Of all the crises the world faces today, water scarcity is perhaps the most worrying. Water is essential to fulfil all our needs. Without water we cannot grow food, maintain hygiene, make homes, buildings, machines, computers…in short, no human activity can be done without water. Perhaps that is why human civilization developed along river banks and why scientists are feverishly trying to find water on other moons and planets
This overwhelming dependence on water in the face of rising human need is the root cause of water conflict.
Take a look at this map. It shows the global water status in 2025. The parts in yellow and red colours are those which will face physical or economic water scarcity while those in blue are those that will be water secure. A closer look will show that most developing and underdeveloped nations – the poorest, most populous and conflicted parts of the world – are red or yellow. If in these areas water scarcity becomes worse then conflicts will surely increase. Water. Instead of being the life giver, will become the cause of much misery!
Yemen showcases an example of water scarcity leading to conflict. Because of severe mismanagement, Yemen’s water availability is declining dramatically. The impact of water scarcity on the people is however, unequally distributed. Corruption and nepotism is at the core of this imbalance. This has increasingly frustrated the disadvantaged. Water scarcity has played a big role in fuelling the political and security crisis in Yemen.I
n India the long-standing conflict over water from the Cauvery River between the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has recently resurfaced in the context of drier climate conditions. The implications are not only legal battles, but also violent protests following decisions to alter water distribution between the two states.
Water is not just life. It is also Peace. On World Peace Day, let us pledge to create Water Security for World Peace
Blog by: Adarsha , Documentation Co-ordinator, FORCE and Jyoti Sharma, President, FORCE
Sustainability of interventions is a challenge faced by welfare practitioners particularly where the interventions involve a sustainability cost. Increasingly, Social Entrepreneurship is being seen as a viable method to ensure sustainability especially in infrastructure heavy welfare areas such as water, sanitation and health.
In this context, Forum for Organised Resource Conservation & Enhancement (FORCE), with funding support from HSBC Bank and implementation support from PJRM FORCE Trust is organising a half day workshop on “Social Entrepreneurship in Water Sector” on Nov 30, 2015.
In this workshop, we will share our learnings from experiences in Community Water Management in slums in Delhi especially in:
1) Community Safe Drinking Water Vending (Sarvajal)
2) Informal Water Vendors /Community Managed Water Distribution systems
This workshop would be of particular interest to NGOs and other social organisations who are exploring ways to ensure that their interventions are sustainable.
We invite you to join us for this interactive workshop and share your experiences on the above.
Date: November 30 2015, 1.30 pm onwards
Venue: Institute of Social Sciences, 8, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj (Near Gurudwara and Aadyant School)
PLEASE USE THE FORM BELOW TO CONFIRM YOUR PARTICIPATION BY ENTERING YOUR DETAILS IN THE MESSAGE BOX
These women have worked tirelessly to make their respective communities Open Defecation (OD) Free. They have understood the much touted saying that Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
As part of their felicitation by FORCE under the “Swatch Delhi, Swasth Delhi” (Clean Delhi, Healthy Delhi) project funded by WaterAid, the women sang bhajans in the house of God and gave a new meaning to cleanliness and Godliness.
Jyoti Sharma, President FORCE congratulated the women on their achievement and said, “God lives where cleanliness exists. We women must take this message all over the world.”
This is the last song sung by the women during the program. The song has been written and composed by the women themselves.
The song congratulates ( offers “badhai”) to the women who have worked to make their respective communities OD free. And through the song, women are also making a promise that they will construct toilets in their homes and encourage all to do the same.
FORCE* is organizing an ‘Expert Dialogue’ titled ‘The Sanitation and Water Challenge in Delhi – With Special reference to Regularization and Resettlement of the Poor’. The Expert Speakers will share their views on the current and expected challenges in providing adequate, sustainable sanitation and Water services to the lesser privileged in Delhi.
FORCE will also share the findings of a recent sample study that was done on Community Toilet complex usage, management, infrastructure and maintenance. The study also analyses the impact of a ‘Community Toilet Complex Monitoring model’ wherein community members monitor and report on the services provided by the CTC they use.
The objective is to identify challenges in Water and Sanitation and discuss the options for overcoming them. Also the role that each stakeholder needs to play for sustainability
We would like to invite you for this Expert Dialogue. It will be held on July 31, 2013 from 2.30pm to 5.30 pm. at India International Centre (Multipurpose Hall ), Lodhi Road, New Delhi. Your contribution will be valuable for us all.
We look forward to having you join us for the Expert Dialogue. For more information on the program, please feel free to write to me at jyoti@force.org.in or call me at 9899812888.
