India

Making NREGA work better: A brief note by Public Interest Foundation
This note by the Public Interest Foundation (PIF) presents a proposal for making National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) work better. Posted on 13 Apr, 2010 01:16 PM

This note by the Public Interest Foundation (PIF) presents a proposal for making National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) work better. It offers an alternative to the existing rigid framework for implementation and complex procedures leading to bureaucratization of the implementation process thereby causing uncalled-for delays. The note is a follow-up of its collaborative study with National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) on “Evaluating Performance of NREGA” as well as the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) performance report on implementation of NREGA. 

Training in EPANET - Dynamic Hydraulic Modelling Software for Water Distribution Systems.
Posted on 13 Apr, 2010 11:19 AM

Training in EPANET 

 

Get trained in EPANET - The software for dynamic hydraulic modelling of water supply distribution systems.

Training in EPANET - Dynamic Hydraulic Modelling Software for Water Distribution Systems
Posted on 13 Apr, 2010 11:15 AM

Get trained in EPANET - The software for dynamic hydraulic modelling of water supply distribution systems.

The course shall include:

Water Footprint Manual: State of the art - A method of water footprint assessment by the Water Footprint Network (November 2009)
The Water Footprint Manual shows how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses. Posted on 11 Apr, 2010 07:37 PM
he Water Footprint Manual, 2009 by the Water Footprint Network is a comprehensive and up-to-date outline of the method of water footprint assessment. It introduces 
how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses. 
The concept is introduced as a comprehensive indicator of freshwater resources appropriation, as against the traditional and restricted measure of water withdrawal. 
The hidden water use behind products are measured over the full supply chain and water consumption volumes are measured by source and polluted volumes by type of 
pollution. All components of a total water footprint are specified geographically and temporally. Blue water (surface and groundwater), green water (rainwater stored 
in the soil as soil moisture) and grey water (polluted water) footprints are defined and are included along with the indirect water use in measuring the overall water 
footprints.
The core of the manual deals with the four distinct phases in water footprint assessment: (1) setting goals and scope; (2) water footprint accounting; (3) water 
footprint sustainability assessment; (4) formulation of response. The goals and scope would vary for national governments, river basin authority, company etc. Water 
footprint accounts give spatiotemporally explicit information on how water is appropriated for various human purposes. The manual articulates the need for clarity 
about the inventory boundaries, about where to truncate the analysis, at what level of spatiotemporal explication and for which period of data when setting up a water 
footprint account. It in addition deals with difficult questions like whether to include the water footprint of labour, transport or energy applied in a production 
system in the assessment of the water footprint of the final product. 
The manual then goes on to state the inventory boundaries of water footprint sustainability assessment. The sustainability of a water footprint is viewed upon from 
different perspectives: the environmental, social and economic perspective. Besides, sustainability is measured at different levels: local (e.g. violation of local 
environmental flow requirements), catchment or river basin level (e.g. contribution to the violation of environmental flow requirements downstream). In addition, the 
water footprint of a product has implications beyond the level of a particular river basin. In the section on water footprint accounting the coherence between various 
sorts of water footprint accounts is looked at. The manual presents complex equations explicating the water footprints due to processes and products and has sections 
dealing with calculation of (a) green, blue and grey water footprint of growing a crop or tree (b) green and blue evapotranspiration using the CWR (Crop Water 
Requirements) option in the FAO’s CROPWAT model (c) green and blue evapotranspiration using the ‘irrigation schedule option’ in the CROPWAT model. The manual also 
presents the data sources for the calculating these.

Water Footprint Manual - Cover PageThe Water Footprint Manual (2009) by the Water Footprint Network (WFN) is a comprehensive and up-to-date outline of the method of water footprint assessment. It introduces how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses.

The concept is introduced as a comprehensive indicator of freshwater resources appropriation, as against the traditional and restricted measure of water withdrawal. The hidden water use behind products are measured over the full supply chain and water consumption volumes are measured by source and polluted volumes by type of pollution. All components of a total water footprint are specified geographically and temporally. Blue water (surface and groundwater), green water (rainwater stored in the soil as soil moisture) and grey water (polluted water) footprints are defined and are included along with the indirect water use in measuring the overall water footprints.

Climate change impacts in drought and flood-affected Areas: Case studies in India - A report by the World Bank
This report by the World Bank discusses the climate changes in India and the disasters associated with these climate changes such as floods and droughts and their negative impact. Posted on 11 Apr, 2010 03:50 PM

This  report by the World Bank discusses the climate changes in India and the disasters associated with these climate changes such as floods and droughts and their negative impact on agriculture, food production, livelihoods, security and the condition of the vulnerable groups in the country. The report goes on to discuss the policies undertaken by the Government of India to deal and adapt with these changes and the challenges faced in implementing these policies.

Water Storage: A strategy for climate change adaptation in the Himalayas - A report by ICIMOD
This report by the ICIMOD, highlights the phenomenon of climate change and argues that water storage will be a key strategy for climate change adaptation in the coming years. Posted on 10 Apr, 2010 05:24 PM

ICIMOD Water StorageThis report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) highlights the phenomenon of climate change and argues that water storage will be a key strategy for climate change adaptation in the coming years.

The report discusses the importance of the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges as an important source of water to a large section of the population and warns of the impending crisis of water scarcity and food insecurity in the regions of Asia, if water harvesting and conservation efforts are not undertaken. The document argues that water storage thus becomes a central issue, which is very complicated to implement, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.

Joint Convergence Guidelines of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Integrated Watershed Management Programme, issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (April 2009)
The Joint Convergence Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in April 2009, attempts to bring about inter-sectoral convergence in the various watershed management programmes. Posted on 09 Apr, 2010 09:36 PM

The Joint Convergence Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in April 2009, attempts to bring about inter-sectoral convergence in the various watershed management programmes being implemented by the different departments under the MoRD. In particular, it deals with the convergence between the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) being implemented by the Department of Rural Development (DoRD) and the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) being implemented by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR).

The Community Engineer - Knowledge Transfer/ Training
Posted on 09 Apr, 2010 12:08 PM

We are a group of engineers driven by a common aim of empowering engineers and technicians at grass root levels through training and knowledge transfer. We have for this purpose decided to manage a webpage to reach out to the professionals at municipality and panchayath level. The path is as follows.

Calculating production cost of water in an urban residential layout setting - A spreadsheet-based toolkit by Biome
This spreadsheet by Biome Solutions helps calculate the total cost of water based on its purchase cost, pumping, infrastructure, borewell maintenance and human resources Posted on 08 Apr, 2010 10:47 PM

Based on the annual costs of imported (purchased) water, pumping (energy), water supply infrastructure and borewell maintenance, wastewater treatment, human resources, rainwater harvesting maintenance, sinking fund (cost of replacement of infrastructure), this spreadsheet-based toolkit by Biome Solutions, helps calculate the total cost (in Rs/KL) of water.

An ecological framework for water management in a domestic context - A spreadsheet-based toolkit by Biome
This toolkit shows the domestic water input and output situation using the domestic water demand, waste water discharge and treatment, and rainfall availability. Posted on 08 Apr, 2010 10:43 PM

Based on user-entered data on domestic water demand, waste water discharge, rainfall availability and recharge, extent of reuse of treated waste water, this spreadsheet-based toolkit developed by Biome Solutions allows you to juggle around with the relevant data fields, and figure out various ways in which you can bring down your overall groundwater draft (and hence ecological footprint) as low as possible, and gives a snapshot result of your overall household-level water input and output situation.

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