India- Africa experience sharing workshops on 'Mainstreaming Sustainable Water Management'

Venue: Tamarind Hall, India Habitat Centre, New delhi, India
Date: 25-27 February 2015

Background

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is a public interest research organisation based in New Delhi (India) set up in 1980. It researches into, lobbies for and communicates the urgency of development that is both sustainable and equitable. The Centre was recipient of the prestigious International Stockholm World Water Prize in year 2005 for promoting Sustainable Water Management.

The global framework for addressing sustainable development is transforming rapidly in response to emerging science as well as the evolving trajectory of national policy action in different regions of the world. All streams of concerns – health, energy security, water and local imperatives of sustainable development are converging. We use knowledge to bring change and are involved in enhancing capacities of different stakeholders for mainstreaming best practices of Sustainable Water Management. CSE’s awareness action is geared towards building larger societal support for policy, practices and implementation in regions.

The centre has also instituted close collaborations with a diverse set of government and civil society actors across host of field in India and abroad. We are a designated capacity building hub supported by Government of India –

• Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Water Management, Ministry of Urban Development

• National Key Resource Centre, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation

• Nodal Capacity Building Centre for Environment Regulators, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

We believe global cooperation requires participation and engagement from the South.

The broadening of CSE’s ambit of work outside India is driven by demand from the state and non-state actors in South Asia. We can effectively leverage our ongoing work on capacity building, particularly of public institutions and regulatory systems, to help both state and non-state actors to better scrutinize, mediate and balance sustainable water management options.

In next 5 years we would like to build on expanding this work to other regions in the world in particular focusing on Africa.

Kindly note that the medium of interaction in the workshop is ENGLISH

Aim 

Mainstreaming sustainable water management and capacity building of practitioners both state and non state actors in Africa in implementing best management practices (BMPs). 

Thematic focus of the experience sharing workshops:

Objectives of the Workshops
The objectives include mapping priority issues/ challenges; experience sharing on status of policies, practices and implementation; developing network of practitioners, regulators and other stakeholder.

This includes identifying capacity building needs required for developing a demand driven 5 year programme with specific multiplier groups both government and non-government in South mainly in Africa.  

28 February - 2 March 2015: Field Visit (optional)

A 3 day field visit will be organised for participants to various rain water harvesting and decentralised wastewater management projects successfully implemented in the National Capital Region (NCR). These will include the following:

1. Rainwater Harvesting in residential neighbourhood - Nizamuddin East, New Delhi 

2. Rainwater Harvesting at university campus - Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi 

3. Constructed Wetland for wastewater treatment - Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi

4. Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System - Kacchpura Slum, Agra

5. Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System and Rainwater system - Green CSE, New Delhi  
   

The field visit will provide participants an opportunity to interact with real implementers, users/beneficiaries.

This will also be accompanied by a visit to Taj Mahal, Agra. Taj Mahal -  is one amongst the world’s wonder and an UNESCO world heritage site - http://www.tajmahal.gov.in/.

Target Participants 

The workshops will be attended by key policy makers, regulators, managers (concerned water ministry, department and utilities) , Non – Governmental Organisations,  consultants, international agencies, academic researchers from Africa including select resource persons for experience sharing from India and South Asia. 

Each invited participant / resource person is expected to contribute a presentation and/or country paper on the thematic focus area and actively participate in the workshops.  

Flights and boarding and lodging related expenses and field visit (optional) of all the participants and resource persons invited to the workshops will be borne by CSE. 

Participation to the workshops is by invitation only.

For further information please contact:
Suresh Kumar Rohilla, Programme Director
Email: srohilla@cseindia.org 
Tel. + 91 11 4061000