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Climate and Weather
UNDP water governance facility at SIWI newsletter!
Posted on 06 Jun, 2009 10:32 AMForwarded to the Portal by: Josh Paglia, SIWI
The UNDP Water Governance Facility (WGF) at the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a unique initiative that supports developing countries in their efforts to strengthen water governance and reduce poverty through policy support and advisory services. The latest newsletter from the Water Governance Facility provides updates on activities initiated & much more.
Some highlights are: WGF in Action: From the World Water Forum
At the 5th World Water Forum, 15-22 March, Istanbul, WGF participated in several events. At the seminar Beyond Water Bribes: How to build a corruption-resistant water sector Dr. HÃ¥kan Tropp gave a key note presentation Corruption: The Missing Link in Water Governance. WGF also co-authored parts of the World Water Development Report, 2009: Water in a Changing World, and attended its launch 16 March.
IMD Data on website: Monthly, district wise rainfall data for five years!
Posted on 05 Jun, 2009 11:13 PMGuest Post by: Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP
You may recall that following an appeal by SANDRP before the Central Information Commission, CIC had in January 2009 asked India Met Dept to review their policy and put up district wise monthly rainfall data for at least five years on its website. The relevant order of CIC can be seen here: CIC to IMD Review Info Policy and relevant Press Release from SANDRP can be seen at: CIC Directs IMD to Review Information Policy Now, IMD has put up the requested data on its website, see: http://imd.gov.in/section/hydro/distrainfall/districtrain.html IMD tells us that they are still in the process of collecting, collating the data and data of more districts would be uploaded as they are ready. We have also suggested to IMD to also provide annual figures (total of the monthly data) so that people get quick picture about the same. We also notice that links for some of the districts (e.g. Nalgonda in AP) are not working. Let us know if you have other feedback. We would like to thank all those who have also submitted their comments on the India Water Portal, supporting our position, the comments were submitted to IMD and CIC.
Press Release : Water Initiatives Orissa
Posted on 05 Jun, 2009 12:15 AMGuest Post by: Ranjan Panda
Sambalpur 27.5.2009
What 'Water Initiatives Orissa (WIO)' had found out three years ago have been substantiated now by a World Bank report, titled 'Climate Change Impacts in Drought and Flood Affected Areas: Case Studies in India'. The World Bank report , which took Orissa as a case study of flooding in a climate change scenarios - has referred to projections that 'temperatures, precipitation, and flooding are likely to increase, with adverse impacts on crop yields and farm incomes. Among the more substantial effects is a spatial shift in the pattern of rainfall towards the already flood-prone coastal areas'. Three years ago the WIO had found out significant increase in average annual rainfall in coastal districts like Baleswar and Puri. Now the World Bank report has projected 23 per cent increase in annual mean rainfall in that region.
Climate change or global warming: a primer
Posted on 02 Jun, 2009 11:22 AMClimate change is a significant change in temperature, wind patterns and precipitation that occurs over a long period of time. Some of these changes occur in cycles over decades, hundreds, thousands and millions of years; some could be random occurrences.
Rainfall data sources for Karnataka
Posted on 02 Jun, 2009 10:25 AMIndia water portal has a meteorological data application that has climate parameters on a .5 by .5 latitude/longitude grid throughout the country, for a 100 years. The data is derived from a research data set from the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research in the UK.
Regional meeting - "Mazhapolima", Thrissur
Posted on 02 Jun, 2009 09:22 AMForwarded to the Portal by: Nitya Jacob, UN
Dr Kurien Baby, District Collector of Trissur, Kerala, and Solution Exchange Water Community are organizing a regional meeting to discuss the effects of the Mazhapolima program. The dates are 16-17 June 2009, and it will be held in Trissur.
Background
Kerala has among the highest well densities in India, and 71% of the population depends on them for drinking water. The aggregate household investment in the state on wells is pegged at Rs 1800 crore and they have a combined yield potential of 6.6 million cu m per day. That works out to a water availability of 197 litres of water per capita per day (lpcd), well above the government's prescribed norm of 140 lpcd. These wells are threatened. Despite an annual rainfall of 3,000 mm, 70% go dry in summer. The surface runoff is heavy, and therefore groundwater levels in several blocks have fallen sharply, and coupled with saline intrusion at an accelerated pace, have led to water quality problems.
Various sources for rainfall, temperature and climate data of India and World
Posted on 01 Jun, 2009 05:36 PMRainfall and temperature "normals" for 110 major cities from Indian meteorological department
This "important cities" link gives monthly mean maximum and minimum temperature and monthly total rainfall of important stations for the period 1901-2000 for 110 major cities and towns of India.
Effect of climate change on water resources - a preliminary consolidated report by Central Water Commission and the National Institute of Hydrology
Posted on 28 May, 2009 01:12 PMThis report on the Effect of Climate Change on Water Resources, prepared by the Central Water Commission and the National Institute of Hydrology, under the guidance of the Ministry of Water Resources in 2008, is one of the first official reports made available by the Government of India, of a reliable quantitative assessment based on field data, of the likely effect of climate change on the availability of water resources, i.e. on the glaciers and snow melt, on rainfall and their effect on run off into the river system and their contribution to ground water.
Call for submissions : Actions for water integrity in the context of climate change
Posted on 14 May, 2009 02:03 PMForwarded to the Portal by: Birke Otto
Image and Content Courtesy: Water Integrity Network
The Water Integrity Network is seeking information on initiatives addressing corruption related to water and climate change for the Water Integrity Case Information Sheet series.
Case studies should address questions such as
What obstacles are rendering water-related climate change adaptation strategies inadequate or inequitable?; What types of initiatives have been put in place to avoid or address climate-related water integrity issues (regulation, policy, monitoring, advocacy, project design, etc.)?; How do local, national, and international groups and organisations tackle such problems?; and What other special problems is climate change implicating for water integrity?
The deadline is 1 June 2009.
NASA Earth Observatory: Cyclone Bijli
Posted on 07 May, 2009 12:03 PMImage & Content Courtesy: NASA Earth Observatory
A ragged-looking Tropical Storm Bijli draped the east coast of India in this image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite on April 16, 2009. Bijli became a tropical storm in the northwest Bay of Bengal on April 15, and initially headed north, toward the west coast of India. By April 16, it had begun a northeastward turn, however, and the storm was being projected to make landfall in eastern Bangladesh on April 17, according to Unisys. Access higher resolution image here:Cyclone Bijli