Angel Oak Tree, Charleston, SC. circa Nov. 2019 ©PallaviBharadwaj
<6 mins. read Approx. 599 words
Today, December 05 is World Soil Day, as designated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO). Readers might be wondering what exactly soil is and why are we dedicating an entire day to celebrate it. Take a look at the above picture. The Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, S.C. is over 400 years old, according to the experts. Legend has it that it’s over 1,500 years old. 400 or 1,400 years, the reason that this tree has been standing strong for so long and attracting over 1000s of visitors each year is because of the healthy soil underneath it’s roots.
Charleston Tea Factory, S.C. circa Nov. 2019 ©PallaviBharadwaj
For a lay person: there’s no obvious difference between dirt and soil. Dirt is what the kids make mud pies from, we buy in bags to start a window garden or wash off our hands.
For scientists, farmers and gardeners: Unlike dirt, which is mostly broken-down rocks that contain minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron, soil is dirt with the added bonus of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, worms, and insects. These aerate, build structure, and give vital nutrients to soil. Add plants to this mix, and what you get is a complex system called a “soil food web.”
Tea plantations in a row seen on the right at Charleston Tea Plantation. circa Nov. 2019 ©PallaviBharadwaj
The theme for World Soil Day this year is #StopSoilErosion. Seen in the above pic on the right hand side are tea plants in a row in Charleston Tea Plantation in South Carolina, US. Traditionally, tea is grown on the rolling hills of India and Sri Lanka. In part, because tea plants do not need standing water, and in part to #StopSoilErosion.
Thriving happily above ground ferns and mosses in S.C. circa Nov.2019 ©Pallavi Bharadwaj
It’s not just what is beneath the surface of soil or as scientists call it, the rhizosphere, where an astounding number of micro-organisms live. It’s also what lives because of this layer above the surface. Seen above is a thriving population of ferns and mosses on the tree’s branches.
A chameleon calling the Angel Oak Tree it’s home in S.C. circa Nov. 2019 ©PallaviBharadwaj
What we put in soil, determines not only the soil’s but also the organisms that live under and above the surface. Chemical induced industrial farming is gradually deteriorating the soil’s health and making it increasingly difficult for the soil food web to remain intact. Look closely in the above pic, a chameleon calls this tree it’s home and forms a part of the soil food web.
Mushrooms thrive happily on the Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, S.C. circa Nov 2019 ©PallaviBharadwaj
Soil biologist Elaine Ingham says that biodiversity in soil leads to, not just optimal crop yields but also weed suppression, fire resistance, flood resilience, as well as soil growth, increasingly critical as climate change wreaks havoc on our landscapes. All those essential ecosystem services, healthy soil can provide. Seen above mushrooms, an edible form of fungi, likes when it’s moist inside and outside the soil to thrive.
Magnolia Plantations, S.C. circa Nov 2019 ©Pallavi Bharadwaj
In conclusion:
Regenerative agriculture and legislative actions across the states in US and globally, shall prove instrumental in alleviating soil pollution and erosion. It’s a positive sign that soil health is gaining attention in a diverse group of people, including farmers, businesses and experts. Working together, we shall be able to keep the soil healthy for all the organisms that depend on it now and also in the future.
This post World Soil Day 2019: A photo essay first appeared on theflipsideofdevelopment.wordpress.com
Earlier this year, Indian Government has also pledged to provide piped drinking water to every rural home by 2024. It’s great that WASH is coming up high on the political agenda of India’s government. However, upon observing closely, this plan will mean that a lot of resources will be spent on people living in densely populated (urban) areas, where piped networks are feasible. Many of these people have access to at least basic level of water services already. However, at the same time some 8 million people (around 1% of the rural population) still rely on surface water. It is very unlikely that piped networks will reach these people. This is where unconventional and non-traditional technology, such as the one by Gravity Water comes into play.
