World

The Hesperian Foundation is a non-profit publisher of books and newsletters for community-based health care. Their first book, Where There Is No Doctor, is considered to be one of the most accessible and widely used community health books in the world.

  Nitrate/Nitrite contamination is a potentially serious problem for India today, after flouride and arsenic. This contamination occurs largely through the mixing of fertiliser run-off and sewage with water meant for human use. New research reveals that Nitrate/Nitrite contamination can cause severe human health problems including cancer. Below are two research papers from the Environment Health Perspectives (EHP) Journal, written in the context of the United States, that give an idea of Nitrate/Nitrite contamination and their impact on human health. Workgroup Report in the November 2005 issue: "Drinking Water Nitrate and Health - Recent Findings and Research Needs". Read the paper here: https://www.indiawaterportal.org/tt/dwm/res/Drinking_Water_Nitrate_and_Health_Nov%202005_EHP.pdf "A Review of Nitrates in Drinking Water: Maternal Exposure and Adverse Contents Reproductive and Developmental Outcomes", appeared in the March 2006 issue. Read the paper here: https://www.indiawaterportal.org/tt/dwm/res/A_Review_of_Nitrates_in_Drinking_Water_Mar_2006_EHP.pdf

UN committee on economic, social and cultural rights in 2002 issued a general comment on the right to water. However, provision of safe drinking water remains a challenge.

Read the comment 

A narrow ice bridge connecting Charcot Island and Latady Island ”the last remnant of the northern part of Antarctica's Wilkins Ice Shelf broke apart in early April 2009. These photo-like images, from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), show the break-up of the ice bridge.

A couple of years from now, beer, cola, rice, breakfast cereal, cotton T-shirts and many other goods may come with a new logo: a label which says the water used to make this product came from a sustainable source. The scheme, unveiled at the World Water Forum in Istanbul on Tuesday, seeks to make a "Water Stewardship" tag as successful as Forest Stewardship Certification, a fast-growing system that combats illegal or unsustainable logging. "That there is a crisis in water is a given, and that we need to address it is a given. That's why there's so much momentum behind developing a global standard," said Michael Spencer, director of the Water Stewardship Initiative of Australia, part of the project. Access the full article here: Coming soon: 'Sustainable water' certification

Image and Content Courtesy: SIWI The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and SIWI welcome entries for the third edition of the WASH Media Awards competition open to journalists who publish or broadcast original investigative reports between March 2009 and April 2010 on water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues in their countries. Journalists can submit one piece of work such as an article from traditional print or recognized online newspapers, magazines or journals; a radio broadcast; or a television documentary or report. To be eligible, entries must be published or broadcast between 1 March 2009 and 1 April 2010. Articles or broadcasts can be submitted in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian. Works not originally published or broadcast in one of these languages must be translated into one of the five competition languages.

At the 5th World Water Forum,  Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), was awarded the coveted Kyoto World Water Grand Prize at a glittering closing ceremony to mark the closure of the Forum on World Water Day (March 22) at Istanbul, Turkey. The award was presented to Dr Marcella D'Souza, Executive Director of WOTR in recognition of the outstanding contribution made towards organising rural communities for watershed development and rain water harvesting in an inclusive, equitable, sustainable and gender sensitive manner.

Forwarded to the Portal by: Vishwanath Srikantaiah Image Courtesy: IRCSA The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia (NRE) and National Hydraulics Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) extend a warm invitation t

Forwarded to the Portal by: Eric Fewster, BushProof Image and Content Courtesy: BushProof BushProof will be running two training courses in Water & Sanitation for Development and Emergencies during the first half of 2009. The 2-week BushProof training covers many aspects of water & sanitation for both development & emergencies. It is an intense no-nonsense training that focuses heavily on practical sessions. Our aim is to transfer as much practical and theoretical knowledge as possible in the time available so that participants can return with know-how that they can apply in their own situations. It is designed for those that need more technical input, as well as those in management who manage watsan projects but lack the basic technical background.