SDG 6: OPPORTUNITIES FOR WATER SECURITY – ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

 DEAR ALL

HAPPY TO GET CONNECTED THROUGH THIS FORUM AND PLEASE FIND THE BRIEF DETAILS OF THE PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF MAHILA PRATISTHA IN JULY - SEPTEMBER 2021:

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ABSTRACT

Water is the most precious natural resource without which development and even life cannot be imagined on this Earth. Water is well linked with Poverty, and Development and works as a causes and consequences of each other. Water is available both on surface and subsurface and its availability gains priority while planning for development covering Human Development, Economic Development, Environmental Development, and Social Development. The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation. Business oriented Development and other ways of exploiting the Natural Resources have affected Water Resources both in quantity and quality. Number of Water Bodies are getting invisible both in size and quality. Such unhealthy water environment affects the People (particularly women and children), Communities and Nation with health, wealth and development with vulnerabilities, violence, crime, isolation, and migration. India has developed its future vision with several Missions like Clean India, Green India, Digital India, Skill India, MakeIn India, Entrepreneurs India, Accessible India, and Jal Shakti Abhiyan tuning to the targets of Sustainable Development Goals. Among SDGs, SDG 6 works exclusively for ensuing Water and Sanitation for All. Along with Government, Civil Society Organizations do play a key role in working for Water Security. The progress achieved in the targets, indicators and index score are in progress and do face several limitations. The opportunities opened up are need based and works effectively in reaching the targets. The initiatives taken up are participatory and visible in preparing community with ownership of their own growth and development and are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable.    

Key Words: Development, Waste, Water, Sanitation, Health, Vulnerabilities, Challenges, Opportunities, Sustainability, Environment, Quality of Life.   

Statement of the Problem

Water is the most precious natural resource without which development and even life cannot be imagined on this Earth and thus forces to work for Water Security with better availability, accessibility, quality and sustainability.

Initiatives

The Author is associated with Social Development and experienced in various areas like Water, Health, Sanitation, Education, Employment, Environment and needs of People, Communities and Nation and initiatives taken up in the area of Water and Sanitation include:

ü  Awareness creation on Development, and SDGs in general and particularly Water and Sanitation (SDG 6) to various Stakeholders at Institutes and Communities.

ü  Training for various Stakeholders on Development in reference with SDGs particularly SDG 6 with Water and Sanitation.

ü  Workshops for Students, Youth, Volunteers, Communities, and Civil Society Organizations on Water, Sanitation, Health, Education and other areas of SDGs.

ü  Presentation of Papers at Seminars and Conferences on Development and SDGs for Professionals and Service Organizations organized by Universities, National Institutes and Civil Society Organizations.

ü  Use of Geotools like Geological, Geophysical, Hydrological, Geochemical and Technologies for Mapping and Assessment of Water Resources (both Surface and Subsurface) including mentoring, protection and other aspects to protect Water Bodies.

ü  Use of E Forums (like Facebook, Blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others) for sharing and dissemination of relevant information in respect of SDGs and particularly SDG 6 on Water and Sanitation.

ü  Academic Activities on Water, Health, Sanitation, Environment, and Development including SDGs with inclusive strategies and interventions.  

ü  Research Study on Water, Sanitation, Development, Environment, Urbanization, Pollution, Social Auditing, Role of Media & CSOs, and other issues of People and Communities.  

ü  Facilitation for developing Accessible Environments in tune to Universal Design    

ü  Use of Geotools for Water Management including Mapping of Saline and Fresh Water interface.  

ü  Publication of Papers on Water Resources, Poverty, Health, Sanitation, Sustainable Development, Urbanization, Environment, Role of Media, Role of CSOs, Pollution, Social Auditing, Food Security, Water Security, Natural Resources, Global Partnership (Global Village) and other issues of People and Communities.

