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News and Articles
An 'Umbrella' for sustainable growth
Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 11:11 PMThe dependence on natural resources is ever increasing, and so is the need to manage it better. Rural communities are relatively more dependent on crucial natural resources such as land, water and forest, the exploitation of which directly affects their livelihood.
![Marginal farmers cultivating vegetables in Erode](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/dsc08980.jpg?itok=cMqiJ3Rw)
Kolkata's grossly undervalued natural sewage management system
Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:34 PMThe city of Kolkata is blessed to have its very own natural urban wastewater treatment system in the form of the East Kolkata Wetlands.
![Fish rearing on wastewater, East Kolkata Wetlands](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/ecw_3_031_0.jpg?itok=Pt07_VLb)
Technology and public awareness to combat climate change
Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:30 PMIn Jhansi, Bundelkhand farmers experience great uncertainties in agriculture due to erratic rainfall. Covering 13 districts of southwest Uttar Pradesh and Northern Madhya Pradesh with a population of approximately 21 million, Bundelkhand is a typical semi-arid region. Around 83% of the area is rural and more than one third of the households are considered to be below the poverty line.
![Crops appropriate to deal with climate change](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/aonla.jpg?itok=RcOu-9zx)
It takes more than money to make a difference
Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:28 PMTamilnadu has a rich tradition of tank management at the village level. Every village had one or more irrigation tanks, locally known as ‘kanmais’ or ‘eris’, and a drinking water tank called ‘ooranis’. This system worked for centuries with the support of residents and the local administration.
![View of a 'Kanmai' in Madurai](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/img_2752_0.jpg?itok=Uytq3U6N)
Protectors of the lost ponds of Darbhanga
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 12:20 PMIn 1989, Bihar's Darbhanga town boasted 213 ponds. Today nearly 25% of them have been drained, leveled to the ground, filled up and built over. Hotels, houses and highrise buildings have bulldozed their way onto these water bodies. Do we not need these ponds any longer? Are they better of as bedrocks of development in these land-starved times?
Once upon a time
![Rally to protect ponds](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/tba.jpg?itok=U5ZBIEfk)
Managing tanks - a bottom-up approach
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 10:31 AMOur day-to-day dependence on fresh water is tremendous, whether for domestic or agricultural use. Theoretically, we know that it is a finite resource and that it can't be taken for granted but in practice, we do. India has an average rainfall of around 1150 mm but lets out nearly 1263 billion cubic metres of water into the sea unutilized.
![Chengalpattu Eri](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/ce.jpg?itok=79r2vt0A)
Shifting cultivation for a changing climate
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 10:07 AMShifting cultivation, locally called 'Jhum', is a widely practiced system of crop cultivation among the indigenous communities of Northeast India. While it is generally contested as a destructive method of farming, it is also argued that the system lends itself as much more than just a farming practice.
![Jhum farmer sifting rice](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/jhum_farmer.jpg?itok=kZv_UAzJ)
Water fables from around the world
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 09:55 AMChildren love bedtime stories. Fairy tales about kings, princesses, ogres and other magical creatures. For a change, what if we could tell them stories to make them aware of pressing issues that we are faced with. Like water, for example. 'Water Stories from Around the World' is one such compilation. It is a neat mix of stories with simple messages on conserving, using and respecting water.
![Book cover (Source: Tulika Publishers)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/water_stories_cover.jpg?itok=lNq9GXR5)
Kerala's seas are rich in sand: GSI
Posted on 10 Mar, 2014 07:54 AMKerala seas's rich in sand, says GSI
![Ponnani Sea Shore in Kerala (Source: Wikipedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/ponnani_sea_shore.jpg?itok=-OWpe34X)
MoEF accepts Kerala's recommendations on Western Ghats
Posted on 09 Mar, 2014 05:17 PMMoEF accepts Kerala's recommendations on Western Ghats
![A view of Western Ghats (Source: Wikipedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/grasslands_and_forests_in_western_ghats.jpg?itok=36e44FZp)