State Visit to India for Beatrix, Willem-Alexander and Máxima

From October 24th to October 27th, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was joined by the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima on a state visit to India. In the royal agenda, the focus was on trade relations, ecology, water and micro-finance. The queen was invited by India’s president, Pratibha Patil. In her speech on Wednesday at the state banquet, Queen Beatrix reminisced about her first state visit and cited the changes since that time. “My family and I have visited your country several times, and we have already had an opportunity to get to know and appreciate the rich diversity of India’s population and cultures. Moreover, in nineteen eighty-six my husband and I paid the first Dutch State visit to your country and two years later President Venkataraman visited the Netherlands. This second State visit is therefore rather exceptional. It is marked by the great changes which have taken place over the last twenty years, both within India and with regard to its position in the world,” the queen remarked.

On Thursday, Prince Willem-Alexander gave a lecture at the seminar Water and Microfinance: Exploring Innovative Partnerships. In his speech, “Water and Microfinance: exploring the engagement of two sectors,” he gave examples of strengthening the partnership and said: “In order to reach sustainable and efficient microfinance, it needs to be integrated into the mainstream financial sector and not be treated as a project or as aid.”

“So, looking at the global challenges of water, sanitation and climate change: where exactly do we see water and microfinance teaming up for the solutions? That is the question we put before you today. I will briefly share some ideas here.”
“As I said, lack of hygiene and absence of clean water puts a severe health and financial strain on the productivity of families, preventing them from investing their valuable time and money in, for instance, education, or starting a small business. Across the world we have seen approaches to address these problems by using microcredits for micro solutions like small scale rainwater harvesting, water purification, water reuse and storage. Microcredits and savings are also used in sanitation schemes, like credits for micro entrepreneurs that construct latrines or even sale of composted excrement. Mrs Nair will be able to tell you more about these experiences.”

“We know climate change increasingly puts small farmers in a very vulnerable position. Their crops are destroyed by too little or too much water. We also know that big irrigation schemes in arid places will not be the answer; they simply put too much stress on the scarce water resources. Microfinance can help to reduce the vulnerability of farmers. Small and environmentally sustainable irrigation schemes could be set up with microcredits and risks of severe flooding or drought could be mitigated by micro insurance.”

Queen Beatrix’s entire speech from the state banquet in New Delhi can be read here.

The Prince of Orange’s entire speech from the seminar Water and Microfinance: Exploring Innovative Partnerships can be read here.

Photos: ANP