In conclusion:
India has shown impressive progress with a government led initiative in sanitation. That approach has focused on lifting the ones left behind (the ones practicing open defecation as mentioned above) to at least basic level (mainly by constructing their own pit latrines). A push for universal coverage with sewered sanitation system has achieved impressive results so far. However, just focusing on piped coverage for water and wastewater might not be a one size fits all solution for India (or for the US) for that matter. This is where the solutions in the form of services and products in Engineering for Change’s Solutions Library can provide alternatives to “Leave no one behind.” Ecosanitation is one such solution, which is closed concept of sewage treatment that employs the planet’s natural hydrological cycle to close the gap between sanitation and agriculture. This type of solution can work particularly well in places where piped supply is not possible and people still use surface water for water and wastewater supplies, e.g. in rural India or the US. Such solutions can not only help solve the sanitation problem but also aid in establishing a circular economy.
Providing more than 4B people with sanitation sounds like a tall order at first glance. However innovative solutions such as the ones in E4C’s Solutions Library, combined with political will and policy instruments, can go a long way in fulfilling that goal and provide sanitation as a human right for all in the future.
Disclaimer: This article originally appeared on Engineering for Change’s website under the title ‘No More Access Denied: Providing Sanitation to India and 4.2 Billion Worldwide’. To read the original article, please click on the title. To read all articles by me on E4C, please click here.
Pollution Holiday: By one of the students in a public school in Meerut, India
For the non-native speakers, here is the translation of a very sad essay. My mother teaches this kid, and she shared it with me this morning. It made me very upset that this is what our future generation thinks pollution is, a holiday.
Pollution Holiday:
From now on, ‘Pollution’ is Delhi’s main festival. It always begins after Diwali. We get more holidays during Pollution, than during Diwali. During Diwali we get only 4 holidays but during pollution we get more than eight days as holidays. People wear different types of face masks during this holiday. We consume black pepper, honey and ginger to stay healthy during this holiday at home. The kids like this festival more than Diwali now.
Photo by Sankalpa Joshi on Pexels.com
<6 mins read, approx. 560 words.
More than 1.8 million water-related projects were abandoned or left incomplete in 2018-19 in India.
The context:
About MGNREGA
Many districts and states in India faced a second consecutive drought, while others dealt with record rainfall. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) could have helped mitigate the impacts of drought, by providing access to employment to folks, who are most affected by it. However, evidence shows that the scheme’s performance has not been very promising. MGNREGA’s performance was highly unsatisfactory in the drought-stricken districts in 2018-19. According to an analysis by Down to Earth India, more than 1.8 million water-related projects were abandoned or left incomplete in 2018-19. The government spent close to INR 16,615 crore (2,402,087,539.45 USD) on these projects. This was close to a quarter of the total MGNREGA expense on structures that are of no use to anyone.
A state of contradictions
Odisha, one of India’s poorest states, is also the one bearing most brunt during these natural disasters. In addition to getting battered by the effect of the Cyclone Fani in 2019, it had also witnessed one of the driest spells in 2018. The rainfall predicted in the Kharkhara village in Odisha has decreased 3 folds in the past three years, making it extremely drought hit. In 2017, Balangir district in Odisha recorded just 840mm of rain. This led to the waves of climate refugees or migrants seeking refuge in far off states such as Karnataka in southern India and others. They mostly work as bonded labor for meager payments in brick kilns, construction projects and others. Under MGNREGA, one member of each rural household is eligible for availing employment for 100 days a year. At an individual level, while 91 million people demanded jobs, only 77 million could be provided. A bigger concern, than employment demand not being met, was the large-scale suspension of agriculture- and water-related projects that could have helped farmers during the time of drought.
MGNREGA today
As reported by Down to Earth, for 33 states and union territories, the MGNREGA wage rate is less than the corresponding minimum wage for agriculture, condemning workers to another year of bonded labor. This ratio is in the range of 60%–70% for a number of poor states such as Telangana and Odisha. Activists groups, such as the the NREGA Sangharsh Morcha, demand an increase in the MGNREGA wage rate to 600 INR ($8.00 USD) a day. This follows the Seventh Pay Commission recommendation of 18,000 INR (260.24 USD) as the minimum monthly salary.
