I proceeded to the opening of the workshop on, ‘A Coordinated Research Perspective on water Resources in Mauritius’ held at the conference room of the Cyber Tower 1, Cybercity, Ebène. It was a pleasure for me to be present on the occasion of the launching of a National Water Research Group by my Ministry and the Mauritius Research Council. The need for the setting up this Research Group has been felt in the light of the low amount of rainfall recorded during the last raining season, and the serious resulting consequences that can follow. The water shortage issue is not only the concern of Central Water Authority and Water Resources Unit, but more importantly, it is the concern of each citizen of this country. My Ministry, which has the privilege of having some of the best researchers of this country under its aegis, is of the view that the Research Community must contribute towards solving this problem. It is in this context that I have requested the MRC, to set up this National Research Group on Water which gathers experts and researchers from several public and private institutions dealing with water issues. The main purpose of this Group is to draw on the inputs and contribution from the Research Community regarding the water shortage issue. I wish them all the best for their deliberations and discussions!