Political

The Urban Development Policy, Karnataka has been developed, by the Department of Urban Development (Government of Karnataka), as a response to the challenges that are being faced by the state due to rapid urbanisation leading to:

• An increase in population in urban areas due to migration
• Increase in the number of poor residents in urban areas
• Infrastructural shortfall on several fronts
• Shortage of resources
• The challenge of ensuring the basic welfare of the poor in urban areas
• The increasing need for strengthening governance, planning and administration

The Vembanad estuarine system, the largest of its kind on the west coast of India is known to be abundantly enriched with diverse fishery resources, providing feeding, spawning and rearing areas for a very large proportion of commercial (fin) fish and shellfish. However, ecosystem health of the Vembanad wetlands is alarmingly declining due to a variety of reasons - obstruction of river courses, sand mining & habitat destruction, loss of riparian canopy cover, encroachment, pollution and unethical fishing practices. Reduced summer flow due to drying up of rivers and pollution hazards from agro-chemicals and sewage also lead to mass mortality of fishes. Depletion of fishery resources has changed this ‘inland fish basket’ to an ‘inland wastebasket’, driving the fisherfolk, the primary stakeholders of the lake into a livelihood crisis.

Organizers:

• South Against Genetic Engineering
• Bangalore Film Society
• Era Organics
• ICRA
• Pristine Organics
• Bhoomi Network
• Green Foundation
• Svaraj

Venue: Ashirvad, No. 30 St. Mark's Road Cross, Opp. State Bank of India, Bangalore 560 001

IEC in Jalswarjya- A guiding light for WSSD, Govt. of Maharashtra 

- An article based on vibrant experience of Jalswarajya Project

Prabhakar S. Mishra

IEC specialist, Nagpur

Introduction

          Whenever we are working on development front we need to put communication at heart place. Worldwide  past experience suggest that modernization approach of development communication fail to sustain impact on stakeholders due to its vertical one way format based on prejudice which fix responsibility of being backward on under develop class. Till end of 20^th century mostly communication in development sector was argument and advocacy based. Also efforts initiated with expectation of switch effect behavioral change, that outcast trust from communication.

13th SearNet International Conference
Theme:"Rainwater Harvesting as a Means of Adaptation to the Challenges of Climate Change”

Organizers: Southern and Eastern Africa Rainwater Network (SearNet), Ethiopia Rainwater Harvesting Association (ERHA), Rainwater Harvesting Implementation Network (RAIN)

Venue: Taddesse Enjori Hotel in Awassa, Ethiopia.

Some recent news items from the news feed that India Water Portal maintains at Newsrack: (http://newsrack.in/stories/arghyam/Water/55) :

• Six sewage treatment plants coming up in tsunami-affected areas of Nagapattinam, TN : https://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/31/stories/2010053157650600.htm

Organizers:

• AME Foundation
• Association for Promotion of Organic Farming (APOF)
• Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR)
• Alumni Association

Venue: UAS Alumni Association (Next to Veterinary College) Bellary Road, Hebbal, Bangalore - 560024

This book by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, highlights the emerging issues related to privatisation of water in the context of the recent surge of privatisation-related initiatives in the water sector in India.

The history of attempts at privatisation of water till recent times from all across the globe indicate that they have been met with strong resistance where ever they have been implemented. This is because of the total failure of all these programmes to address the social responsibility of providing water to all without consideration of profits.

However, this backlash against privatisation has led international donor agencies to use a different type of strategy and language. This has led to a shift from Private Sector Partnership (PSP) to Public Private Partnership (PPP) and more recently to the Water Sector Reforms (WSR) in countries such as India.

Please have a look at the Demonstration video about clearing oil spills in oceans or any other water body.

http://video.godlikeproductions.com/video/CWRoberts_Presentation_2wmv

It is a simple and effective method.