Eastern Himalayas

"Integrate understanding of hydro-geology into planning of watershed management programmes" - A report on the training workshop on groundwater management in the Himalayas, organized by People’s Science Institute, in December 2012 at Dehradun
Ever wondered why there is so much fuss about groundwater getting scarce by the day and its quality deteriorating like never before ? And does the liquid and solid waste that my home releases into the environment everyday influence groundwater ? These questions and many more were answered in a recent training workshop organized by People’s Science Institute, Dehradun from 12th to 22nd December 2012. The training was conducted with the aim of promoting the integration of hydrogeology into mainstream watershed management with a focus on issues of equity, quality and sustainability. This was the third in this series of workshops organized by PSI after December 2011 and June 2012, with the focus on groundwater management in the Himalayan states of India.
India Water Portal
Posted on 15 Jan, 2013 12:38 AM

Why a training on managing groundwater ?
"Ministry of Environment & Forests held responsible for high levels of pollution in major Indian rivers" - The Resource and Information Network for the Coasts' January 2013 newsletter
"Ministry of Environment & Forests held responsible for high levels of pollution in major Indian rivers" - The Resource and Information Network for the Coasts' January 2013 newsletter
TRINet for the coast- The Resource and Information Network
Posted on 01 Jan, 2013 10:45 PM

 

The January edition of the TRINet has the following highlights:
Whose river is it anyway - Political economy of hydropower in the Eastern Himalayas - A paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly
This paper highlights the various debates that have emerged in India the context of the highly controversial issue of large dams being built on the rivers of the eastern Himalayas
Sanjib Baruah
Posted on 25 Jul, 2012 05:38 PM

This paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly, highlights the various debates that have emerged in India the context of the highly controversial issue of large dams being built on the rivers of the eastern Himalayas, the recent campaigns by the people from the Nor
Reviving dying springs: A paper documenting the Sikkim experience of groundwater recharge using geo-hydrology
With mountain communities dependent of springs for both domestic uses and for irrigation, conservation of these springs is crucial. However several factors, of which climate change is one, are leading to a drying up of springs. This paper reports on Sikkim's experience with using geo-hydrological knowledge to plan recharge structures. It concludes that this increases the efficiency of recharge measures.
Sandeep Tambe
Posted on 09 Apr, 2012 09:12 AM

Introduction

The paper begins with a description of Sikkim. The sources of water in the Himalayas and the geology of the area are also described.

Literature review of spring related studies
Ignoring precaution, MoEF clears a project which has been categorically rejected by majority Standing Committee of the NBWL
MoEF, which holds the mandate of safeguarding country's environment, has given a completely unjustifiable wildlife clearance to the 1750 MW Demwe Lower Hydroelectric dam on the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh (http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/Demwe_Lower_Hydroelectric_project.pdf), in face of severe opposition from civil society, experts across country and all the independent members of National Board for Wildlife. This shocking decision has come at the heels of one more such clearance given by MoEF to 300 MW Alkananda project in Uttarakhand, which has been rejected twice by FAC and given a negative recommendation by WII.
Parineeta Dandekar
Himanshu Thakkar
Posted on 26 Feb, 2012 01:31 PM

Guest Post : Parineeta Dandekar and Himanshu Thakkar
Inducing vulnerabilities in a fragile landscape: The implications of hydropower development in a seismically active zone - An article in EPW
After the earthquake that shook Sikkim in November 2011, the safety of the dams being constructed on the Teesta is being questioned by the communities that live along it
Kanchi Kohli
Posted on 24 Feb, 2012 08:25 PM

Close to 30 hydroelectric projects are being planned on the Teesta and its tributaries. Not only is this river an essential part of Lepcha identity and life, but it also flows through a fragile zone. In this article first published in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Kanchi Kohli examines the ramifications of this policy.
Climate variability and change in the Himalayas: Community perceptions and responses - An ICIMOD study
This document by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) presents the findings of a study that was designed to investigate the impact of climate and socioeconomic change on the vulnerability and livelihoods of mountain people and their coping and adaptation strategies. ICIMOD conducted a community-based vulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment in four different areas that included Uttarakhand in northwestern India (two districts), Nepal (two districts), Eastern Bhutan (two districts), and North East India (one district in Assam and one in Meghalaya). The overall aim was to contribute to enhancing the resilience of vulnerable mountain communities in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region to change.
Amanda Manandhar Gurung
Brigitte Hoermann
Dhrupad Choudhury
Mirjam Macchi
Posted on 22 Feb, 2012 05:30 PM

The general objectives of the assessments were:
Living rivers, dying rivers: Rivers in North East India
The fourth lecture in the ten-part series titled "Living Rivers, Dying Rivers" was delivered by Dr. Chandan Mahanta, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati on 'Rivers in North-East India'.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 15 Nov, 2011 03:29 PM

Rivers in North-East India
The majestic Brahmaputra river (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Problems of hill states and hill areas and ways to ensure that they do not suffer in any way because of their peculiarities - Report of the Task Force - Planning Commission
The report recommends reshaping of policies to bring in the “mountain perspective” for the Indian Himalayan region in the national planning.
G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment & Development
Planning Commission (Government of India)
Posted on 01 Nov, 2011 09:37 PM

This report by the Task Force, constituted by the Planning Commission, Government of India in April, 2008, is an outcome of the need expressed by the Prime Minister of India for a fresh analysis of the problems of the hill states and hill areas of the country in a manner that suggests that these areas do not suffer in any way on account of their peculiarities.

Opinions have been expressed that the pace of development of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) has been slow when compared to the rest of the country. At the same time, its fragile nature and difficulty of taking up conventional development initiatives has not been appreciated. In this report, arguments have been presented recommending reshaping of policies to bring in the “mountain perspective” for the IHR, in the national planning. Emphasis has also been laid on developing norms for good governance and for harnessing social capital at the grassroots.

Map of the Indian Himalayan States

An inventory of Greater Himalayan wetlands – A manual by ICIMOD
A wetland inventory can provide information to support national programmes and reporting requirements for other international treaties, the report says.
A Beatrice Murray
Asha Kaji Thaku
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Punam Pradhan
Posted on 27 Oct, 2011 03:00 PM

WetlandsThis manual by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) deals with an inventory of Greater Himalayan Wetlands and has been developed to assist governm
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