/regions/india
India
One water, one data
Posted on 25 May, 2022 02:58 PMAny large-scale water security program by the government needs two things: [i] continuous data - given the dynamic nature of water - its annual replenishment depends on how much rainfall occurs and what farmers decide to grow in that agricultural cycle; and [ii] people who understand this data and continue to maintain the implementation post-intervention.
![Participatory programs such as JJM require a large amount of village-level information on water (Image: Arpit Deomurar, FES)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-05/lead.jpg?itok=uScEju-Z)
Enabling better water governance
Posted on 18 May, 2022 02:41 PMWhen UNICEF brought borewell rigs to India in early 1970s to help deal with water shortage, little did we know that it would become a tool for privatising the groundwater in the decades to come. Today, this practice of treating groundwater as a private resource has led to over-exploitation and an increase in mineral contamination as we drill into deeper aquifers in search of water.
![Rice farmer irrigating from a shallow well to complement irrigation water from the Nagarjuna irrigation scheme in Krishna river basin, Andhra Pradesh (Image: François Molle, Water Alternatives)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-05/groundwater.jpg?itok=1Cm3Wikx)
Napo Jal Bachao Kal campaign - the pre-monsoon groundwater monitoring 2022 exercise commences
Posted on 12 May, 2022 09:22 AMStarting May 15, 2022 Mamatha from Andhra Pradesh, and Rameshwar from Maharashtra, equipped with a mobile phone and a measuring tape, will be joining several others heading to their fields and neighbouring villages to measure wells.
![Women use an open source groundwater monitoring tool that enables collection of water level data of wells and its collation on a web platform for easy access by all. (Image: FES)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-05/Well%20Water%20Monitoring%202.jpg?itok=fgqFLucq)
Microplastics contaminating our soil
Posted on 07 May, 2022 10:33 AMThe excessive use of plastic across multiple sectors is emerging as a major cause of environmental concern due to its non-degradable property and remains being found in various ecosystems. The larger impacts of plastic fragments (microplastics) in various ecosystems are yet to be studied and evaluated for the impact on human health and ecology.
![Under a study by Toxics Link soil samples in agricultural belts in Karnataka and Maharashtra were tested and tiny plastic particles were found at various depths (Image: 5Gyres, Oregon State University; Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 2.0))](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2023-06/microplastics.jpg?itok=NZfdD1bM)
Climate Asia, a new initiative launched to deal with the climate crisis
Posted on 26 Apr, 2022 08:26 PMA new initiative “Climate Asia” attempts to build a robust climate ecosystem in Asia, by working with climate organizations to strengthen the workforce.
![Building and strengthening the climate ecosystem in Asia (Image: Tumisu, Pixabay)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/cchange.jpg?itok=zYuTXjGY)
Long-term resilience through MGNREGS assets
Posted on 23 Apr, 2022 11:47 AMThe Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is one of the largest social protection programmes in the world, providing guarantee of income to some 55 million people every year.
![Work in progress at an NREGA site under 'apna khet, apna kaam' (my field, my work). Medhbanchi, Dungarpur, Rajasthan (Image: UN Woemn Asia and Pacific/Gaganjeet Singh)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/UN%20Women.jpg?itok=91UAUPha)
This is how your kid’s life will be like in 2050
Posted on 22 Apr, 2022 03:04 PMScientists might be forced to listen to self-serving politicians but climate change shall not.
![Children's lives are under threat due to climate change. (Image: Max Pixel)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/kid.jpg?itok=Et5Mw0wi)
Environment conscious urban Indians want brands to reduce their harmful environmental impacts
Posted on 20 Apr, 2022 12:10 PMSustainability, which was once a niche consideration for brands and consumers, has gained prominence and risen dramatically up the agenda in recent years, following the increased public discussion and awareness of environmental issues.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/lead.jpg?itok=HFa0A-j-)
Cabinet approves revamping of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
Posted on 19 Apr, 2022 01:34 PMTo help rural India achieve SDGs, Cabinet approves Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan
![Govt to help rural India achieve key targets of UN SDGs (Image source: IWP Flickr photo). Image for representation only](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/15010268747_5ffaaffd91_c.jpg?itok=y_Fj5qeR)
Climate Asia: Unpacking jobs, community action, and funding
Posted on 19 Apr, 2022 10:22 AMClimate change is going to fundamentally alter the nature of most industries. There is a pressing need to take adaptive and mitigative measures. In light of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and the upcoming COP 27, we will be organizing a conference titled Climate Asia: Unpacking Jobs, Community Action, and Funding.
![Image: Pixabay](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/2022-04/climate.jpg?itok=LpA8wq41)