People and Organisations

Technology and public awareness to combat climate change
Using community radio, messages about adapting to climate change and methods to do it were communicated to farmers in Bundelkhand. Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:30 PM

In Jhansi, Bundelkhand farmers experience great uncertainties in agriculture due to erratic rainfall. Covering 13 districts of southwest Uttar Pradesh and Northern Madhya Pradesh with a population of approximately 21 million, Bundelkhand is a typical semi-arid region.  Around 83% of the area is rural and more than one third of the households are considered to be below the poverty line.

Crops appropriate to deal with climate change
It takes more than money to make a difference
Eris' and 'ooranis', which are tanks that supplied water for generations in Tamil Nadu, are being revived thanks to monetary donations, good management practices and community participation. Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:28 PM

Tamilnadu has a rich tradition of tank management at the village level. Every village had one or more irrigation tanks, locally known as ‘kanmais’ or ‘eris’, and a drinking water tank called ‘ooranis’. This system worked for centuries with the support of residents and the local administration.

View of a 'Kanmai' in Madurai
Protectors of the lost ponds of Darbhanga
Talab Bachao Abhiyan', a group that is working on pond conservation in Bihar, suggests measures to the government and hopes to involve local youth to further the cause of these dying ponds. Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 12:20 PM

In 1989, Bihar's Darbhanga town boasted 213 ponds. Today nearly 25% of them have been drained, leveled to the ground, filled up and built over. Hotels, houses and highrise buildings have bulldozed their way onto these water bodies. Do we not need these ponds any longer? Are they better of as bedrocks of development in these land-starved times? 

Once upon a time

Rally to protect ponds
Managing tanks - a bottom-up approach
Governance by the government must give way to governance by the community if we are to preserve the tanks of Tamil Nadu, which are fast disappearing. Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 10:31 AM

Our day-to-day dependence on fresh water is tremendous, whether for domestic or agricultural use. Theoretically, we know that it is a finite resource and that it can't be taken for granted but in practice, we do. India has an average rainfall of around 1150 mm but lets out nearly 1263 billion cubic metres of water into the sea unutilized. 

Chengalpattu Eri
Water fables from around the world
This collection of stories around the theme of water makes useful teaching material for children and adults alike. Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 09:55 AM

Children love bedtime stories. Fairy tales about kings, princesses, ogres and other magical creatures. For a change, what if we could tell them stories to make them aware of pressing issues that we are faced with. Like water, for example. 'Water Stories from Around the World' is one such compilation. It is a neat mix of stories with simple messages on conserving, using and respecting water.

Book cover (Source: Tulika Publishers)
Envisioning the future
Rural communities in Lakhimpur district of Assam engaged in an interesting exercise of visualising their possible futures in the context of climate change-to prepare themselves for an emergency. Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:33 AM

Looking through that peephole where the future seems dark and bleak conjures up discomfort. We would all rather envision a better, happier tomorrow but anticipating a possible bleak future is crucial for communities to plan in the context of changes, says Dr. Petra Tschakert, Professor of Geography at Pennsylvania State University, USA.

Floods in Jiadhol river (Source: Amita Bhaduri)
Krishi Vigyan Kendra to the rescue!
To combat the water shortage caused by irregular rainfall as well as crop rotation patterns, the village of Nidhan in Madhya Pradesh implemented options suggested by the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra. Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:27 AM

Nidhan is about 30 km away from its district headquarter Morena, Madhya Pradesh. The village receives an annual average rainfall of 450 mm concentrated in the months of July and August. While much of the village depends on rainfed agriculture, the main source of irrigation in the rabi (winter) season is borewells.

The farmer got bumper crop of pigeon pea
A school for 'dropouts'
Vigyan Ashram, a vocational education school in Pabal, Maharashtra, gives all students a second chance. It teaches innovation and creativity and encourages them to learn by doing. Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:29 PM

'Development through Education and Education through development’ is the motto of Vigyan Ashram, a residential school situated in Pabal, Maharashtra. Dr.Kalbaug founded Vigyan Ashram on the principles of natural systems of learning.

An Ashram built by its students, for its students
Big dams create big conflict
Hydropower development is creating various types of conflict in Northeast India. How can we contain the unrest due to this spate of dam construction? Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:25 PM

Northeast India has been in turmoil over the last two decades or so because of unbridled hydropower development in the region. This article is an effort to understand the extent of hydropower development in the region, the multi-faceted and multi layered conflicts unleashed by this development and also explore ways of engaging with them. It is organised around three broad sections:

Maneri Bhali dam- Source:Peoples Science Institute
Adapting to a changing climate
In recent years, Meghalaya has begun to face the effects of climate change. Watch how local farmers have adapted farming techniques and type of crops to accommodate these changes. Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:24 PM

Meghalaya, the wettest place in the world till date, has started facing the consequences of climate change. In the recent past, the state has seen pronounced variability in rainfall. This has given rise to myriad problems in the predominantly agricultural state.

Arecanut is susceptible to climate change impact
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