Political

. I had shared how Megh Pyne Abhiyan through its local partner - Samta in Khagaria (supported by Gramyasheel, Kosi Seva Sadan, Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh and Water Action) has been able to collaborate with the district administration to mainstream issues concerning water and sanitation for the flood prone areas.

In Supaul, the district administration requested our local partner, Gramyasheel to write about alternative drinking water practices (appropriate for the district) for a publication - Supaul Zila Ki Smarika, brought out by the district administration. A definite indication of the WATSAN practices being recognized at the local level. Though the collaboration is an ongoing process which would lead to positive results if time, ideas and perseverance are invested appropriately.

CMS Environment is a visionary initiative of CMS, a Delhi-based, nationally- functioning independent multidisciplinary organization, engaged for the past 20 years in research, policy advocacy, advisory services and programme evaluation in the domain of environment, social issues, public health, governance, development communications and transparency. CMS is also responsible for the internationally reputed CMS VATAVARAN: Environment and Wildlife Film Festival & Forum.

The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. CEPF provides strategic assistance to NGOs, community groups and other civil society partners to help safeguard biodiversity hotspots. This conservation investment is guided by region-specific investment strategies, developed with inputs and in consultation with diverse stakeholders. The Ecosystem Profile for the Western Ghats was developed by conservation and scientific institutions, with inputs from civil society, to guide the strategic and catalytic conservation investment in the Western Ghats.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world’s leading organization working for the rights of children, invites applications for the following position.

Under the daily supervision of the WASH Specialist,  and in consultation with the Communication for Development (C4D) section, the incumbent is responsible to provide strategic guidance, technical inputs and design and production oversight for UNICEF’s WASH communication interventions in child environment programme and for supporting the Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Drinking Water Supply’s relevant behavioural change programmes and initiatives.

Author: R Dwarakinath

‘Miles to go before I sleep’ Indian agriculture, after green revolution, has fallen on to a lower trajectory of growth. But, this requires a different set of technologies and different kind of development strategy. This is necessary to lift sector production, alleviate poverty, regenerate ecology, and also to cope with climate change. A formidable but inevitable task.

Climate change has become a fact of life. The concern is assuming threatening proportions by the day. There are several efforts at the global, national and institutional levels to understand the phenomenon and to deal with its impact. At the moment, two dimensions of the problem are engaging the attention – how to mitigate, if possible reverse, the building up processes; and, how to cope with, if possible counter, the effects of climate change on human life, including farming. The answers are vague. So far, South Asia is regarded as one of the most vulnerable areas in the world. Naturally, it has become a matter of great concern, as it pertains to the well-being of the dry land farmers on the upland areas in Karnataka.

Open Space, the civil society and youth outreach programme of  the Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCDS), Pune, engages with citizens – especially young citizens - on contemporary social, economic and cultural issues through film screenings, performances, literary readings, music concerts, art, storytelling, capacity-building workshops, discussion and study forums, public lectures, youth festivals and campaigns. Open Space aims to be a vibrant place for youth to volunteer, learn, share ideas, and express themselves. Equally, Open Space supports CSOs and citizens to take their work/ideas/processes to a wide audience of concerned citizens, and also to build action networks.

Groundwater conditions in the multi-aquifer system in the delta, were studied through an integrated approach using hydrochemical, hydrogeological and isotopic techniques. This study was taken up because of the reported seawater intrusion into the groundwater system of this agriculturally rich region.