Society, Culture, Religion and History

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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)
January 2, 2021 Lack of community ownership and local governance are spelling doom for the once royal and resilient traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan.
Toorji Ka Jhalara, Jodhpur (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)
December 7, 2020 The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).
Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)
December 11, 2019 Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs.
A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire
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
Lets paint our cities green ! - Issues of collective effort come to the fore at the organic urban gardening conference in Chennai
A three day national conference on urban gardening seeks to answer city dwellers' quest for green with simple try-them-yourself options Posted on 06 Mar, 2013 10:25 AM

The maddening pace of cities have the potential to drive one up the wall.  But, there are options - to unwind and to mend the disconnect. Tending to plants is a popular hobby and it is a fact that a sizeable number of city dwellers have taken to gardening in the past, finding solace in twines and tendrils.

An evaluative study on the informal water distribution system in Kaula Bandar slum in Mumbai- A paper in BioMed Central Public Health Journal
The paper evaluates an informal water distribution system in Kaula Bandar(KB), slum in Mumbai. Posted on 03 Mar, 2013 07:22 PM

As a result of rapid urbanisation, majority of migrated population is forced to settle in places which are not legally recognised by state authorities. These areas thus lack in basic services like water supply and sewerage. Consequently, the slum dwellers often resort to illegal methods to avail these services.

Catch Every Drop: The Water Warrior contest
Your city needs YOU to become a Water Warrior (of taps, not guns!) with a clear mission brief to save every drop from going to waste. Posted on 27 Feb, 2013 06:08 PM

Imagine there's no water
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to cook or clean with
And no flushing too!
Imagine all the people
Living life in vain

RNTC invites applications for its Netherlands Fellowship Programme on Multimedia Journalism & Water - Apply by May 7, 2013
Posted on 27 Feb, 2013 03:06 PM

RRNTC LogoThe Netherlands Fellowship Programme

The Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) is a demand-driven fellowship programme designed to foster capacity building within organisations by providing training and education to their mid-career staff members.

About RNTC

RNTC is an international training institute serving media professionals working in broadcast, print and online media. RNTC has over 40 years of experience in short focused courses tailored to the needs of mid-career professionals in journalism and media.

Multimedia journalism & water course

Water is the source of all life. And, increasingly, it is a source of conflict, tension, diplomacy and national/international policy as the pressure on resources continues to grow. Learn how to design and produce attractive and effective multimedia stories on this most pressing of global issues.

An insight into the management of forest resources by tribal communities in Kargata and Bhagwanpur villages in Vidarbha, Maharashtra
The indigenous knowledge of in tribal communities in managing the forest resources cannot be overlooked. This paper in Economic and Political Weekly, sheds light on this aspect of forest management. Posted on 25 Feb, 2013 10:03 PM

The Forest Conservation Act and Forest Rights Act have acquired significant attention ever since they were passed in 1980 and 2006. While the former restricts the alteration brought to the forestland, the latter extends the rights of forest dwellers to use its resources.

Strategies for achieving environmental sustainability in rural development - A report by United Nations Development Programme
This report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents strategies for inclusive rural development embodying the principles of environmental sustainability. Posted on 23 Feb, 2013 10:22 AM

This report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents strategies for inclusive rural development embodying the principles of environmental sustainability. It recommends measures needed to achieve green, including measuring and tracking, the use incentives and the building of capacities. It also contains a number of case studies showing how green results can be achieved.

Dealing with arsenic in rural Bihar - Evaluating the successes and failures of mitigation projects
Arsenic is a toxin that is commonly found in the ground water of shallow aquifers in the Ganges River Delta.This research focuses on the social and economic factors that influence the successes and failures of different arsenic mitigation projects and will provide a strategy on how to handle the arsenic issue in the upcoming years. Posted on 21 Feb, 2013 11:51 PM

Article Courtesy: Delft University of Technology

Author(s): Matthijs Brouns, Merijn Janssen, Andrew Wong

Video documentary on the work done by Dr. Sudarshan for the upliftment of Soliga tribes in BR Hills, Karnataka- A webisode in Chai with Lakshmi
This webisode gives an insight into Dr.Sudarshan's work with the indigenous forest dwellers, Soliga tribes in Biligiriranga Hills, Southern Karnataka. Posted on 20 Feb, 2013 11:47 AM

Source of video: Chai with Lakshmi

Assessing the land use change and its impact on water resources: A study on the Mula and Mutha rivers catchment area in Pune
Analysing the changes in land uses between 1989 and 2009, this paper assesses the impact on water balance in Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of the city of Pune Posted on 17 Feb, 2013 09:11 PM

Land use changes  hydrologic system and have potentially large impacts on water resources. An assessment in an area with seasonally limited water availability and which is subject to rapid socio- economic development and population growth will provide an exemplary view on the local impacts of major recent developments in India. In this backdrop this paper analyzes past land use changes between 1989 and 2009 and their impacts on the water balance in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune. The aim of the paper is:

  • assess the land use changes between 1989/1990 and 2009/2010
  • analyze the impacts of these changes on the long-term water balance components in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of the city of Pune.

Voices from the Waters calls for entries for its 8th International travelling film festival on water - Submit entries by May 30, 2013
Posted on 17 Feb, 2013 03:11 PM

Voices from the Waters-LogoOrganizers

Voices from the Waters

Bangalore Film Society in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Maxmueller Bhavan, Bangalore, SVARAJ, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF), Ithaca College, USA, Christ University, Bangalore, Visthar, Charter of Human Responsibilities, Samvada, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, YWCA, Bangalore, Pacific Asia Resource Centre (PARC), Tokyo and Water Journeys – Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water are presenting the 8th edition of Voices from the Waters 2013.

About the festival

Voices from the Waters is conceived as a travelling film festival. The selected films after being premiered in Bangalore will be taken to educational institutions, non governmental organizations, small towns and villages across India followed by discussions. This festival has established its relevance over the last seven years and has consistently been receiving entries for the festival from countries across the world underlining the global concern for water.