We begin 2008 by focusing more on issues related to water governance, water resources management, water and agriculture, sanitation and drinking water. Do send in any Queries you may have on these issues for discussion within the Community.

This year has been designated “International Year of Sanitation” (IYS) to draw attention to the fact that least 2.6 billion people- 41% of the world’s population, including 980 million children- do not have access to basic sanitation. These illnesses account for a staggering number of deaths yearly, especially among children. A series of events internationally and India have been planned throughout the year to highlight the issue of sanitation and safe water.
 
During the launch of IYS, organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in collaboration with the UN-Water Task Force on Sanitation, Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, stressed that, “Sanitation is not a dirty word; it is a critical factor in human welfare and sustainable development…. We need to put the spotlight on this silent crisis.” As part of our effort to address this important issue, the Water Community will be running queries on the topic during the year.
 
Over the past year, we have discussed a range of topics, including Water Quality Monitoring in Lakes, several queries on Climate Change, Drinking Water Case Studies Using ICT Tools, Urban Waste Composting Methods and Uses in Agriculture, Linkages between Drinking Water and Sanitation Sectors, and Capacity Building Activities in Watsan, Use of Human Excreta for Agriculture, Revolving Fund for Household WatSan Facilities, and Pipeline Damage and Chlorine Spillage.

These discussions provided the Community an opportunity to examine key aspects of the sector from divergent perspectives, and make positive contributions towards addressing India’s water and environmental sanitation challenges.  
 
We have many more issues waiting to be discussed, and would like to thank all of you who have posed queries recently and have shared your experiences actively on the network. In the words of Khalil Gibran “A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.”  
 
In this sprit of knowledge sharing, we look forward to your continued participation and support to the Network.

Regards,

Nitya Jacob and Sunetra Lala
Resource Team
Environment - Water Community