International Issues

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December 4, 2019
In wake of climate change, prioritise and invest in water security and clean drinking water
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
November 13, 2019
NGT pushes to ban RO purifiers for water with TDS below 500 mg/l
Policy matters this week
A domestic RO water purifier
October 16, 2019
Pune groundwater extraction doubles in last decade; Uranium found in Telengana groundwater; Lower Subansiri project gets a boost
News this week
Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh (Source: Kakul Baruah via Wikimedia Commons)
October 1, 2019
Greening new pastures for green investments
Green capital at scale urgently needed for the energy transition and climate action in emerging economies - CEEW Centre for Energy Finance
Image credit: CEEW Centre for Energy Finance
September 30, 2019
The Water Future Conference in Bangalore: Towards a Sustainable Water Future
The recently concluded 4 day conference in Bangalore looked at the current state of global water resource challenges & future pathways to achieve the SDGs, while ensuring equity in access to all.
Charles Vorosmarty, Chair, COMPASS Initiative, Water Future at the opening plenary on advanced water system assessments to address water security challenges of the 21st century.
September 24, 2019
Manual scavenging is inhumane: SC
Policy matters this week
Despite the ban, manual scavenging continues. (Image courtesy: The Hindu)
Water News: 2013 in review
Beginning with the Kumbh Mela and moving on to natural disasters like the floods in Uttarakhand and the cyclone in eastern India, water made big news throughout 2013.
Ravleen Kaur
Swati Bansal
Posted on 06 Jan, 2014 12:16 PM

Kumbh Mela left its trash behind
Shiva statue, Kedarnath (Source: ibtimes.co.uk)
Bihar villagers against asbestos plant
News this week: Bihar villagers oppose asbestos plant, J&K government restricts civilian movement near Kishanganga dam site and dams for Mumbai result in tribal displacement.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 22 Dec, 2013 08:40 PM

10,000 Bihar villagers file petition against asbestos plant
Asbestos inflammation (Source: Adam Cohn, Flickr)
Where are the toilets?
Policy matters this week: Ministry sets up committee to investigate discrepancy in toilet data and India and Asian Development Bank fund embankments in Nepal and Assam.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 15 Dec, 2013 09:23 PM

Committee to investigate discrepancy in data on toilets
Open defecation due to lack of toilets
Indian troops polluting Siachen glacier: Pakistan
Policy matters this week: Pakistan says its main source of water supply is affected by Indian troops polluting the Siachen glacier, and Karnataka to increase the height of Almatti dam.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 09 Dec, 2013 08:24 AM

Remove troops from Siachen: Pakistan
Indian Army, Siachen Source: defenceforumindia.com
Hidden cost to cheaper alternate energy
Shale gas has recently made headlines the world over. How good is it for the environment and what is its water footprint, especially in the Indian context?
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 08 Dec, 2013 10:01 PM

Shale gas, like other petroleum products such as oil and coal, is formed from the remains of plants, animals and micro-organisms that lived millions of years ago. However, this natural gas is made up of shale formations, a common name for rock that was once layers of clay or mud. Since these rocks aren't very permeable, gas is trapped in it due to its inability to travel.
Fracking in shale gas production Source: Wikipedia
Development or displacement?
The MP government is proposing a nuclear project in Mandala district. Villagers are wary about promises to rehabilitate since similar promises are yet unfulfilled to the Bargi dam oustees since 1990.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 01 Dec, 2013 08:30 PM

Sukal Singh is 50 years old and is the only earning person of his five-member family. Suresh Barman works as a labourer supporting a 13-member family. Bhagirat and Gorelal Bhavedi are rickshaw-pullers supporting a 7-member family each.
Bargi dam affected Patha village, MP
Climate talks end in dispute
Policy matters this week: Climate change talks at Warsaw end up in dispute, a new division for the Himalayas and NHRC issues notice to the government on pollution in the Ganga.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 01 Dec, 2013 03:30 PM

Money deals mar climate talks in Warsaw
Unfriendly climate at Warsaw Source: Wikipedia
Floods need not equate disasters
A mix of high-tech and low-tech systems, government initiatives as well as a community level approach is needed to manage floods in the Himalayas.
David Molden
Posted on 24 Nov, 2013 11:19 AM

 Every year, we have about 76 disasters in the Himalayas, some 36,000 people are killed and over a million affected by disasters. The loss of life and damage does not need to occur. How people manage the situation can relieve the situation much better.

About a third of these disasters are from floods. In the Himalaya, there are two broad kinds of flooding:
Do floods have to cause loss?
UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems
Policy matters this week: UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems, committee to explore wider use of Mangal turbines and 6500 fish ponds coming up in Meghalaya.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 11 Nov, 2013 08:17 AM

UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems
Mangal turbine Source: mangalturbine.com
Indian islands declared 'hope spots'
Policy matters this week: IUCN declares Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep as 'hope spots', CWPRS plans to channelise the Beas and NGT tells Assam to protect Kaziranga animals.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 05 Nov, 2013 03:59 PM

Indian Ocean's "hope spots"
Coral reefs at Havelock, Andaman Source: Wikipedia
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