ü  Mentoring Civil Society Organizations (also known as Non Governmental Organizations – NGOs) working on Water, Sanitation, Health Care, Disability, Poverty, Development, Environment, Education, and other challenges or needs of People and Communities.

ü  Given priority for the women to work at all the stages of water security with effective and efficient community based initiatives.       

The initiatives taken up are participatory, accountable, responsible, and transparent (PART) and further resulted for significant impact in increasing the availability & accessibility for water and sanitation and growth and development of the targeted groups with improved quality of life in an inclusive and accessible community or environment.     

 Conclusions

It is the beginning to work with SDGs and gains priority as the Nation has developed its Vision with several Missions and the key conclusions emerged include:   

ü  Water is the most precious natural resource without which development and even life cannot be imagined on this Earth.  

ü  Water is well linked with Poverty, and Development and works as a causes and consequences of each other.

ü  Water is available both on surface and subsurface (groundwater) and its availability should be the priority while planning for development covering Human Development, Economic Development, Environmental Development, and Social Development (HEES).

ü  The water cycle describes how water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises into the atmosphere, cools and condenses into rain or snow in clouds, and falls again to the surface as precipitation.

ü  Availability, accessibility and affordability to water are getting worst day by day and the situation is alarming to Stakeholders.

ü  India has developed its future vision with several Missions like: Clean India, Green India, Digital India, Skill India, MakeIn India, Entrepreneurs India, Accessible India, and Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

ü  Vision India tunes to the targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs: 2016-2030).

ü  Among SDGs, SDG 6 works exclusively for ensuing Water and Sanitation for All.

ü  Along with Government, and Private, Civil Society Organizations do play a key role in working for Water Security with bottom up approaches.

ü  The effective and efficient use of water supports for the Empowerment of People with better growth for better living in an inclusive & accessible environment with improved wellbeing or quality of life.

ü  The needs of Water include: Domestic, Health, Educational, Transportational, Irrigational, Industrial, Forestry, Livestock, Mining, Power Generation, Urbanization, Hospitality, Recreational, and other components of development which finally leads for its sustainability with quality.

ü  Women play a key role at all the stages of water security with effective and efficient community based initiatives with ownership.  

ü  SDGs are 17 and are interconnected having specific targets matching to the facts and figures of the situation and dynamics of the Nation. SDGs works with three key principles as Universality, Integration, and Transformation and expected to achieve Integrated, Inclusive, Accessible, and Sustainable Development with better acceptance of All with improved wellbeing or quality of life.

ü  The progress achieved over the targets of SDGs is considerable and as per the SDG India Index Score is improved from 2018 (57%) to 2019 (60%).

ü  GPC Partnership works on the model of Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation with better Participation, Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency for making water and sanitation facilities to all with better Availability, Accessibility and Affordability.

ü  Government do face several limitations in achieving the targets of SDGs in general and particularly SDG 6.

ü  Such partnership will prepare the community to work for developing water resources and sanitation facilities with ownership for better utilization including social auditing.

ü  With effective and efficient management of water at all stages of Water Management works for Water Security both in quantity and quality.

ü  Use of technologies with efficient water utilizers will support for achieving the water security and further to support SDG 6 for ensuring water and sanitation for all. 

ü  The present pandemic emerged due to Covid 19 has affected everyone both socially and economically and the progress of SDGs.

ü  The initiatives taken up are participatory, accountable, responsible, and transparent and resulted for significant impact in the growth and development of the targeted groups with improved quality of life in an inclusive and accessible community or environment. 

ü  The models, strategies and interventions of the study are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and sustainable.                       

 Recommendations

The Vision India is well linked up with the targeted and indicators of SDGs and recommendations made for its successful completion include:

ü  Awareness cum Advocacy programmes on SDGs for various Stakeholders at all levels.

ü  Supporting Educational Institutes for motivating Students to take up Project Works and Research Studies.

ü  Seminars and Conferences on SDGs and other aspects of Development of People and Communities with sustainable community approaches.

