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August 21, 2022 Floods are not feared, but rather welcomed by the Mishing communities from Majuli island in Assam as they bring bountiful fish- a rich source of food, nutrition and livelihood for the community.
The Majuli island, a haven for fish (Image Source: Usha Dewani, India Water Portal)
January 13, 2022 The water structures constructed during the Gond period continue to survive the test of time and provide evidence of the water wisdom of our ancestors.
Kundeshwar lake, Kundam in Jabalpur (Image Source: K G Vyas)
September 1, 2021 The experience of the Foundation for Ecological Security in tribal Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Fish harvesting by Changariya fishing cooperative, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
August 19, 2021 Use of digital tools for implementing natural resources management at scale in rural India
Digital planning tools like CLART can go a long way in achieving better land-use outcomes (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
December 4, 2019 To adapt well & build resilience, climate change strategies need to factor in efforts towards water security, writes Vanita Suneja, Regional Advocacy Manager (South Asia), WaterAid.
Image credit: WaterAid/Prashanth Vishwanathan
December 2, 2019 Water stewardship is an approach predicated on the concept that water is a shared resource and so water risks are also shared risks that everyone in a catchment will face
Picture credit: Romit Sen
MoEF signs three agreements with World Bank for cleaning Ganga and conservation of biodiversity in June 2011
The Government of India and the World Bank signed three agreements to for cleaning Ganga River and to Strengthen Rural Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conservation in India. Posted on 16 Jun, 2011 04:55 PM

The River cleaning project is to the tune of US $ 1 billion (approximately Rs 4,600 crore) loan and credit that will form part of the Bank’s long-term support for cleaning the Ganga River. Two Biodiversity Conservation agreements are for a credit of US$15.6 million and US$8.14 million grant.

On this occasion, Sh Jairam Ramesh , Minister of State for Environment and Forest Minister said, “Two protected areas, one each in Uttarakhand and Gujarat, will put in place a complete new model of managing the protected areas while safeguarding the livelihoods of local communities. So far local community was looked as enemies of protected areas, but this has to be changed. We have to make local communities full partners in the protection and regeneration of these protected areas. These new models will be applied in other areas of the country.” Giving details of cleaning operations of last few years, the Minister said, “The objective of Ganga project is ‘by 2020 no municipal sewage and industrial effluent will be let into the river Ganga without treatment’. With the help from the World bank, we are taking a big step forward in achieving the Mission Clean Ganga”.

Changing with the seasons: How Himalayan communities cope with climate change - A report by Peoples’ Science Institute
This report presents the findings of a participatory study in the Bhagirathi and Pindar valleys of Uttarakhand to determine the effects of climate change that have the most impact on rural livelihoods Posted on 14 Jun, 2011 10:51 PM

 Mountain areas and communities are susceptible to climate change. This work also yielded evidence of the coping strategies developed by the communities to deal with an unprecedented and only partially understood threat. This paper describes these strategies and attempts to assess the vulnerability of the communities in each valley.

Taking action in India on downstream impact of dams - Report of the workshop held by International Rivers and Save Western Ghats Movement at Jog Falls, Karnataka in May 2011
India is on a large-dam building spree, with more than 5,100 large dams already blocking almost all of its important rivers, and more to come. Posted on 14 Jun, 2011 05:17 PM


Jog falls in Western GhatsJog falls in Western Ghats

 These dams have had a profound negative impact on communities and ecology upstream and downstream. While promised benefits of these dams (irrigation, hydro-power or flood control) have been overstated, numerous interrelated and complex negative impacts have simply not been studied or documented. Nonetheless, communities and ecosystems continue paying huge prices of these impacts.

Hydrological impacts of rainwater harvesting in the catchment of the Arvari river, Rajasthan - Case study from the Agricultural Water Management Journal
These two case studies describe a study that explored the hydrological impacts of rainwater harvesting in the Arvari river catchment in Rajasthan. Posted on 11 Jun, 2011 04:11 PM

Tearing through the water landscape - Evaluating the environmental and social consequences of POSCO project in Odisha - A report by ESG
This report enquires into the circumstances and the basis for the approval of the mega POSCO project in Odisha. Posted on 08 Jun, 2011 03:34 PM

Based on evidence from this inquiry, the study presents a critical analysis of the environmental and social impact information of POSCO's steel-power-port components to expose the fact that regulatory agencies have inadequate information on the short term and long term impacts of the project on the basis of the information that the company supplied to them.  It also provides historical evidence

ADB funded hydro projects in Himachal Pradesh: Disastrous experience - Press release by Him Dhara, SANDRP and HLJM
The Asian Development Bank is financing four hydro projects under the misleading name of 'Himachal Clean Energy Development Programme'. Posted on 06 Jun, 2011 06:07 PM


South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and PeopleReport questions ADB funded projects under the 'Himachal Clean Energy Development Programme'.

