|
|
| |
Phone : +91-40-27019243 Fax: +91-40-27018257
Email : info@waterdemocracy.in |
|
|
|
|
| Water is the source of material, cultural and spiritual life. The relationship that human beings have with their land and water constitute the physical, cultural and spiritual basis of human existence. The continuing growth of human population and the expansion of the industrial and consumer economies have contributed to crisis situations with regard to water. Although water is a renewable resource, it is only renewable within limits; the extent to which increasing demands can be met is finite. Worldwide, per capita water supplies decreased by a third between 1970 and 1990, and there is little doubt that population growth has been and will continue to be one of the main drivers of changes to patterns of water resource use. |
 |
In India, the crisis in the water sector has been caused by environmental destruction, growing demand from industries and cities, and general neglect and wastefulness. The most adversely affected are the urban and rural poor, marginalized groups such as Adivasis and Dalits, small and marginal farmers and women in such households who are in charge of providing drinking water to families. The water crisis in India occupies a central position in the economic, agro-climatic, ecological and social transformation taking place in India.
In the face of a system that perpetuates the status quo, there is an urgent need for just, democratic and equitable forms of water governance. Strong social mobilisation efforts and “grassroots democracy” are needed to bring people together to work toward a common goal and to generate visions and proposals for solutions.
The (W & D), a full-fledged two-year programme, emerged as an outcome of a partner consultation held at Hyderabad in October 2006. In 2007, a project titled 'Towards a civil society action on water issues at South Asia level’ was initiated in cooperation with Church Development Service (EED) and Centre for World Solidarity (CWS), Hyderabad. The project has started as a two-year programme in April 2007 and is due to end in March 2009 to work towards the human right to water and the democratic participation of people in water management in a South Asian Context.
Church Development Service (EED), an association of the Protestant Churches in Germany, together with partner organisations in South Asia is supports integrated rural development programmes devoted to watershed development, water harvesting, sustainable agricultural methods which include water saving and conservation techniques, and participatory water management whose aim is to facilitate the development of good practices in water management and to support people in their struggle for the right to access and control water as a common natural resource. |
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
