#27

THE INPIM E-NEWSLETTER
June/July 2003, Number 27
http://www.inpim.org

In This Issue:

News:

1.         Giving the Poor Better Access to Groundwater

2.         Reversing Groundwater Decline

3.         Mainstreaming Gender in Water Management

INPIM Activities:

4.         INPIM ED Participates in WWF Consultation on the Godavari River Basin Dialogue Project Meeting

Upcoming Events:

5.         20th ICID European Conference - Irrigation and Water Use Conflicts in the Euro Mediterranean Region, 17 to 19 September 2003, Montpellier, France

6.         Postgraduate Training Course on Groundwater Tracing Techniques 2003, 18 August to 26 September 2003, Graz, Austria

7.         WCPU Green Power 4 Sustainable Energy Development for Improved Quality of Life, 16 to 17 October 2003, New Delhi, India

8.         International Conference on Advanced Modeling Techniques for Sustainable Management of Water Resources, 28 to 30 January 2004, Warangal, India

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1. Giving the Poor Better Access to Groundwater

Centrally planned public tube-well programs in India have failed to improve the livelihoods of India's poor, new research by the IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program has demonstrated. Only the use of market mechanisms to manage pump subsidy and loan programs can help reduce rural poverty and vulnerability to drought.

To read the entire article please visit: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Press/iwmi-tata_wpb_issue2.htm

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2. Reversing Groundwater Decline

Recent research has demonstrated how modifying existing irrigation schemes can recharge groundwater on a vast scale - improving food security, reducing farmer's vulnerability to drought, and helping to alleviate South Asia's growing water crisis.

To read the entire article visit: http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Press/iwmi-tata_wpb.htm

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3. Mainstreaming Gender in Water Management

The Resource Guide has been developed by UNDP in collaboration with the Gender Water Alliance (GWA) and SIDA. The Gender and Water Resource Guide has been developed to assist development practitioners in mainstreaming gender within the context of integrated water resources management (IWRM). The mainstreaming of gender is critical to reach the Millennium Development Goals as well as the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The resource guide consolidates available materials and gives a quick guide to accessing existing information.

http://www.undp.org/water/gender-guide/index.html

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4. INPIM ED Participates in WWF Consultation on the Godavari River Basin Dialogue Project Meeting

On 11 to 12 June 2003 Mr. J. Raymond Peter, Executive Director of INPIM participated in a consultative workshop on the Godavari River Basin which is located in India (most of the basin is located in the state of Andhra Pradesh). This workshop was held in Gland, Switzerland and was organized by the World Wildlife Fund. This workshop is part of a larger initiative called the International Dialogue on Water, Food, and the Environment which is a multi-agency initiative intended to encourage and facilitate expert dialogue between the food security and environmental lobbies in the hopes of bridging the formidable gap between them and thereafter inculcating cooperation rather than conflict.

The purpose of this meeting was to create a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the Godavari River Basin which is of immense ecological importance to the region in which it is located and yet is characterized by severe water shortage, an inability to provide adequate food security to the surrounding population, historical investments in estate-grown cash crops, and strong upstream and downstream conflicts. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is planning a controversial, capital intensive solution to the problems of the basin which involves creating a major lift irrigation scheme powered by a hydropower station. WWF felt this project is appropriate to be included in the Dialogue as it is an issue that should be exposed to closer public scrutiny and is also an ideal vehicle by which to initiate and evaluate effective civil society consultative process.

During this workshop Mr. Peter gave a brief presentation which gave the participants some insight on the Government of Andhra Pradesh’s issues and concerns regarding the Godavari River Basin. The formal presentations given during the workshop were on the topics of the social unrest occurring in the mid-basin because of water scarcity, a farmer’s perspective on how to address water scarcity, and the need for a more integrated approach to water management which takes into account the interests and concerns of the major stakeholders in the area.

By the end of the meeting the following goals were achieved: the purpose of the dialogue was defined, stakeholders were identified, the dialogue process was defined, and a timetable was formulated.

For more information on the Godavari River Basin Dialogue please contact Biksham Gujja at bgujja@wwfint.org.

