Sustainability

Featured Articles
December 6, 2022 Need to shift to a more sustainable diet without compromising on major nutrients and calories
Historically, India has been a net exporter of virtual water (Image: PxHere)
November 6, 2022 In 2020, 559 million children were affected by four to five heatwaves a year; numbers could increase four-fold by 2050, as per a report by UNICEF
Heat-related mortality is four times higher among children under 1 year of age than in persons aged 1–44 years (Image: Taqver, Wikimedia Commons)
April 26, 2022 The water stewardship initiative by WOTR that developed a tool to visualise aquifers has not only helped farmers understand groundwater as a shared resource, but also led to a behavioural change among water users and helped implement groundwater laws and policies.
Groundwater, a fast disappearing resource (Image Source: India Water Portal)
December 6, 2021 Will it be possible to ensure equity and justice while balancing climate action goals with economic progress?
Taking everyone along while achieving a balance between economic growth and climate goals is crucial (Image Source:  Good Energies)
March 22, 2021 The recent 'Water governance standard and certification system' developed by WOTR can greatly help villages to develop good governance practices and manage their water needs equitably and sustainably.
Long queues waiting for tankers are common in different parts of Maharashtra during water scarcity (Image Source: WOTR)
December 29, 2020 Water resources in most Indian cities are overworked and overused, and not adequately replenished.
Cities in India are marked by unequal distribution of water, lack of access, outdated infrastructure and minimal enforcement of rainwater harvesting and other means of supply. (Image: Anish Roy, Pixabay)
India needs to radically overhaul its water institutions
Can India draw some lessons from the Singaporean water story? Prof Asit Biswas, founder of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico, talks to India Water Portal. Posted on 23 Nov, 2015 09:53 PM

There was a recent report in the Times of India on how Singapore, listed among the 20 smallest countries in the world, made water management and conservation efforts over the years. What lessons can India, a mammoth country draw from this small but densely populated country?

India's water sector: Endemic corruption and public apathy (Source: K N Balraj, IWP Flickr Photos)
Monsoon 2015: Chinks in Chennai's infrastructure exposed
Yet to recover from the torrential lashing, the low-lying city of Chennai is slowly piecing its life back together. How ironic for a state that was a pioneer in rainwater harvesting. Posted on 19 Nov, 2015 09:34 PM

Chennai has historically been a water-starved region, but never rain-starved as it receives much of its annual quota during the northeast or ‘retreating’ monsoon between October and December. But this November was like no other. 

Flooded streets in Chennai
What it takes to clean India
A village school in Madhya Pradesh deals with the micro-realities of the area and gets out of a sanitation crisis. Posted on 06 Nov, 2015 12:25 PM

Sajan, a 14 year old Bhilala Adivasi boy studying in the Rani Kajal school in Kakrana in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh says, "We now save a lot of time as we bathe in the bathrooms and defecate in the toilets rather than in the open fields; and so we study better".

Sewage water filter assembly in the school
Rooftop rainwater harvesting at Chhattisgarh school reduces absenteeism
The film “Rainwater Harvesting: From books to fields”, showcases how rooftop rainwater harvesting can also bring about social and economic change. Posted on 02 Nov, 2015 01:00 PM

Chhattisgarh ranked number 1 in the country for providing domestic water connections in 2014-15 under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).

Rainwater harvesting tank at Madiya Kachar village school
Sustainable practices in slash-and-burn lands in Nagaland
Jhum or shifting cultivation has been criticised regarding its ecological and economic impacts. UNDP takes on the challenge by introducing integrated farm development practices. Posted on 01 Nov, 2015 11:02 AM

A thick smog and haze eclipse the sun all through the day when jhum areas are burnt. Jhum, known as shifting cultivation a practice practice inv

Shifting cultivation lands (Source: Prashant N S, 2006, Wikimedia)
UNESCO Workshop on 'Ensuring Water Security in Changing Environment Scenario for Water Professionals of Cluster Countries'
A 2-day regional capacity development workshop Water Professionals of South Asian Countries’ sponsored by UNESCO is being organized jointly by IIT Bombay.
Posted on 27 Oct, 2015 10:44 AM

A regional capacity development workshop on ‘Ensuring Water Security in Changing Environment Scenario for Water Professionals of South Asian Countries’ sponsored by UNESCO is being organized jointly by IIT Bombay, NIH Bho

Water warriors – Stories on people and their relationship with water
The stories in this yearbook highlight efforts by rural and urban communities across India to take back ownership of their water resources. Posted on 20 Oct, 2015 06:49 PM

Water sustains lives and livelihoods. It is a precious and finite resource that, in future years, is likely to become the main bone of contention between peoples, states and nations. Water – like every other finite resource – needs sustainable and equitable management, with equal focus on reducing demand, recycling and finding alternatives, as well as the usual emphasis on supply solutions.

Prayers on the bank of the Kshipra
India's urban water systems: Challenges and way forward
Stages of urban development, sources of water, and the nature of aquifers all pose different challenges for water demand and availability in urban spaces in India. Posted on 13 Oct, 2015 07:03 PM

Current evidence shows that the number of people living in urban areas in India is expected to more than double and grow to around 800 million by 2050, which will pose unprecedented challenges for water management in the country. The paper titled 'Urban water systems in India: Typologies and hypothesis' published in the

Water, a valuable resource (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
These 'River View' apartments could get you in neck deep!
The increase in construction activity in and around the Kaliasot river in Bhopal is not only causing social unrest but also poses a danger to residents in the river's vicinity. Posted on 02 Oct, 2015 03:59 PM

At a time when the Central Government has stressed the need to protect our rivers, the Kaliasot river green belt in Madhya Pradesh has witnessed haphazard growth due to illegal constructions. Not only has the flow of the river which flows from the center of Bhopal been affected, but also community lives have been impacted.

Construction work in progress within the Kaliasot river basin area (Source: Shirish Khare)
Training on Monitoring and Evaluation of Development Interventions
A three day training session being held on Monitoring and Evaluation of Development Interventions by Sambodhi Research and Communications Pvt. Ltd. at New Delhi
Posted on 01 Oct, 2015 12:46 PM

Course Objectives:

At the completion of the training programme, the participants would be able to

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