In conclusion:
India has a long way to go towards solving its domestic water crisis from Delhi to Karnataka. The able bodied and younger villagers migrate to urban areas leaving behind an aging, sick and elderly population. This is only one of the many adverse consequences for the rural areas. A combination of steps such as smart water catchment management ,forming Water Users Associations, exchanging knowledge with other countries, encouraging different sources of earning a living via natural resources management, to the very traditional ones, such as granting aids to the farmers in addition to equitable distribution of water to various sectors, implementing community based adaptation and others shall help keep the population in the villages, and provide jobs to more than half a million people in the state of Odisha and many more across the country.
This post ‘MNREGA was created to help the Indian farmers. What happened then?‘ first appeared on theflipsideofdevelopment.wordpress.com
Air pollution in Delhi circa Nov. 2016 ©RohithRoy
<5 mins read. Approx. 430 words
The context:
New Delhi air crisis reached it’s peak severity this week. In the same week, the U.S. formally notified the United Nations that it would be the only country among 196 signatories to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change. In the 2016 agreement, almost every country in the world committed to establishing its own emissions target known as the Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday that the commitment to sustainable energy posed an “economic burden.” In another climate change related news, Chilean Government has cancelled the hosting of APEC Trade Summit and COP25 this year, amidst civil unrest.
Personal background:
2016 was my last year to visit India, and my most beloved city of Delhi, during Diwali with my family (see the above pic). Stubble burning by farmers in north Indian states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and U.P. combined with pollution from firecrackers of Diwali, formed such a toxic soup that my family almost chocked to death. We have vowed never to visit Delhi during the month of Diwali. Visibility was zero and the entire city came to a grinding halt. When discussed with the locals in Delhi, the response was that they were used to this air pollution and it didn’t bother them any longer. My uncle, who has recently had double heart attack, said that he keeps his apartment’s windows close to keep the pollution out!
As for the Indian government, they have tried to use anti smog water cannon to combat the toxic air pollution in the nation’s capital, Delhi, in the past. They have also implemented something called odd and even number of driving days for the car owners based on their license number plates. Schools and offices have been closed this year as the air quality is the worst that it has been in the past 8 years. 5 million residents have been handed out face masks. Specialists have warned that inhaling Delhi’s toxic air is equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. As in every episode of an environmental threat, the poorest are the worst hit in this case as well.
In conclusion:
The rich and affluent in Delhi (and all the other major cities around the world for that matter) can pay for clean water, security around their houses and food stability/security. However, this is the type of scenarios that status quo presents in the “so called” emerging economies and developed countries around the world. Ultimately, the world’s wealthiest have to rely for these securities on the billions of others, who have to go outside everyday to earn a living.
This post A recurring annual post (read nightmare) first appeared on theflipsideofdevelopment.wordpress.com
Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com
>6 mins read. Approx. 640 words
The context:
October is an important month of the year for many reasons. Some of them are:
- Fall sets in most of north-east US, and we transition into cooler temperatures
- It’s the beginning of the harvest and festival season everywhere (Halloween in the US, Day of the dead in Mexico, Dussehra and Diwali in India and so on)
- Numerous international days of significance, especially in the week of October 14 :
- Global Handwashing Day (2019 theme: Clean Hands for All)
- International Day of rural women (2019 Theme: Rural Women and Girls Building Climate Resilience)
- World Food Day (2019 Theme: Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World)
Personal significance:
October is also a time to begin reflecting on your choices, decision, accomplishments and what needs to be done for the remainder of the year for some. Personally, its a time for me to reflect and analyze what I have been able to do to contribute towards alleviating the world’s biggest challenges. Here is my list this year:
1. One of the most significant achievements, professionally, in 2019 for me is to be selected as one of the first three women board members of a very driven nonprofit organization, Gravity Water, for 2019-20. Gravity Water is a fairly young U.S. nonprofit organization working to help children in schools access safe drinking water. Bali, Indonesia is one of their newest provinces of operation. Just a US$8 donation to Gravity Water will give drinking water to one child. One of my fellow board members is raising funds on the occasion of his birthday to bring water to kids in Bali, Indonesia. They are also hiring for a National Director’s role in Indonesia. Please contact me directly or write to dannyatgravitywaterdotorg for JD and how to apply.
2. Personally, my family and I have decided to become vegetarian going forward. I have been a life long vegetarian, and ate fish or seafood very sparingly. However, because of the recent evidence on how our daily choices and contributions can help combat climate change has driven my family to make their choice as well.
