Dear All
In continuation, published another paper in Asian Journal of Professional Ethics and Management and brief details were posted below as:
ENVIRONMENT
AND WATER – MANAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES
Lakshmi Narayana
N
Mentor
Geo
Rehabilitation Centre, Hyderabad.
ABSTRACT
‘Ancient India’ was a land of Sages, Saints
and Seers as well as a land of Scholars and Scientists and effectively used the
Science and Technology for the development of the People and Nation. Ancients
have given priority for the effective management of Environment, Water and
other Natural Resources which intern protected the People and Nation with
better health and wealth. The
People and their surrounded Environment is well controlled and managed by
Pancha Tattva’s five elements as Sky or
Space, Air, Water, Fire and Earth. The processes of
Modernization; Liberalization, Privatization & Globalization (LPG);
Urbanization, Exploitation of Natural Resources; Luxury Living; Business
oriented Development (BOD) and other such unhealthy shifts though resulted for
development on one side but on the other side resulted for wide gap between the
rich & poor; unequal distribution of benefits of development over the
region & people; violence; crime; hazards & disasters affecting the
wellbeing of the People and Nation. The management or mismanagement of manmade activities
has dominantly resulted for several challenges which put Stakeholders at cross
roads. The modern Sciences and Technologies have opened several opportunities
to minimize these challenges and to improve the systems of management, so that
development of the People and Nation can be achieved with better sustainability
and wellness. The community based initiatives with the combination of CSOs
partnership with Government and Private do benefit People and Nation with need
based systems and values. The systems and models used are simple, flexible,
scalable, replicable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given
community and environment.
Key Words: Environment,
Water, Community, Science, Technology,
Management, Ancients, Geotools, Development, Sustainability.
Statement of the Problem
The use of technologies
has resulted for development on one side and mismanagement ended up with
several vulnerabilities with hazards and disasters affecting the development
& wellbeing of the People and Nation.
The study taken up has
got priority to understand the Science and Technologies used by the Ancients
and its management or mismanagement or both and its relevance in the present
context and some of the conclusions emerged includes:
- The
use of technologies has resulted for development on one side and
mismanagement ended for vulnerabilities with hazards and disasters
affecting the development & wellbeing of the People and Nation.
- ‘Ancient India’ was a land of Sages, Saints
and Seers as well as a land of Scholars and Scientists.
- All facts and realities reveal that our
Ancients are intelligent and used the Science & Technological tools
for the development & growth of the People and Nation.
- The processes of Modernization;
Liberalization, Privatization & Globalization (LPG); Urbanization,
Exploitation of Natural Resources; Luxury Living; Business oriented
Development (BOD) and other such unhealthy shifts though resulted for
development on one side but on the other side resulted for wide gap
between the rich & poor; unequal distribution of benefits of
development over the region & people; violence; crime; hazards &
disasters affecting the wellbeing of the People and Nation.
- Most of the hazards and disasters are
majorly manmade one and clearly reflects the mismanagement of the modern
Science & Technological Tools which otherwise (good management) would
have been supported for the healthy and wealthy living of the People and
Nation moving towards developed country.
- Right choice at this juncture is to accept
the ground realities (weaknesses or challenges), understand the needs of
the people, and be with the Vision & Mission of the Nation and look
for better options (opportunities) as solutions with sustainability &
quality with accessible, inclusive & empowered (AIE) environments /
communities.
- The
People and their surrounded Environment is well controlled and managed by
Pancha Tattva and its five elements.
- The
use of Science and Technological Tools during the Ancient period were
utilized mostly towards People oriented Development (POD) without damaging
the Water, Land, and Environment.
- The
general Water Cycle reflects that Water moves from one place to another in
different form.
- There
are five water ways covering: Conservation; Storage; Utilization;
Protection and Management (CSUPM) to develop the water bodies or sources.
- To
the maximum extent, land used to be utilized for agriculture, growing
grass to animals, grow trees for the purpose of getting fruits, wood for
furniture &firewood, animal feed, and other utilities of People and
their Livestock.
- The
physical environment consists of four elements as: Atmosphere
(air, gases, climate and weather); hydrosphere (water in oceans, seas,
rivers and lakes); lithosphere (earth surface i.e., rocks, soils and
landforms); and biosphere (living things i.e., flora - plants and fauna - animals).
- Science
and Technology over the period took sea change both quantitatively and
qualitatively and all thanks goes to technological advancement including E
(electronic) form.
- The
misuse or mismanagement of Sciences and Technological Tools on second side
has resulted for several challenges or vulnerabilities or limitations.
- As
the part of SWOT Analysis, the weaknesses or challenges need to be understood
& accept for transforming them into opportunities with a strategy and
action plan so that need based solution can be conceptualized, developed
and implemented (CDI) with better sustainability and quality.
- The
management of Environment, Water and other Natural Resources (EWNR) will
be more effective when this is done by Community Based Initiatives.
- Civil
Society Organizations (CSOs - also known as Non Governmental Organization
– NGOs) emerges as a third player to support Government and Private in
achieving its Mission and Targets with planned outputs & impact.
- Public - Private – CSOs
Partnership (PPCP) will improve the Participation, Accountability,
Responsibility & Transparency (PART); scope for Social Auditing (SA)
and finally for Sustainable Development (SD) which will be Integrated and
Inclusive for the wellbeing of the People and Nation.
- The models, strategies and
initiatives taken up are simple, flexible, scalable, replicable and
sustainable matching t the dynamics of the given community or
environment.
Recommendations
In view of the ground
realities, effective utility of Science and Technological Tools have gained
priority and recommendations made include:
1)
Students
should be encouraged to take up research studies to understand the facts and
realties of Science and Technology used in Ancient time and its relevance in
the present period.
2)
The
transfer of technologies from Lab to Land should be made effective to the
People and Communities with accessible forums.
3)
Community
should be empowered to work for their development and to face hazards &
disasters with ownership.
4)
Electronic
Forums should be made more accessible to all the stakeholders with better
sharing and dissemination.
5)
The
monitoring cum Evaluation Systems with Social Auditing should be encouraged for
virtually mapping the management or mismanagement with grievance forum.
6)
Senior
Citizens as valued Human Resources should be utilized for bridging the gaps
between the generations to another.
7) CSOs
should be encouraged to work with Government and Private on Partnership (GPCP)
basis.
I will be happy to add and clarify / justify for teh points raised or suggestions made fro moving forward...
Looking forward...
With thanks
