Drowning does not dominate headlines in the way road accidents or terrorism do. But its toll is staggering.
Every year, tens of thousands of people in India lose their lives to drowning. In Australia, the scale is different, yet equally confronting in their own context. Last year, 357 people drowned nationwide. One-third of them were from multicultural backgrounds.
It is against this backdrop that the India–Australia Drowning Prevention Technical Exchange, held in Sydney from 17–19 February, brought policy makers, researchers and water safety organisations from both countries into the same room. The forum gathered 40 participants, including 10 delegates from India, to share expertise and identify practical solutions.
The seminar aimed to move beyond statistics and focus on practical cooperation from improving data systems to strengthening community awareness and education reform.
“Drowning—now that’s a message,” said Harpreet Kandra, a senior lecturer at Federation University and community advocate who took part in the exchange.
“If you compare the numbers with road deaths, which are about 150,000 every year in India, and deaths from asthma, which are about 200,000 annually, and then compare that with terrorism-related deaths, which are less than 500 every year, you will clearly see that drowning is a silent killer. We have not done much in that space.”
India’s drowning figures range between 38,000 and 50,000 deaths annually—a variation that Kandra says highlights a deeper problem.
“That’s a very big range. It clearly means we are not confident about the data,” he said. “There may be under-reporting or inaccurate reporting. If we are not even sure about the numbers, it shows we have not given this issue the urgency it deserves.”
Participants agreed that the first step is understanding the true scope of the problem. Reliable data, they said, is the foundation of effective policy.
This is where Australia’s robust reporting systems offer a useful model.
“Australia publishes a National Drowning Report every year. Last year, 357 people lost their lives to drowning in Australia. Of those, one-third were from multicultural backgrounds, and one-third were from senior age groups,” Kandra noted.
“That level of detail shows how strong the Australian data collection system is. The starting point, therefore, is data. Australia can help India establish a stronger data collection and analysis framework so we can accurately measure the problem and reduce uncertainty. What gets measured gets managed.”
The collaboration, supported by the Centre for Australia–India Relations under the Maitri Grant Program, along with partners including The George Institute for Global Health and the World Health Organisation—India, is designed to build long-term partnerships.
Royal Life Saving Australia Chief Executive Officer Dr Justin Scarr emphasised that broader vision.
“The Maitri Grant provides an opportunity to strengthen partnerships with Indian drowning prevention colleagues to reduce the burden of drowning in both countries,” he said.
But beyond policy frameworks and reporting systems, the exchange also explored cultural realities.
For many Indian migrants, swimming is not a staple of childhood, and formal water safety education can be limited. In Australia, this gap becomes significant when communities encounter surf beaches, strong currents and unfamiliar river systems. At the same time, Australian stakeholders are seeking to better understand the cultural factors that influence water safety behaviour among migrant communities.
Kandra believes the exchange created a deeper level of understanding.
“Although this was called a ‘technical exchange,’ it felt more like a heart-to-heart exchange— identifying gaps and exploring how both countries can work together.”
The discussions ranged from integrating swimming into school curricula to preparing for increased flooding linked to climate change. With more high-intensity rainfall events predicted, drowning risks are expected to rise.
“Do people know how to survive in floodwaters? Do they have floating skills?” Kandra asked. “These are areas where Australia can help.”
A key theme was reframing the conversation.
“One clear message from the discussions was this: if we only talk about safety, we may not reduce drowning. But if we talk about opportunity and innovation, we might,” he said, citing Victoria’s requirement of swimming skills for police recruits as an example of how incentives can shift attitudes.
For Australia, the partnership is not simply an act of assistance but also an exercise in leadership.
“Some critics may ask why Australia should spend money helping India prevent drowning,” Kandra acknowledged. “My response is that Australia can be a world leader in this space.”
He pointed to the broader global context. China loses about 55,000 people every year to drowning. While Australia and China regularly win Olympic gold medals in swimming, India does not.
“If we build swimming skills over time, perhaps in 10 or 20 years we may see Olympic medals,” he said. “But more importantly, every life saved matters more than medals.”
The partnership also presents practical opportunities. If swimming becomes part of India’s education system, it will require infrastructure, trained instructors and curriculum development—areas where Australian expertise could contribute.
“If swimming becomes part of India’s curriculum, we will need more swim centres, more teachers and better training. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Australia can assist,” he said.
Whether in a village pond in India or along Australia’s coastline, water remains both life-giving and dangerous. The challenge now is to turn the conversations begun in Sydney into sustained action, with ongoing collaboration on research, advocacy, data and swimming education.
Because drowning, as Kandra describes it, is a silent crisis—one that demands stronger collaboration across borders.
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