Articles

In CSR, the fundamental aspect is ‘giving back’ to society, however what remains to be decided is the scope and reach of this social responsibility, whether it should apply merely to one’s ‘backyard’ and/or employees or should it endeavor to resolve the many systemic ills plaguing society? In line with the view that CSR is […]

It is increasingly being felt that ‘poverty in India is getting “urbanized”, cities are ‘cultivating’ destitution at a scale not seen earlier. Besides, while rural poverty is more widespread than urban poverty, the latter encompasses a host of avoidable hazards i.e. sickness, crime and disintegration of social fabric. The primary reason for urban poverty is […]

Has urbanization delivered its promise of a good life to people who migrate to the cities to pursue their dreams? While generally considered a symbol of progress, rapid and uncontrolled urbanization can lead to major socio-economic problems, which unfortunately is happening in many Indian cities today. While migrating to cities might evoke images of comfortable […]

As most of the world grapples with a severe water scarcity situation, Malthus’ ominous warning about population growth surpassing (food and) water availability appears closer than ever to reality Other unforeseen occurrences like rapid industrialization, urbanization and global warming have only added to the problem. India’s population is 1.3 billion and is expected to grow by […]

Background While Recycling Wastewater – I (Water Vartalaap issue, dated May, 2017) discussed the dire impact that water scarcity is causing the world over, ‘Recycling wastewater II’ looks ahead and highlights certain initiatives undertaken by government and private players to help assuage this problem. At a macro level, the Indian government has started paying attention […]

Ever since the Indian Companies Act made Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spend mandatory [at 2% of average of net profits of the preceding three (3) years] there has been a significant increase in the number of social entrepreneurs and development agencies in India, many of whom have set up Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to leverage this […]

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved with changing times and needs, what began as family charity has now come of age and is increasingly being recognized as a responsibility towards owners, investors, employees and society at large. For social responsibility to yield the desired outcomes, however, the CSR contribution needs to be meaningful […]

Whether it’s about the consumption of our daily eight (8) glasses of clean and safe water or using water for other human needs, the current supply infrastructure leaves much to be desired. In 2015, India adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development along with 192 other member countries of the United Nations (UN). Goal 6.1 […]

Earlier issues of Water Vartalaap have dwelt upon various aspects of WASH – ranging from water treatment practices to means of facilitating drinking water to urban slums. While advocating the role of government and corporates to address this concern, we also applauded institutes who have been sensitizing the masses on this issue while discovering novel […]

The media is replete with grim reminders of challenges related to water, a recent one being ‘Cape Town’ (in South Africa) running out of water in May 2018’. While governments, global organizations, academia and communities discuss and foretell such problems related to scarcity and pollution of water, none would have anticipated that a major global […]

Given the finite amount of philanthropic funds available in the system, the need of the hour is to devise new and innovative ways for global Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) to finance their social development programs. The key funding options and their nuances are listed below. Development Funds. One of the largest sources of funding for the social […]

India is witnessing rising concerns regarding water paucity due to ever-increasing demand of the growing population and environmental issues such as climate change, water pollution etc. And while water management should encompass surface water (ponds, lakes, springs etc.), aquifers, wetlands, glaciers etc., currently it only includes primary river waters and irrigation (which too falls under […]

Average availability of water is reducing steadily with the growing population and it is estimated that by 2020 India will become a ‘water stressed’ nation. Both drinking water supply and sanitation in the country continue to be inadequate, despite longstanding efforts by various governments and communities to control the problem. Treated wastewater is now being […]

To mark World Water Day 2019, Water Vartalaap is launching a series of editorials that lay out the water crisis and the remedies pursued by various countries globally. While this (the first) edition introduces the importance of water management and conservation, subsequent editorials will examine various water conservation and supply enhancement techniques. Rethinking Water Conservation-1 […]