ü  Preparedness of the Communities to work for Water Security along with the targets of SDGs with better visibility as Managers of their own Growth and Development.  

ü  Promote publications of Study Papers with better visibility and access both at National and International Levels.

ü  Support Civil Society Organizations to work with Government and Private on Partnership (GPC) basis with better participation, accountability, responsibility, and transparency with social auditing.        

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LOOKING FORWARD

WITH THANKS

SDGs – AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

 DEAR ALL

HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THE PUBLICATION AND RECENTLY PUBLISHED PAPER IN DESH VIKAS JOURNAL DURING JULY - SEPTEMBER 2021 AND THE BRIEF DETAILS OF THE SAME WERE PRESENTED BELOW:

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ABSTRACT

Disability, Poverty and Development are interconnected and hence in addition to special situations, disability rehabilitation working with inclusive strategies do support for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities with better opportunities to be part of accessible, inclusive and healthy environments. The processes of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization though brought development on one side but do face several limitations in sharing its benefits to the people and areas. Continuation of such unhealthy processes have led for depression, marginalization, isolation, loss of livelihoods, rivalry, suicides, crime, and migration which further resulted for poor quality of life in general and particularly children, women, elders and persons with disabilities. Nation has brought several Acts and Policies for equalisation of opportunities, and protection of rights with full participation of Persons with Disabilities and thus to work for their empowerment for better living in an accessible and inclusive community. Though it is the fact that persons with disabilities in addition to these Acts and Policies should also get the benefit of all other Human Rights, but in reality, it is not that effective. An initiative has been made to talk on disability more on inclusive platforms. India has developed its own vision tuning to the targets of Sustainable Development Goals and do have relevance to various aspects of Disability with inclusive approaches. NGOs do play a key role in bringing these goals, rights and targets into reality with better visibility. The initiatives taken up are need based and brought out significant impact on the lives of the targeted groups which are simple, flexible, replicable and sustainable.                        

Key Words: Disability, Poverty, Development, Isolation, Rehabilitation, Accessibility, Empowerment, Inclusion, Sustainability, Equality, Equity, Justice. 

Statement of the Study

Disability, Poverty and Development are interconnected and hence in addition to special situations, disability rehabilitation working with inclusive strategies do support for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities with better opportunities to be part of accessible, inclusive and healthy environments.

Initiatives

The author is well connected with the Social Development in general for all and particularly for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and some of the key initiatives taken up include:

ü  Awareness cum Advocacy on the rights and provisions of Disability Acts, SDGs and other general Conventions and Policies.

ü  Training and Workshops on Disability Acts & Policies and SDGs for various Stakeholders at all levels.

ü  Group Activities with Students and Youth as Volunteers for reaching larger population with better connectivity, coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.  

ü  Supported for organizing Conference and Seminars with presentations on developmental aspects of all including Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, Orphans, Shelter less, and others who are poor and vulnerable.

ü  Supported for teaching at National Institutes, Universities, NGOs connected with Environmental Development, Social Development and Disability Development. 

ü  Shared and disseminated relevant information on challenges, rights, strategies, initiatives and possible solutions along with case studies or success stories on various E Forums like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs, WhatsApp, and others with better connectivity through virtual or digital environment.

ü  Publication of papers in National and International Journals of Science and Social Development.

ü  Mentoring of NGOs working on various issues of People and Communities with better sustainability. 

ü  Shifting towards Digital Environment for better connectivity, relationship, teaching, learning, sharing, monitoring, evaluation, documentation, and reporting to overcome the challenges of the present pandemic of Covid 19.                   

The initiatives taken up have resulted for better reach to the targeted groups with the model of empowerment both on special as well as inclusive forums for better living of PWDs in an inclusive community with improved quality of life (QOL) and sustainability. More and more work needs to be done by discussing on various general forums at all levels.     