In conclusion:
People often dismiss ideas of how our daily choices and lifestyle impact the planet as a whole, so I do not get into those discourses with family and friends. The question that comes up often though is if we buy locally, as a consumer in the US, won’t it hurt the women farmers in Africa, Asia or Latin America. It is my intention that the readers of this blog shall at least stop and think for a minute about their daily actions and choices of their own about the following:
- Buy and eat less meat: If possible, as a consumer, try to eat locally reared and minimally processed meat, poultry, dairy and eggs. Pay a premium price to eat the best but less of it.
- Buy produce locally: We can all make a trip to the farmers’ markets once a week, decide to undertake meatless Mondays and get creative to incorporate more plant based foods in our diets. Country specific cuisines from across the world, including India and the Mediterranean, present numerous recipes/options without much effort.
- Buy and eat more whole foods: Its a simple fact that eating an orange is better than drinking a glass or bottle of the same juice (you get the fiber without the added sugar and preservatives).
- Buy fair trade items: For products that you know have to come from different parts of the world like coffee and chocolate, try to buy a fair trade seal product bearing items.
- Support small grassroots organizations and initiatives: with your donations, in kind or tax-deductible monetary donations, these organizations make your contributions go the farthest to the real in need communities.
Think globally and act locally might sound like a cliché, however it has never been more relevant than in these times.
Sisters fetching water for their family ©NEER Foundation India
<5 mins. read. Approx. 500 words.
The context:
Water security remains to be one of the top global threats and is now also a pervasive climate change issue, according to the World Bank.
Women and girls spend 200 million hours collecting water daily globally. They place themselves at an increased risk of assault and become more likely to develop medical issues related to physical labor. They also pay an opportunity cost, as this time could be better spent in school or performing other productive tasks.
Role of women and girls:
Women have long been inextricably linked to the management of water. However, while girls continue to act as water collectors in their communities, they are often overlooked as potential water resource managers. Globally, enrollments in higher education are increasing faster for women than for men. Still in regions of the world, such as the Global South, the gap in opportunities and decision-making remains significant.
The power of youth:
By observing the most recent political instability in Hong Kong, one can presume that youth do not have the wisdom to regulate themselves or provide long term stability. One needs to be also mindful that young people cause unrest and revolt, only when there is lack of opportunities, they feel wronged, and not valued or contributing enough.
The UN Youth Climate Action Summit and recent popularity of youth activists show active and increasing engagement by young people concerned with the ramifications of climate change. This willingness is also reflected within the water management community. “Those under 35 are far more attuned to non-stationary thinking and are willing to rethink fundamental aspects of their own training”, said John Matthews, co-founder of the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation. “Senior people are often in a position where they have a lot more invested in their world view. To me, water and climate is one of the great challenges of our time,” said Matthews.
In conclusion:
Future generations of women will be as educated, if not more educated, than their male counterparts. At the same time, without institutional change, they will continue to bear the primary burden of water collection, while also being shut out of employment opportunities related to water resources management. Some evidence already suggests that when women formally participate in water management, they help improve the long-term sustainability of water systems. Only via a combination of efforts by grassroots organizations such as NEER Foundation and international organizations such as Global Water Partnership, we can address serious global disparities.
Disclaimer: This blog post has been adopted from the article that appeared in the Wilson Center’s New Security Beat newletter. All the links provided in the article are from my past blog posts and other sources.
To read the original article, please click here.
To read all other articles related to climate change an gender from my blog, please click here and here.
This blog post Training young girls today to be water managers for tomorrow first appeared on theflipsideofdevelopment.wordpress.com
<5 mins read. Approx. 470 words
The context:
Monday 12 August is International Youth Day, which raises awareness around challenges our young men and women face today. It’s a great opportunity to also make the knowledge and resources more accessible to youth, as they will play a vital role in the future of our planet and the generation to come. This year’s theme is #transformingeducation
My perspective:
I actually saw the power and gift of youth working, both personally and professionally, from my very first role in a small grassroots nonprofit in India. When given the gift of knowledge of rainwater harvesting and organic agriculture/gardening, the school kids in and around Meerut and other cities in neighboring region, were spreading the message excitingly! Then came the time for contribution in the form labor and kind for the rural projects, and again the power and will of youth was in full on display, in terms of digging the earth for reviving traditional rainwater harvesting structures and others. Some flag bearers still continue the work after all those years, running on that very power.
