Wednesday, December 8, 2021

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:

............................................................................................................................................

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.        

......................................................................................................

LOOKING FORWARD

WITH THANKS

No comments:

Post a Comment