Award for innovative water management NGO (29/03/05)

Hello everyone:

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), an Indian NGO, will receive the US $150,000 2005 Stockholm Water Prize (http://www.siwi.org/press/presrel_05_SWP_Winner_Eng.htm). The award has been given to CSE for its efforts to build a new paradigm of water management, focusing on traditional skills in rainwater harvesting and advocating the role of communities in managing their local water systems. In its citation, the Nominating Committee applauded CSE "for a successful recovery of old and generation of new knowledge on water management, a community-based sustainable integrated resource management under gender equity, a courageous stand against undemocratic, top-down bureaucratic resource control, an efficient use of a free press, and an independent judiciary to meet these goals."

The Stockholm Water Prize is awarded annually to individuals and institutions for their outstanding contributions to the world of water with this year's prize acknowledging the need for new approaches in water management that provide local food and water security to communities.

The CSE solution lies in encouraging the capturing of rain in millions of storage systems - in tanks, ponds, stepwells and even rooftops - and to use it to recharge groundwater reserves for irrigation and drinking water needs. Through its advocacy, CSE has shown that localised water management is a cost-effective approach and more importantly that local water management - harvesting and storing water where it falls - can only be done through community participation (much more information here http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org). CSE uses media outreach and information dissemination effectively to support its advocacy. The Centre produces publications and other learning aids, including the fortnightly magazine, "Down to Earth" (http://www.downtoearth.org.in).

With best wishes, Sandra Hails, Ramsar Secretariat

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