Conclusions

The study made on the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities both on special and inclusive strategies and initiatives have resulted for several conclusions and some of them include:

• ü  Disability, Poverty and Development are interconnected and hence in addition to special situations, disability rehabilitation working with inclusive strategies do support for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities with better opportunities to be part of accessible and healthy environments.     
• ü  Disability is unexpected to any family or the Nation as it will be an additional burden demanding for special environment in all aspects.
• ü  Water is the fourth area which controls everything on this Earth.
• ü  Nation has resources to cater the needs of its people but not their greed.
• ü  The service delivery systems mostly dominated by top down approaches do have limitations in reaching the targeted groups.
• ü  The processes of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization though brought development on one side but do face several limitations in reaching in benefits to the people living over the Nation.
• ü  Continuation of such process have led for depression, marginalization, isolation, loss of livelihoods, violence, rivalry, suicides, crime, and migration have resulted for poor quality of life in general and particularly children, elders and persons with disabilities.
• ü  Nation has brought several Acts and Policies for equalisation of opportunities, and protection of rights with full participation and thus to work for their empowerment for better living in an accessible and inclusive community.
• ü  Though it is the fact that persons with disabilities in addition to these Acts and Policies should also get the benefit from all other Human Rights but in reality, it is not that effective.
• ü  In such a situation, an initiative has been made to talk more on inclusive platforms. India has developed its own vision of Modern India or Developed India tuning to the targets of Sustainable Development Goals. Accordingly, more focus has been made to understand SDGs and its relevance to various aspects like early identification, early interventions, training, rehabilitation, prevention and management of Disability.                
• ü  Disability Acts including SDGs have got several rights and provisions to work for the training and rehabilitation as an empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for better living in an inclusive and accessible community with improved quality of life which includes to work for the prevention of the causes of disabilities as Disability Free Society.   
• ü  The processes of implementation of the stages of Rehabilitation of PWDs with effectiveness and efficiency leads for their Empowerment both Economically and Socially for better inclusion with equality, equity, dignity, and respect as a right which finally improves their Quality of Life.  
• ü  With CBR Matrix, PWDs can be mainstreamed with an independent living within accessible and inclusive community with equality, equity, dignity, and respect with improved quality of life.
• ü  Such strategies further support for an inclusive approach to work for the Rehabilitation and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.   
• ü  The Rights, Provisions, Services and Supports made under various Disability Acts & Policies like RCI Act, NT Act, UNCRPD, RPWD Act, RTE and RTI for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities are directly or indirectly covered in Sustainable Development Goals and are well relevant to put the issues and needs of Disability Population on common platforms like SDGs, Vision India, and other missions of India like: Clean India, Green India, Digital India, Makin India, Skill India, Entrepreneurs India, Accessible India Campaign, Jal Shakthi Abhiyan, Food Security, Water Security, and other need based visions to move towards Developed India or Modern India or Shining India.
• ü  The recent National Education Policy 2020 which insists for inclusive and quality education is the better open platform to address the educational issues of disability population. 
• ü  All such strategies and initiatives with inclusive approach leads for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for better living in an inclusive and accessible community or environment with equality, equity, dignity, respect and improved quality of life.        
• ü  Non Governmental Organizations will work with the Government and Private (Corporate) on partnership basis known as Government Private NGOs known as GPN Partnership.
• ü  The initiatives taken up have resulted for better reach to the targeted groups with empowerment both on special as well as an inclusive forum for better living in an inclusive community with improved quality of life. 
• ü  The strategies, approaches, interventions, and initiatives taken up are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable, and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given environment or community.      

Recommendations

It is interesting to note that the study made has got priority to move forward with more works to be done and recommendations made for its continuity include:

• 1.  .Create Awareness cum Advocacy to talk about the Disability Rehabilitation on general platforms of Community Development considering it as its integral part.
• 2.   The registry & other issues of Disability Population should start from Panchayat Raj Institute itself for better visibility.
• 3.     Support students to take up Research Study on Disability as part of general development with inclusive strategies.
• 4.      Conduct more Workshops and Trainings for Stakeholders for accepting Disability at all the levels.
• 5.      Support for organizing Conferences and Seminars to add Disability as an Inclusive Theme.
• 6.      Support NGOs to work with Government and Private (Corporate) on Partnership basis known as GPN Partnership.

