Centre for Water, Ocean Governance & Sustainability Law (CWOGSL)

About us

The Centre for Water, Ocean Governance & Sustainability Law (CWOGSL) at the Jindal Global Law School focuses on the study and research of issues relating to the sustainability of water and ocean governance, grounded in the integrated nature of water as both inland and marine waters. Additionally, it expands its research efforts to understand and decipher the jurisprudential dimensions of sustainability law. We are committed to creating a critical space that fosters and facilitates interdisciplinary legal research, with a focus on legal reform. This effort aims to assist legal professionals and policymakers in India and other developing nations in crafting effective legal and policy measures, fostering partnerships with academic institutions, academics, and practitioners, and integrating diverse research to develop a comprehensive, actionable knowledge base.

As mentioned above, the CWOGSL’s work focuses on the following thematic research areas:

Water Law Reform
Ocean Governance & the Blue Economy
Theoretical Foundations of Sustainability Law

Our Team

Daud Hassan S.M.

Executive Director

Sandeep Kindo

Senior Research Fellow and Advisor

Saurabh Sood

Assistant Director

Tony George

Director

Vaishnavi P Narayani

Research Fellow

Vision

To become a leading think-tank for research, policy development, and capacity-building in the field of water and ocean law and governance, with a strong focus on sustainability, climate resilience, and equitable and holistic management of water in its various forms.

Mission

The Centre’s mission is to:

Support and further cutting-edge research and scholarship on national, regional, and international legal frameworks governing water and oceans, with a focus on their interconnection.
Serve as a platform promoting interdisciplinary dialogue, pivotal to the management of water, oceans and their attendant challenges.
Foster capacity-building for sustainable development, integrated water resource management, and ocean governance
Provide education and training for students, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society.

Objectives

Enhance understanding of international, regional, and national legal frameworks governing water and ocean resources.

Develop capacity among young professionals, government officials, and NGOs through training and certification programmes.

Conduct policy-oriented research to assist in law reform concerning the management of these natural resources.

Establish a platform for stakeholder dialogue on transboundary water cooperation, integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), climate change, and maritime sustainability.

Publish and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge products, including reports, policy briefs, working papers, and journals.

Nurture the next generation of scholars, lawyers, and policymakers in this emerging field.

Deliverables

Research, publish and offer as electives a bouquet of courses at JGLS that relate to the broad themes of Water, Oceans and Sustainability

Provide legal and policy inputs through continuous engagement with relevant government departments

Promote academic collaborations with scholars and institutes in other jurisdictions.

Organize special colloquia, both international and national, in the subject areas identified

Organize special talks by the members for the institute for the benefit of the students and other faculty members, thereby cultivating their interest, and in due course, upload these onto the web for larger public dissemination.

Provide direction to students in building up their future careers in these disciplines

Bring out E-Newsletters once every four months to showcase the activities of the Centre and to highlight significant developments in the focus areas.

In due course, offer specialised diploma courses and even an LL.M. programme on Ocean Law and Governance.

Offer intellectual support to efforts both in India and in other developing countries to build appropriate legal and governance frameworks for sustainable water and ocean governance.