#13 Masterclass on ‘Empowering Youth, Enabling NbS: The WeForWater Fellowship Story’

India is at a critical juncture where water scarcity and climate change are not just environmental issues but also economic and social challenges. According to NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index (2018), 600 million Indians already face high to extreme water stress, and by 2030, demand will outstrip supply twofold.
At the same time, the country is undergoing a massive demographic and employment transition:

1. Young people make up over 60% of India’s population.
2. The World Economic Forum estimates that green jobs will be among the fastest-growing employment sectors in the coming decade.
3. Yet, there is a skills gap: most educational and training programs don’t prepare youth for sustainability-linked livelihoods and nature-based solutions to respond to water scarcity and climate change.

Traditional fellowships in India (e.g., Gandhi Fellowship, India Fellow, Teach for India Fellowship) have successfully created leadership pipelines in education, governance, and rural development. However, there is a void in nature-based solutions skills at the community level to solve water and climate-focused leadership gaps, that combine technical expertise with community engagement, much required to address the challenges.
GuruJal’s WeForWater Fellowship is India’s first apprenticeship program dedicated to building a new generation of climate and water leaders. By combining on-ground experiential learning with expert mentorship, the fellowship equips young professionals with 21st-century skills in sustainability, governance, and community engagement. Fellows work directly on projects in water, forestry, and agriculture, turning scientific insights into practical solutions. The program not only addresses India’s urgent water and climate challenges but also creates pathways for meaningful green jobs, ensuring that today’s youth become tomorrow’s stewards of a water-secure future.

What the Masterclass Covers:

1. How has the WeforWater Fellowship contributed to strengthening local leadership and capacity for NbS
2. What institutional arrangements (district programmes, government partnerships, etc.) have enabled its success?
3. How can the fellowship model be replicated or adapted for other NbS priorities (e.g., urban greening, heat resilience, wetlands restoration)?
4. What lessons can other organisations draw to design similar fellowships or programmes?

Who Should Attend:

1. Government officials and policymakers responsible for designing and planning water security and natural resource preservation projects
2. Researchers, academicians and professionals contributing to policy frameworks for capacity building of local community and ensuring how to make nature-based solutions sustainable
3. NGOs, private sector stakeholders and community advocates looking to integrate nature-based solutions

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