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5. 20th ICID European Conference - Irrigation and Water Use Conflicts in the Euro Mediterranean Region, 17 to 19 September 2003, Montpellier, France

The conference will focus on the following themes:

- Genesis of water use conflicts (the role of agro-business and consumer demand, demographic growth and urban uses, environmental awareness)

- Methods of conflict settlement (conflict perception and the role of media, the role of basin/aquifer organisations, the role of service providers and economic instruments)

For more information please contact:

French National Committee of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (AFEID)
http://afeid.montpellier.cemagref.fr/conf2003.htm

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6. Postgraduate Training Course on Groundwater Tracing Techniques 2003, 18 August to 26 September 2003, Graz, Austria

The tracing of subterranean waters and the investigation of their direction and rate of flow have become more important than ever particularly in connection with the increasing problems of water-supply, the construction of power stations and tunnels, and in mining. Investigations of this kind have been connected with the improvement of old and the introduction of new methods. The seminar programme includes lectures on, and practical exercises in, several methods, emphasizing work under field conditions in developing countries. The official language is English.

The six-week-programme includes:

1. Lectures on general hydrogeology: drilling methods, geophysics, borehole logging groundwater hydrology, runoff separation

2. Lectures and exercises on tracer technology: hydrochemistry, environmental isotopes, behavior of artificial tracers, single well techniques, preparation, performance and evaluation of tracing experiments, investigation of water samples, combined application of environmental and artificial tracers

3. Lectures and exercises on computer techniques in tracer hydrology: computer aided processing of data, presentation of hydrological data, mathematical models, tracer models

4. Field work on tracer experiments in a karst area and in a granular groundwater field

5. Excursions and field demonstrations

6. Presentations of practice oriented projects

For more information contact:

Institute of Hydrogeology and Geothermics - Joanneum Research
E-mail: pgtc@joanneum.at
URL: http://www3.joanneum.ac.at/events#veranstaltungen

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7. WCPU Green Power 4 Sustainable Energy Development for Improved Quality of Life, 16 to 17 October 2003, New Delhi, India

The major objectives of this conference is to provide a forum for:

(i) Sharing of experiences of major manufacturers of power plant equipment engineering consultants, academicians, environmentalists and leading utilities in the world in the area of eco-friendly power generation, water resources development and environmental concerns transcend the local / regional ambit and have global consequences the most important of them being emission of green house gases.

(ii) Discussions regarding technological advancement that are taking place in power generation in the areas of improved efficiency and environment.

(iii) Developing close working relationship between experts from users and developers of power units and all other concerned for future consultations, assessment of problems and for finding out remedial solutions.

A number of leading papers on topics indicated in the Information Bulletin in this 2 days conference are expected to be presented by eminent experts from India and abroad. The conference is expected to be attended by a large number of delegates from different organizations associated with the power supply industry, water development projects, flood control, irrigation, drinking water, hydro power development projects, and environmental causes from all over the world.

For more information please contact:

World Council of Power Utilities (WCPU) in association with Council of Power Utilities (CPU)
Mr.C.V.J.Varma
E-mail: cvj@vsnl.com
URL: http://www.india-power.org/events_wgp.htm

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8. International Conference on Advanced Modeling Techniques for Sustainable Management of Water Resources, 28 to 30 January 2004, Warangal, India

Realizing the importance of sustainable and integrated management of water resources and to provide a forum for sharing the experiences gained world-wide in applying the various modeling tools for management of water resources, the Water & Environment Division, Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology (formerly Regional Engineering College), Warangal is organizing an International Conference on Advanced Modeling Techniques for Sustainable Management of Water Resources during 28-30 January, 2004. The conference will focus on the application of various modeling tools for sustainable management of water resources. It will address the relevant concepts and issues of modeling techniques and is expected to improve the communication between the heterogeneous groups involved in water resources decision making.

For more information please contact:

National Institute of Technology - Warangal
Dr N.V. Umamahesh
E-mail: amtsmw@nitw.ernet.in / mahesh@nitw.ernet.in
URL: http://amtsmw.tripod.com/

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The contents of the INPIM E-Newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management or the opinions of INPIM leadership.
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