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lOLOOKING FORWARD

WWITH THANKS 

COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 Dear all

Happy to update the blog with the recent publication. The paper entitled " Community Based Initiatives for Sustainable Development" has been published in Mahila Pratishtha, an International Journal (volume 6: Issue 4 of April to June 2021). Brief details of the same were presented below as: 

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ABSTRACT

Community based initiatives works of the people, for the people, by the people and are effective and efficient in achieving their development with better growth, sustainability and quality within accessible and inclusive environment. Development has got two approaches one as People Oriented Development and other as Business Oriented Development. Development is a continuous process that creates growth, progress, positive change or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic components. The high cost of Service Delivery System dominated by top down approaches do affect the reach to the targeted groups with marginalization forcing for wider gap, rivalry, violence, suicides, crime, unhealthy migration, poor quality of life, and lower index in growth and development particularly women.  The processes of Liberalization, Privatization and Privatization have brought development on one side and on the other side widened the gap between the urbanites/ rich and ruralites / poor as the benefits of development have not been distributed for all the people but mostly confined to smaller groups living in selected areas. At the same time, the domination of Business Oriented Development over the People Oriented Development has got low priority for the people and environment which further affected their health and wealth. Nation has got its vision of Modern India with the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved with specific action frame. The challenges are many and opens up several opportunities for the empowerment of Communities for better growth and sustainability where women play a key role. The initiatives taken up are effective and resulted for significant impact. The strategies, initiatives and models are simple, flexible, replicable, scalable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given community.     

Key Words: Community, Holistic, Growth, Development, Sustainability, Geo-Tools, Environment, Quality of Life.

Statement of the Problem

The high cost of Service Delivery System dominated by top down approaches do affect the reach to the targeted groups both quantitatively and qualitatively with marginalization forcing for wider gap, rivalry, violence, suicides, crime, unhealthy migration, poor quality of life, and lower index in growth and development.   

Introduction

Development is a continuous process that creates growth, progress, positive change or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic components. Development has got two approaches one as People Oriented Development (POD) and other as Business Oriented Development (BOD). Nation has put its best efforts to eradicate poverty through a mission known as Remove Poverty or Poverty Alleviation (Garibi Hatao) by way of providing Roti (Food), Kapada (Clothing) and Makhan (Shelter) to all poor and vulnerable people. The processes of Liberalization, Privatization and Privatization (LPG) have brought development on one side and on the other side widened the gap between the urbanites/ rich and ruralites / poor as the benefits of development have not been distributed for all the people but mostly confined to smaller groups living in selected areas. At the same time, the domination of Business Oriented Development (BOD) over the People Oriented Development (POD) has got low priority for the people and environment which further affected their health and wealth. The efforts made by the Nation over the decades for the removal of poverty (Garibi Hatao) has not been reduced but on the other side resulted for widening the gap between poor and rich. On the lighter side, it is said that Garibi Hatao (Remove Poverty) has shifted to Garibo Ko Hatao (Remove poor People). The Service Delivery Systems (SDSs) used while working with poverty alleviation are mostly dominated with Top Down Approaches (TDAs) which are in mismatch with the needs of the targeted groups who will in turn become passive receivers. It is the known fact that the cost of service delivery systems is much higher than what the beneficiary receives.   

Conclusions

The study made is need based for better connectivity, and sustainability and the key conclusions emerged include:  

Ø  The high cost of Service Delivery System dominated by top down approaches do affect the reach to the targeted groups both quantitatively and qualitatively with marginalization forcing for wider gap, rivalry, violence, suicides, crime, unhealthy migration, poor quality of life, and lower index in growth and development.  

