Society, Culture, Religion and History
Films on Watershed Development and Dairying by Samaj Pragati Sahayog
Posted on 06 Jan, 2011 05:42 PMFor the last 2 decades Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS) has implemented watershed management projects in an attempt to integrate regeneration of natural resources with livelihood security of the poor
SPS has recently completed production of two films, which are now available for purchase.
Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Bill (2009)
Posted on 05 Jan, 2011 07:32 PMThe Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Bill, 2009 aims to facilitate and ensure sustainable and adequate supply of groundwater of prescribed quality, for various category of users, through supply and demand management measures, protecting public drinking water sources and to establish the State Groundwater Authority and District Level Authorities to manage and to regulate, with community participation, the exploitation of groundwater within the State of Maharashtra.
Climate change: Vulnerability and adaptation experiences from Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh – A report by SDC
Posted on 05 Jan, 2011 06:44 PM
This document discusses the process oriented programme of Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) on Vulnerability Assessment (V&A) and Enhancing Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change initiated in the semi-arid regions of India. The aims of this programme include strengthening the resilience of local communities to conditions of unfavourable weather, like adverse alterations in temperature and precipitation leading to the more frequent occurrence of drought and to use the experiences for policy development for climate change adaptation measures at various levels.
Over 60 per cent of the cultivated area in India is rainfed & unfavorable and uncertain rainfall patterns will seriously affect the food, drinking water and livelihood security of millions of children, women and men. Since the initiation of this project, the emphasis on proactive research on adaptation mechanisms has increased at the national level.
The present decade may mark the beginning of a new climate era, characterized by extreme and often unpredictable weather conditions and rise in sea levels. The greatest casualty of climate change will be food, water and livelihood security.
Civil society consultations for the 12th Five Year Plan Approach Paper: Urban & Rural WATSAN sector
Posted on 30 Dec, 2010 11:20 AMAt the request of the Planning Commission, Arghyam and WaterAid agreed to co-ordinate and support a process of civil society consultation for inputs on rural and urban domestic water and sanitation for generating recommendations for the Approach Paper to the 12th Five Year Plan of the Government of India.
A glimpse of the audience
Influence of Chalukya architecture on Hampi stepwell - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Posted on 29 Dec, 2010 04:16 PM
This paper discusses the reasons for building tanks in ancient India and mentions ancient texts like 'Samarangan Sutradhar' to indicate how wells and other water bodies were constructed.
These water storage systems indicate the knowledge of geology, soil engineering, construction engineering and structural engineering in ancient times.
Droplets: e-Newsletter from Everything About Water - December 2010
Posted on 29 Dec, 2010 10:56 AMArticle and Image Courtesy: Everything About Water
The December edition of Droplets e-newsletter published by the Everything About Water had the following highlights:
Blueprint for farm growth
Posted on 28 Dec, 2010 03:12 PM
Since the start of the 11th Five Year Plan, the growth rate in agriculture has virtually remained stagnant. A scene at a paddy field in the outskirts of Hyderabad.
Saltscapes - Dholavira, Gujarat - A guest post by Amitangshu Acharya and Ayan Ghosh
Posted on 27 Dec, 2010 11:41 PMGuest Post: Text by Amitangshu Acharya, Photographs by Ayan Ghosh
Kachchh – a brilliant halfway between a turmeric yellow Rajasthan and the emerald green Sahyadris – offers an upside down version of life. It tells you that seeds of life and civilisation are often hidden beneath the sands of time in inhospitable terrains.
High altitude wetland protected areas in western Arunachal Pradesh - Identification and demarcation using GIS
Posted on 27 Dec, 2010 11:15 PMGuest Post by Shashank Srinivasan
High altitude wetlands in the Indian Himalayas are crucial to the water security of downstream communities. They buffer the flow of glacial meltwater to sustain river flow in the dry season, ensuring that human settlements have access to water when they need it most.
High altitude wetlands are also reservoirs of biodiversity and contribute local livelihood opportunities. Identifying these wetlands and demarcating areas for their protection is thus crucial to any wetland management plan.
In this poster, a method of using topographic data obtained by remote sensing techniques, to identify the catchment areas of these wetlands has been described.
The author suggests that the protection of these catchment areas will ensure the survival of these wetlands, as well as of the communities that depend on them.
Rainfed areas and rice farming Crucial agricultural water issues
Posted on 25 Dec, 2010 08:30 PMJohn Thompson works on power, policy and sustainability issues in food and agriculture, water resource management and rural development. He is a STEPS Centre member, IDS Fellow and joint Co-ordinator of the Future Agricultures Consortium. He presents two crucial agricultural water issues to take priority on World Water Day.