Political

This section is based on Stockholm International Water Institute’s conclusions and what we consider as the key threads that emerged from the week. These overarching conclusions are also based on the summary reports from workshops and seminars and the rapporteur theme reports (see next section of this publication). Our interpretation of issues raised from over 100 substantive sessions are intended to provide meaningful messages for both participants who were at the week and other stakeholders unable to attend. The overall aim is to maintain a dialogue beyond the intense and fruitful discussions during the World Water Week itself.

Access to water

Water scarcity, poverty in its multiple manifestations, conflicts and political circumstances influence people’s ability to access water, particularly for the daily requirements for drinking water and household needs. Water may be available in aquifers, in nearby streams or even in village ponds, but due to technical, economic, cultural and other reasons many people may not have access to water sources or to the services that are organised by the public sector or other providers. Not having access to the most basic necessity of life is causing dramatic and detrimental consequences for the people concerned. Detailed statistical accounts and a large number of illustrated cases of people affected from a lack of access to drinking and household water, are repeatedly presented in literature and media. It is, indeed, mindboggling that in spite of repeated high level commitments and the fact that there are few, if any, political disagreements, the efforts to substantially reduce the plight of the 1.1 billion who lack access to household water are not enough. It is essential to recognise that it is not only the 1.1 billion who are affected. Families and relatives of those who are affected, their farms or work places and society at large also bear the brunt of this lingering tragedy. For various reasons, there is less evidence of these wider costs to society.

Invitation

Proposals for workshop paper and poster presentations for the World Water Week are welcome from experts and actors in different disciplines. The deadline for abstract submittal is February 15, 2010 . Abstracts are welcome on the specific workshop themes listed below and described on pages 10-13.

Workshop Themes:

• Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
• Shortcutting Historical Pollution Trends
• Water Quality for Human Health
• Improved Water Use Efficiency through Recycling and Reuse
• Management of Groundwater Abstraction and Pollution
• Minimising Land Use Based Pollution
• Resilience, Uncertainty and Tipping Points
• Origins, Pathways and Accumulation of Pollutants –

Like majority of our rivers, Kosi too is a goddess - the daughter of Lord Shiva. Nicknamed `the sorrow of Bihar' by the male-dominated engineer-contractor -politician lobby, the river has been searching for its identity ever since. Ironically, most of what has been seen and written on the hydrological engineering imposed on the river has been by `men' only.

Mazhapolima was a participatory well recharge programme initiated by the Thrissur district, under which domestic water sources were recharged with rainwater harvested (usually) from roof tops.

5th South Asia Research Conference

Topic: Globalization of Governance - Implications for Water Management in South Asia

Dates: May 3-5, 2010 Bhutan

Theme:

Senior Coordinator in CSE, New Delhi - Water Management Programme

Through a maze of winding, curving roads off a main highway in Tamil Nadu, one must travel to reach the small, agrarian village of Muthampatti.

Priyadarshini, or Priya to friends, wanders inquisitively around a large cement pad where a group of about thirty women and men are gathering to create a map of their village using a colored chalk powder called Rangoli.

Invitation for
Canada’s International Development Research Centre
Presents

India Social Science Research Panel Discussion & IDRC India Social Science Research Award 2009

Recognizing young talent in India & Celebrating it’s India Office’s Silver Jubilee

December 19, 2009

NCUI Auditorium, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi

[Time: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM]

Register at: http://idrcssra.defindia.net

Excella Orbit, a division of Sambodhi Research & Communications Pvt. Ltd. is pleased to announce the following bouquet of trainings during the month of January, February and March 2010.

Jan 05-07, 2010 - Process Documentation of Development Interventions, New Delhi