Ø  Development is a continuous process that creates growth, progress, positive change or the addition of physical, economic, environmental, social and demographic components.

Ø  Development has got two approaches one as People Oriented Development and the other as Business Oriented Development.

Ø  The processes of Liberalization, Privatization and Privatization have brought development on one side and on the other side widened the gap between the urbanites/ rich and ruralites / poor as the benefits of development have not been distributed for all the people but mostly confined to smaller groups living in selected areas.

Ø  At the same time, the domination of Business Oriented Development over the People Oriented Development has got low priority for the people and environment which further affected their health and wealth.

Ø  The efforts made by the Nation over the decades for the removal of poverty (Garibi Hatao) has not been reduced but on the other side resulted for widening the gap between poor and rich.

Ø  The Service Delivery Systems used while working with poverty alleviation are mostly dominated with Top Down Approaches which are in mismatch to the needs of the targeted groups who will in turn become passive receivers. It is the known fact that the cost of service delivery systems is much higher than what the beneficiary receives.  

Ø  Catering the needs of the People and Community with effective and efficient service delivery systems and its positive outputs & impact do support for their development and growth in an inclusive, accessible, healthy, eco-friendly, and empowered environment which finally results for better quality & sustainability with improved quality of life.

Ø  Community needs are dynamic and do vary from time to time depending upon its socio and economical limitations, challenges and vulnerabilities.

Ø  Community Based Initiatives will work on the concept of bottom up approaches by the people, and for the people with better belongingness as ownership and visibility. Cumulatively, CBIs do results for better outputs, and impact which will be accessible, healthy and sustainable development with growth with better acceptance.  

Ø  Achievement of SDGs does support for better Universality, Integration, & Transformation in an Integrated, and Inclusive environment or community with Sustainable Development.

Ø  The Voluntary National Review Report (2017) indicates positive and significant outputs with impact in the selected Goals & Areas.

Ø  Community Based Initiatives working on the mode of SMART; CDIME; PART; and scope for Social Auditing for making services & supports with better Availability, Accessibility & Affordability will achieve the targets and indicators of SDGs.

Ø  The cumulative impact of challenges lead for crises in a day to day needs (water, food, shelter etc.), poor quality of education, unemployment, pollution, lower production cum productivity, wide gap between rich & poor and urban & rural, etc., leading for unhealthy environments by lowering the quality of life. 

Ø  The opportunities of CBIs do support for achieving sustainable development with quality within the frame of eco-friendly environment (EFE) which finally improves the quality of life of people in general and particularly the targeted groups who are poor and marginalized.   

Ø  The proposed frame of Government, Private and CSOs working on partnership do work with several advantages and CBIs do have several opportunities to work for the development of all in an inclusive, accessible and empowered environment with improved quality of life.   

Ø  The initiatives taken up are need based and effective with improved participation, accountability, responsibility and transparency and resulted for expected outputs with significant impact in the lives the people which finally supported for health and wealth of the community and environment.

Ø  The strategies, initiatives and models are simple, flexible, replicable, scalable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given community or environment.

               

Recommendations

In view of the need of continuation of the study for empowering community and its contribution for the Nation’s Development, recommendations made include:

ü  To create awareness cum advocacy on the provisions of various acts, policies and processes of utilization.

ü  To encourage students to take up the study and research work with the participation of community.

ü  To support for the empowerment of Gram Panchayat and build partnership (GPC) with local Civil Society Organizations.

ü  To work for the effective transfer of technologies or models from Lab to Land with better participation, accountability, responsibility and transparency (PART).   

ü  To build rural connectivity with better access for better production, productivity, product making and marketing with higher returns.

ü  To support CSOs to work with Government, and Private (including Corporate-CSR) on partnership (GPC) basis tuning to the model of DIME with effective and efficient PART for better 3As. 

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Looking forward for better sharing and dissemiantion

With thanks