  • ADB loans for four hydroprojects at eco-fragile zones
  • Livelihood concerns and environmental issues un-addressed
  • Section 17/4 – Urgency clause being used by HPPCL for forced acquisition of land
  • Poor EIA reports and non compliance to environmental norms

Recently, a Public Hearing for the World Bank funded Luhri Hydro Electric had to be cancelled after public protests making it clear that the environmental and social impacts of Hydropower projects as well as the increasing gap between their promise and performance, especially in the Himalayan region have become issues of serious concern. And yet these projects continue to be promoted in the garb of renewable and clean energy. So much so that governments are borrowing millions of rupees from international banks and financial institutions to fund these so called 'green' projects.The four ADB financed hydro power projects being constructed by HPPCL include the 195 MW Integrated Kashang Stage I, II and III and the 402 MW Shongtong-Karccham in Kinnaur. The other two projects are the 111 MW Sawara-Kuddu hydropower projects in Shimla district and the 100 MW Sainj hydropower project in Kullu District.

Integrated River Basin Planning – Experience on policy and practice in Pamba River Basin in Kerala – A report by APSF Environment Project
These reports present a replicable model for river basin management of intra-state rivers in India. Posted on 30 May, 2011 09:50 PM

Pamba River BasinThe Pamba Pilot Project’s aim was to deliver “Policy Support to Integrated River Basin Management” and to contribute to the continuing EU-India policy dialogue in the water sector.

Analysis of TAC guidelines and decisions in recent meetings' - Dams, Rivers and People - Newsletter of SANDRP for April, May 2011
This newsletter focuses on analysis of the TAC guidelines and the impact of mining on rivers in Goa and Meghalaya. Posted on 27 May, 2011 01:26 PM

 

South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and PeopleNewsletter of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) for April - May 2011 (Volume 9 Issue 3-4), focuses on the following topics.

  • Analysis of TAC guidelines and decisions in recent meetings
    The Advisory Committee in the Union Ministry of Water Resources for consideration of techno-economic viability of Irrigation, Flood Control and Multi Purpose Project Proposals (TAC in short) is supposed to discuss the techno-economic viability of the irrigation, flood control and multi-purpose project proposals as per the Resolution published in the Union of India Gazette Notification No. 12/5/86-P-II dated Nov 27, 1987.
Proceedings of 'Water Conflicts in Odisha : Issues and way forward' - Organised by Odisha State Centre of the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India - 28th - 29th March 2011, Bhubaneswar
Participants deliberated upon mechanisms for better understanding, resolution and prevention of conflicts. Posted on 27 May, 2011 12:48 PM


Proceedings of 'Water Conflicts in Odisha: Issues and way forward' - Organised by Odisha State Centre of the ‘Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India’ - 28th - 29th March 2011, Bhubaneswar

Development Resource & Training Centre (DRTC), CYSD, Bhubaneswar:

A 2-days Workshop on “Water conflicts in Odisha: Issues and way forward” has been organized during 28th – 29th, March, 2011 at Bhubaneswar by ‘Odisha State Centre’ of the ‘Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India’. Environmental activists, thinkers, academicians, Government Officials, Farmer leader’s and Civil Society Organizations from different parts of the state participated in the workshop along with members of the National Steering Committee of Forum to discuss about the ongoing and emerging water conflicts in different geographies of the state.

A perspective of watershed development in the central Himalayan state of Uttarakhand – A paper by Malavika Chauhan
This paper discusses the evolution of watershed development projects and their implementation in Uttarakhand. Posted on 25 May, 2011 08:23 AM

 It traces the historical growth of thinking on watershed in the region, and highlights issues and influences. Impacts and benefits are discussed in relation to sustainability. The review shows that success in these projects is usually isolated, mostly seen in small micro-watersheds with naturally good water harvesting conditions.

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