Shaili - 20.3.13

1. Urban Watershed Management
to Combat Climate Change
Shaili G
Training Programme
“Urban Lake Conservation & Protection”
March 20th, 2013, Hyderabad

2.  The city has cascade of lakes
which are in bad condition – 3084
lakes in HMDA’s core areas itself,
many more in peri urban areas
(data available – about 500)
 Urban areas have lost several
lakes during the process of
development, which were earlier
natural sources of water for
agriculture and several other
economic activities.
Shadan hospital near Peerancheru
releases Bio-medical wastes into the lake  Sewerage water is diverted in the
lakes which leads to pollution,
Ground water contamination and
diseases

3. Slide curtsey: Dhan Foundation -
rural.nic.in/sites/downloads/pura/WM_%20Approaches...

4. Shamirpet Lake
Area : 486 ha

5. Shamirpet Lake
Area : 256.77 ha

6. 230 Ha of land
under water got
reduced in 17
years

7. 1989 2001
2005 2005
Shamirpet
Lake
(classified map)
2009
Water
Vegetation-1
Vegetation-2
Other classes
Source: SaciWATERs and IIIT Study,
2011, Forthcoming

8.  Regulate local / micro climatic conditions
 Keep surroundings cool
 Regulate flood waters
 Minimize economic loss due to flooding
 Improve ground water recharging
 Support aquatic life
 Stop gap habitat for migratory birds.
 Contribute towards natural remediation of waste
waters.
 Silt controlling traps.
Slide curtsey: Jasveen Jairath,
2011

9.  Increase in urban floods – extent and spread
 Low recharge of GW
 Vulnerability to droughts
 Peri urban areas – deprived of corporation
services bare compounded brunt
 Aggravated by gated affluent communities in PU
areas
 Poor quantum and low quality
Slide curtsey: Jasveen Jairath,
2011

10.  Local water body sources – replaced by distant
rivers – krishna, godawari, manjeera
 Consequences – expensive, larger eco-footprints
 Local self reliance of water – breaks down
 Around 60% of HMDA is covered by formal water
supply – rest of the areas depend on GW – lakes
recharge GW

12.  Community Involvement -
users of water supply and
management services
 Participate in a project cycle
 By
 Assuming a responsibility,
 Exercising an authority
 Having control over the
management of water
services

13.  For planning and execution of a given project
 A method of understanding the community’s
issues
 Helps in better community participation
 Facilitates in identifying various stakeholders
 Smoothens the flow of work
 Technical assistance
 Effective use of resources

14.  Faulty lines
 Unequal distribution
 No proper operation
systems (on/off
switches)
 Frequent electricity
cuts
 Quality related issues
 Mixing of water and
sewage lines

15.  Transect walks
 Random interaction with the people
 Understanding the complexities of a heterogeneous
population
 Identifying the vulnerable groups
 Visiting them at their time of convenience
 Detailed ethnographic study
 Identifying key active members
 Formation of committees and sub-committees
 Interaction with the SHG members

16. 1. Rapport building
 Building contacts with the
government representatives, local
bodies such as Panchayat office,
community leaders, political
leaders, other key members
2. Awareness building activities
(with children, youth and adults)
 Street plays, art and slogan
competitions for school children,
rallies
3. Meetings with all the
stakeholders
 To identify their issues; to gain
traditional knowledge

17. 4. Iterative sessions – Women,
landless and poor
 Separate session to bring out
their perspectives
5. PRA exercises
 FGDs, Timelines, Social
Mapping, Resource Mapping,
Water Mapping
6. Working groups co-ordination
 Local governments, partner
NGOs, etc
7. Training and Capacity building
programmes
 WASH practices, Water
harvesting, drip irrigation, use
of natural fertilizers, etc.

18. • Framing a lake management committee
• Operation and maintenance of the lake : SHGs, Identifying
a third party
• Regular public awareness: media, hoardings, organising
community vigilance meetings, Involving the local school
students
• Introducing certain resolutions: User fees, Ban on littering
around the lake etc;
• Community to play the role of “Watch Dogs” !!!
• Regular Capacity Building : Municipal Solid waste
management

19. The advantages linked to community involvement are:
 Improves the outreach of the services
 Time-saving
 Recognition of work at community level
 Programmes designed in accordance to community needs
 Project management in the hands of community

20.  TIME – most of them are unavailable during
working hours
 Effective communication – language barriers
 Identifying the right needs of the community
 Have to satisfy everyone within the project goals
 Projects implementation would be time
consuming

21.  Identifying stakeholders representing diverse
communities
 Influence of political parties
 Communicating technical information in an easy to
understand manner
 Capacity of the community to contribute to the
project management
 After a period of time, the initial zeal in active
implementation fades away.
 The community needs constant push in managing
their own resources

22.  The community would expect immediate change and
positive impact
 Consideration of landless and other poor people into the
planning process
 The tools and approaches are to be developed which
would meet the needs of the communities
 Ultimately all the users would get actively involved over a
period of time
 Importance of the role of women
 Community involvement is a highly affective method of a
change

23.  Proper planning and implementation process is required for
enhanced community involvement.
 The involvement is influenced by leadership and
responsibility.
 Approaches/strategies should be localized for a better fit
into the environment.
 Successful experiences should be disseminated.
 Specific tools should be developed to support community
involvement in order to reduce the constraints.
 Community participation improves the financial viability
and overall sustainability of the services