an opportunity to lead.
India’s development experience has traditionally emphasised frugal innovation—solutions that are scalable, affordable, and suited to resource-constrained environments. Digital public infrastructure, renewable energy deployment, and low-cost health care innovations have already become part of India’s global development narrative. Water innovation should be the next frontier.
One such solution is Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) technology developed in India. AWGs extract moisture from ambient air and convert it into clean, mineralised drinking water. Crucially, they require no groundwater extraction, no surface water source, and no piped supply. They can operate on grid power or solar energy, making them suitable for both urban and remote settings. In a world where climate disruption is altering rainfall patterns and stressing aquifers, generating potable water from air is already being actively deployed in practice.
AWG technology aligns closely with all four pillars of India’s BRICS 2026 theme and vision.
Resilience: Decentralised water generation enhances resilience by reducing dependence on vulnerable supply chains. AWGs can function during droughts, floods, and disasters, providing reliable drinking water in emergency situations. They are particularly suited for rural health centres, disaster-relief camps, border posts, and peacekeeping deployments—contexts where water access can be a matter of life and death.Innovation: Developed and manufactured in India, AWGs exemplify indigenous innovation with global relevance. The technology is already deployed in dozens of countries, showcased at international climate forums like UNFCCC COP28, and recognised by global academic initiatives focused on sustainable development. Certification by international and Indian quality bodies reinforces its credibility. Solar-powered variants of the technology make them zero-emission water sources—ideal for remote or ecologically sensitive zones and off-grid communities.Cooperation: Water has long been a source of cooperation and conflict. By positioning AWGs as part of its development partnership toolkit, India can offer a non-contentious, humanitarian solution that complements broader climate adaptation efforts. Such systems have already been positively evaluated by international humanitarian organisations and considered for use in UN peacekeeping contexts. Under the BRICS framework, joint pilot projects across Africa, Asia, and Latin America—potentially supported by the New Development Bank—could demonstrate how South–South cooperation can deliver concrete benefits.Sustainability: AWGs do not deplete rivers or aquifers. Integrated with renewable energy, they operate with minimal environmental footprint. In ecological terms, they represent a shift from extractive water use to regenerative adaptation.
India’s BRICS presidency offers an opportunity to foreground visible, measurable, and human-centric solutions. AWG technology will not replace large-scale water infrastructure, nor should it. However, as a complementary solution—particularly for drinking water in stressed or remote environments—it can make an immediate difference. Its value lies also in its decentralised empowering of communities.
Making water innovation a focus under BRICS would send a powerful signal: that the Global South is capable of generating its own solutions to global challenges, tailored to its realities. As climate shocks intensify and water insecurity deepens, the question is not whether innovation is needed, but whether it can be deployed at scale and with speed. India’s BRICS presidency provides the platform; water-from-air technologies provide one such tool. If vision is aligned with execution, BRICS 2026 may also be remembered for demonstrating how cooperation, innovation, and sustainability can converge to meet one of humanity’s most basic needs: access to clean, safe water where it’s needed most.
This article is authored by SK Sarkar, senior advisor, TERI and former secretary, water resources, Ajai Malhotra, senior advisor, TERI and former ambassador to Russia and KK Sharma, knowledge partner, TERI and EVP, Maithri Aquatech.