India

The Government of India’s 15-year old AIBP has come under much-deserved criticism for all-round non-performance. It was introduced to support states in "last mile" public irrigation projects, that is, projects which are nearly completed but whose full benefits can start flowing only after small, incremental investments are made. Yet, the AIBP has been used mostly for funding new projects.

These reforms have led to the establishment of Independent Regulatory Authorities (IRAs) in the water sector through the enactment of laws at the state level.

Groundwater is a natural replenishable resource. It is an important source for various purposes, including drinking, irrigation and industrial, due to insufficient surface water supply and frequent failure of monsoon. Identification of groundwater zones depends upon many factors such as distribution of rainfall, runoff, grain size of soil, topographic features, type of landform, drainage conditions, lithological characteristics, land use practices, depth to groundwater level and environmental constraints, which are not uniform in any area. 

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The Times of India Social Impact Awards in partnership with J.P.Morgan is a platform wherein applications and nominations for Awards can be made by NGO’s, corporates and government organizations under five categories (Health, Education, Environment, Livelihood, and Empowerment & Advocacy).

The Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) is a network of young people in 18 states who are concerned about climate change & environment issues. The purpose of IYCN is to bring the voice of Indian youth on the global platform as South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by potentially catastrophic climate change & environment issues.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) intends to create a directory of ground water professionals and invites bio data of experienced ground water professional (Individuals/Institutions/Scientists/Engineers/NGOs/VOs etc.) working in the field related to ground water/ rain water harvesting/ water conservation/ ground water recharge/ ground water quality/ water well drilling & construction etc.

Soil is one of the basic natural resources that supports life on Earth. It is an ecosystem, which is a home to several living organisms, which make the soil alive and give it a good structure and texture.

A living soil ecosystem nurtures and nourishes plants by providing a healthy medium to take roots through a steady supply of nutrients. Use of chemical fertilisers disturbs the natural soil ecosystem and its indiscriminate use has resulted in the degradation of soil. A total neglect of ecological/organic fertilisation by policy makers, extension officers and farmers during the peak Green Revolution period has also added to the soil health crisis.

This report pools together scientific literature as well as farmers’ views on this issues as many a times, while studying issues related to soil health or while making policies related to it, the farmer, who is the most important stakeholder, is seldom consulted. The report has made an effort to rectify this grave inadequacy by including the farmer's perspectives in the academic processes like the social surveys, public hearings and workshops and in this final report. Every section of the report has a component from the existing scientific literature available and another one on the farmers’ opinion on the same area.

 The crisis has ballooned with economic liberalization that has removed agricultural subsidies and opened Indian agriculture to the global market. Small farmers are often trapped in a cycle of insurmountable debt, leading many to take their lives out of sheer desperation. 

 The Long Period Average (LPA) of the south-west monsoon season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1951-2000 is 89cm. The first long range forecast for the south-west monsoon season (June-September) rainfall is issued in April and the forecast update is issued in June.