During my entire career in India, spanning over eight years, I saw the power and will of youth working in helping manage and run projects in small, big and mega cities in the states of Haryana, Rajashthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and others.
The future is promising:
Upon migrating to the US, I have been extremely fortunate to have been part of teams, organizations and projects where I saw the power and will of youth in action, whether it was in my volunteer assignment at the UNICEF HQ’s project in the youth and adolescent team (I still mange it pro-bono) or in Engineering for Change’s solution’s library, fellowships and opportunities portal and various other programs and offerings and so on. Most recently, I saw this at work in Gravity Water’s mission, where I have the honor to be one of the board members and contribute.
In conclusion:
There are currently 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world. This is the largest youth population ever. However, more than half of all children and adolescents aged 6-14 lack basic reading and math skills, despite the fact that the majority of them are attending school. This global learning crisis threatens to severely hamper progress towards the SDGs.
It is very easy to get dismissive and frustrated by seeing the social media and online activities and lifestyle of the young people today. However, when you observe closely, you are able to see the driven and motivated youth, and the institutions recognizing their potential to make things happen. If tapped accurately and channelized in the most efficient manner, the power and gift of the youth can be one of the biggest keys to solving the world’s biggest challenges and achieving the SDGs for all.
This post Celebrating the gift and power of the youth globally appeared first on theflipsideofdevelopment.wordpress.com
Photo by Gin Patin on Pexels.com
- reducing the distance to water sources,
- providing alternatives to carrying water on the head, such as wheelbarrows, and
- eliminating gender-based violence
Reflections on a Review of Studies on the Physical and Emotional Toll of Carrying Water. It has been edited slightly for the ease of the readers of this blog.
Photo by Tom Fisk on Pexels.com
<4 mins read. Approx. 350 words
The context:
It’s World Population Day today. World population is projected to reach approx. 10 billion by 2050. While water and food may seem interdependent, many a times their issues do not overlap. Combine that with political unrest and improperly managed water resources, the situation turns quite grim from the African countries to Asia and beyond.
Some data points:
“Food production is the largest consumer of water, and also represents the largest unknown factor of future water use as the world’s population continues to balloon, and we face increasing weather-related shocks and stresses,” said Laura Schulz, Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator in USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment. She spoke at “Feeding a Thirsty World: Harnessing the Connections Between Food and Water Security,” an event sponsored by the Wilson Center, Winrock International, the Sustainable Water Partnership, and USAID earlier in April 2018. Currently about 70 percent of global water goes to agriculture, a number that is projected to rise “as high as 92 percent,” said Rodney Ferguson, the President and CEO of Winrock International.
Five quick facts on population and food production (FAO)
- Demand for cereals, for both food and feed, is projected to reach 3B tonnes by 2050, up from 2.1B tonnes today.
- 90% of crop production globally (80% in developing countries) is expected to come from more production and higher yields.
- 300M tonnes (almost 3 folds increase from today) of cereal is expected to reach the developing countries by 2050, to make up for their 14% increase in consumption.
- 72% of cereal production (up from 58% today) shall come from developing countries in 2050, aiding the annual global cereal production to reach 1B tonnes.
- Production in developing countries will need to be almost double by 2050, and overall by 70% globally.
Reducing water usage and managing the crop productivity better:
One of the most effective ways to accomplish the above is innovation. Often times, the SDGs also do not account for the inter-relationships between water and food production.
In conclusion:
‘Self- reliance’ shall be the key word in this ever changing climate and rapidly growing world. By enabling the farming community to take care of their water and crop systems, we can work towards ensuring the self-reliance for the current and future populations.
Disclaimer: This post originally appeared on Engineering for Change’s website, under the heading, ‘Water Security will Take Precedence in Food Production as Populations Rise’. It has been slightly edited, for the readers of this blog.
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