* In collaboration with Times of India and with the support of WaterAid India and CASP-Plan
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Date: July 31, 2013 Venue: India International Centre, Multipurpose Hall, Lodhi Estate
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
THE SANITATION AND WATER CHALLENGE IN DELHI
(With special reference to regularization and resettlement of settlements for the poor)
2.30pm – 3pm – Registration
3.00pm – 3.30 pm – Welcome Address and Presentation of CTC Usage survey – FORCE
3.30 pm – 4.45pm – Expert views
– Sh Bal Mukund, Editor, Navbharat Times (will also conduct the dialogue)
– Key Civil Society Concerns in Water and Sanitation planning – WaterAid India, GIZ and CASP-Plan
– Sh PK Tripathi – Former Chief Secretary and current Chairman of Public Grievances Committee
Sh S Khan – Chairman, Minorities Commission
Sh Amar Nath – CEO, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board
Smt Debashree Mukherjee – CEO, Delhi Jal Board
4.45 pm – 5.15 pm – Interactive session with audience
5.15 pm – 5.30pm – Vote of thanks and Mementos to Honble Guests
In a unique ceremony, FORCE, has called for citizens, political leaders, religious institutions to cut across all divides and jointly pray to God for alleviating the distress of those suffering because of drought or flood. On 7th of August between 9.30 to 10.30 am, ‘Jal Yachana – Sarva Dharma Prarthana Sabha’ has been organized. An All – Religion Prayer Session where leaders, citizens and children from all over Delhi will gather together to pray to the Almighty to bless the parched Earth with his blessing of Rain.
All are invited to attend the session and work towards water conservation.
Water is not a commodity that we can abuse. It is a life giving blessing that we must re-learn to respect. It knows no colour, caste or religion. Through the JAL YACHANA, not only are we all jointly asking God for his blessing of Water but also we are reminding ourselves to forget all differences and join hands to overcome this crisis.
The Winds of Change are whistling through the corridors of the Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR) – happily threatening to turn this staid, typical ministry into a vortex of new ideas, unconventional solutions and win-win partnerships.
All it took was a mild mannered, smiley-faced man who sometimes sounds more like a satsangguru (sermon priest) than a bureaucrat. The Jt. Secretary of the MOWR – Shri. RM Mishra – has been slowly but steadily opening up the doors of the ministry to positive minded community groups working on water issues. For the past two years, I have seen the ‘public’ being invited for seminars, workshops, intensive meetings – not just to sit and clap but also to share their ideas and action agendas. Of course, I’m sure, the other senior bureaucrats in the ministry and also the past and present Minister of WR are equally to be thanked for this change – I just hope they keep up this drive.
The 16th of July ’09, I think, was a watershed in this journey. A Meeting without a name, without a pre-defined agenda, was held in the ministry.
The invitees – roughly 30 practitioners of water conserving community movements from different parts of the country
The broad objective – to create a forum for free interchange of ideas, email-ids, phone numbers and support groups.
The invitees included:
Religious groups that used religion to create mass movements to protect rivers and make water bodies
Poets and intellectuals
Youth groups
Media and web professionals
Unconventional water cleansing technology providers
Activists, and of course
FORCE!
What makes this a historic meeting is the fact that a government ministry created this forum for
Completely unrestrained expression,
Auto-evolving agenda, and
With an objective of creating an ever expanding river of water conservationists working in harmony with each other in their own unique ways.
The spread & power of the government coupled with the passion of the crusader – can change be far behind??
Some credit for these winds of change must go to FORCE as well. Not only hasFORCE been a partner of the ministry in helping create the public interface, but we also pioneered the JAL RAKSHAK movement (a forum of community leaders working for the cause of water conservation).
Incidentally, the Jt. Secy. Mr RM Mishra – is a Special JAL RAKSHAK too!
May the tribe of JAL RAKSHAKs increase! Here’s your chance to jump on to this juggernaut – register yourself as a JAL RAKSHAK and be a part of the Great Indian Water Turn-Around!
Our Water Conservation program to create awareness, innovate, design, implement projects on ground and impact government policy for 5 R's of Water Conservation by working with communities for water security
To create awareness, innovate, design, implement projects & impact government policy for Dignified life, Easy and Sustainable access to Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for the urban poor and rural India. Also work for Solid Waste Management.
To highlight, empower, connect and reward Water Wise citizens who work and implement water conservation initiatives in communities to help make them water secure
To Educate, Innovate, Inspire and Enable a sustainable, water abundant world by a shift towards profitable, health-giving, water & resource efficient agriculture for food and water secure nation
FORCE* is organizing an ‘Expert Dialogue’ titled ‘The Sanitation and Water Challenge in Delhi – With Special reference to Regularization and Resettlement of the Poor’. The Expert Speakers will share their views on the current and expected challenges in providing adequate, sustainable sanitation and Water services to the lesser privileged in Delhi.
In a unique ceremony, FORCE, has called for citizens, political leaders, religious institutions to cut across all divides and jointly pray to God for alleviating the distress of those suffering because of drought or flood. On 7th of August between 9.30 to 10.30 am, ‘Jal Yachana – Sarva Dharma Prarthana Sabha’ has been organized. An All – Religion Prayer Session where leaders, citizens and children from all over Delhi will gather together to pray to the Almighty to bless the parched Earth with his blessing of Rain.
Water Security Program
Waste & WASH Program
Jal Rakshak & Water Guardian Network
PJRB SPARC