Events

Image and Content Courtesy: IISWBM

The Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM) Kolkata - is organising an International Conference during 14-15 December 2009, focusing on the critical relationship between Management and Social welfare especially, in the context of worldwide economic recession since late 2008.

Thrust Area: Decisions in Management and Social Sciences for Sustainable Development

Sub themes include: Human resource management & development, financial engineering, behavioral dynamics in organizations and More.

1. Last Date for Abstract Submission: Jun 15, 2009. 2. Last Date for Submission of Full Paper: Sep 15, 2009. 3. Last Date for Author Registration: Nov 15, 2009.

Image & Content Courtesy: World Water Week Second Announcement for the 2009 World Water Week in Stockholm, August 16 - 22 provides information on the programme of the 2009 World Water Week. The preliminary programme can be accessed here: 2009 Programme The theme for 2009 is Water - Responding to Global Change: Accessing Water for the Common Good with Special Focus on Transboundary Waters. Access the Second Announcement here: Second Announcement Learn more about the 2009 World Water Week here: http://www.worldwaterweek.org

Image and Content Courtesy: DryToilet.org

The 3rd International Dry Toilet Conference- 2009- 2^nd announcement: The conference will be held from12^th to 15^th of August 2009 in Tampere University of Technology, Finland . The Conference is organised by The Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland, in cooperation with Tampere University of Technology, TAMK University of Applied Sciences and University of Tampere.

The main theme of the DT 2009 conference will be the evaluation of the achievements in sanitation after the International Year of Sanitation in light of the Millennium Development Goals.

Main topics of the Conference: 1. Health and safety 2. Technical development of dry toilets 3. Prospects and challenges in the reuse of excreta 4. Social, cultural, economic and gender aspects related to dry sanitation All experts are invited to submit their abstracts on any of the above mentioned topics or closely related ones.

Image and Content Courtesy: Lead The Action.

Guest Post by: Amitangshu Acharya The Umiam Lake Conservation - Stakeholder Dialogue and Future Strategies was held on 9th and 10th March 2009 in Shillong. The presentations and some videos from the conference can be viewed here -https://www.indiawaterportal.org/data/conf/ULC.html To give help learn more about the Lake Umiam in Shillong, here is a backgrounder about Lake Umiam and its importance to Shillong. You can join the discussion forum about Umiam Lake here https://www.indiawaterportal.org/Network/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3044 Umiam Lake ( also known as Barapaani) originated as an artificial reservoir for the Umiam Umtru Hydro Electric Power project, the first of its kind in the North East. For a long time, this project had supplied the bulk of its power needs to the State of Meghalaya. The state's love affair with this lake spans 43 years. With approximately 12,000 mm of rainfall each year and a catchment area of 221.5 sq km (almost double the size of Chandigarh) Umiam rarely saw any dry days. Until now, that is. For two years now, Shillong has confronted one of the worst power crises ever. The reason is not hard to imagine: Umiam doesn't have enough water. Officially, inadequate rainfall has been cited as the sole reason, and a correlation does exist between decreasing water levels (about 39 feet over 3 years) in the lake and lesser rainfall since 2005. And once the water level falls below 3150 feet, there can be no power generation. However, the question is, whether the role of rainfall is being overplayed while the other issues remains unaddressed.

Image and Content Courtesy: Development Alternatives As part of the Capacity Building Series (2008- 09) Development Alternatives is organising a Training On Participatory Planning and Decision Making using - Geographical Information System (GIS) from 21- 23 April 2009 at the Indian Council of Social Science Research, JNU Institutional Area, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi. Introduction Sustainable development is largely a replication of how people interact with the available natural resource base. Very often, Environmental degradation is due to over population and poor socio-economic conditions. The need for proper monitoring and management has arisen to fulfill the targets of achieving sustainable development.

The Orissa River Conference is being held from April 18 - 20, 2009, Sambalpur, Odisha.

India River Network (IRN) and Water Initiatives Orissa (WIO) invite you to a three day long Orissa River Conference. Rivers are in stress and dying. Odisha is no exception. All of its rivers including major rivers Mahanadi, Brahmani are dying of quantitative and qualitative degradation and decrease. Water salinity in the lower Brahmani has gone up as river flow has almost stopped in crucial summer months. Water flow in the Mahanadi River too is decreasing at a rapid rate. A comparison between second half of the post Hirakud dam period with the first half shows about 15 percent of decrease in average annual flow. Other rivers like Baitarani, Subarnarekha, Vanshadhara, Rushikulya and Nagabali etc. are also suffering the same fate. The problems are manifold. Unsustainable growth of population; industrialization led pollution; climate change and many other problems have virtually wrecked havoc on the fate of the rivers. The rivers are dying and are surely spelling doom for the civilizations around them.

Forwarded to the Portal by: Vishwanath Srikantaiah Image Courtesy: IRCSA The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia (NRE) and National Hydraulics Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM) extend a warm invitation t

Forwarded to the Portal by: Eric Fewster, BushProof Image and Content Courtesy: BushProof BushProof will be running two training courses in Water & Sanitation for Development and Emergencies during the first half of 2009. The 2-week BushProof training covers many aspects of water & sanitation for both development & emergencies. It is an intense no-nonsense training that focuses heavily on practical sessions. Our aim is to transfer as much practical and theoretical knowledge as possible in the time available so that participants can return with know-how that they can apply in their own situations. It is designed for those that need more technical input, as well as those in management who manage watsan projects but lack the basic technical background.

Anjal Prakash from SaciWATERs, Hyderabad report on the theme, 'Knowledge, Education and Capacity Development Strategies'.

Coordinated by UNESCO , IHE with about 24 other institutions around the world, the session focused on the issues related to knowledge management and development. This is with in the context of sharing newly gained knowledge through appropriate systems. In particular, the session addressed the need of strengthening the role of education, knowledge and capacity development in sustainable use and management of water resources. Friday witnessed the deliberations of the main theses in three parts , knowledge management and development, institutional capacity building and empowering organizations and people. In his opening remark, Richard Meganck, head of UNESCO , IHE and Kusum of NetWater & WfWp stressed the need to energized actors outside traditional water sector. They called for bridges divides between theoretical and political boundaries. "The capacity building needs go beyond training to develop talent and it starts where training ends"said Ms Athukurala.