Strengthening Water Sovereignty of Indigenous People through Community Water Resources System

VAAGDHARA (

Non-governmental organization (NGO)

)

#SDGAction50395

Description

Introduction: Water is an important element which significantly contributes to the life cycle of human beings, animals, plants and all living things. Since ages, it has been conserved by the society through their various traditions and culture, but due to its invaluable importance, now it is being treated like a commodity, which has created the space for its marketization. The region where the indigenous communities in Central Western India live is usually a hilly terrain, having undulated lands, due to which water retention of rainwater is poor and crop failure is a usual phenomenon. Various development works have resulted in increased water consumption and contamination of its sources.

Methodology: For years, VAAGDHARA has been organizing discussions with indigenous people on water sovereignty through dialogue march. In these march, the community disseminate their various traditional methods of water conservation and harvesting, practices of reliable and judicious usage of water, establishing its linkage with other related elements of the society. In this dialogue process, the indigenous community demonstrates the significance of water in their lives and how their control over water resources and their traditional methods of conservation have been an essential element of their sovereignty.

Dissemination: With the aim to revamp and re-establish the significance of water sovereignty, indigenous people will undertake a community march to disseminate their traditional knowledge and practices of water conservation to other communities and will also recommended appropriate solutions and policies related to it. Their key message to other communities will emphasize on aliveness of water, which cannot be commercialised as trade. Development in terms of modernization is acceptable but water sovereignty should not be compromised. If water is felt as soul of life, no one can think of trading it but will conserve it for the upcoming generations.

Governance: There are enormous opportunities for the government, civil societies and individuals to protect water, development of new resources with clean and safe water, which will be highlighted to help create a conducive policy environment. Efforts will be done to incorporate traditional methods of water conservation and harvesting, into policies. While communities will be encouraged to revive and replicate these practices in other areas. The approach of Community based water governance will be disseminated which could be effective if reinforced at local, regional and national level to ensure reliable and prioritized use of water.

Expected Impact

The action will be important in making the communities responsible for conservation of water through various mechanisms as well as working on other associated factors related to water in the ecosystem. It is envisaged that the communities will take lead for water governance in their villages as well as upto national level, which will eventually ensure reliable, judicious, and prioritized use of water. This might help support in resolving various issues related with promotion of more efficient irrigation technologies, water harvesting, better crop selection practices, which can support the water conservation. The indigenous communities who adopted circular lifestyle, by minimizing or eliminating the waste and utilizing renewable sources, promotes restorative and regenerative processes which is helpful in climate resilient agriculture. VAAGDHARA emphasizes on promoting strong involvement of the community in the village development planning process, with equal participation of men and women, to come up with more pragmatic solutions to their needs and the changes required in the government policies. At this platform, various strategies are discussed to achieve SDGs and the community is provided with the solutions to their problems, which further provides them with a sustainable path of development. Through this action, communities will be enabled to develop and submit individual and community plans for Water Conservation related works to local governance. In countries like India, having agriculture-based economy, this action will help in creating a policy environment for efficient conservation and usage of water required for agriculture by developing community water resources, resulting in improved and sustainable livelihood of all.

Partners

1) 26 Krishi evam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Peoples' organizations) in 1000 villages of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
2) Krishi evam Adivasi Swaraj Manch

SDGS & Targets

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

2.1

By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

2.1.1

Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.2

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

2.2

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

2.2.1

Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

2.2.2

Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

2.2.3

Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

2.3

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

2.3.1

Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

2.3.2

Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

2.4

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

2.4.1

Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

2.5

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

2.5.1

Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

2.5.2

Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

2.a

Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries

2.a.1

The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

2.a.2

Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

2.b

Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

2.b.1

Agricultural export subsidies

2.c

Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

2.c.1

Indicator of food price anomalies

Goal 6

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

6.1

By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all

6.1.1

Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services

6.2

By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations

6.2.1

Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water

6.3

By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally

6.3.1

Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated

6.3.2

Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality

6.4

By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity

6.4.1

Change in water-use efficiency over time

6.4.2

Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources

6.5

By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate

6.5.1

Degree of integrated water resources management

6.5.2

Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation

6.6

By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes

6.6.1

Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time

6.a

By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies

6.a.1

Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan

6.b

Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management

6.b.1

Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management

Goal 12

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

12.1

Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

12.1.1

Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production

12.2

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

12.2.1

Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP

12.2.2

Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP

12.3

By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses

12.3.1

(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index

12.4

By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

12.4.1

Number of parties to international multilateral environmental agreements on hazardous waste, and other chemicals that meet their commitments and obligations in transmitting information as required by each relevant agreement

12.4.2

(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment

12.5

By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse

12.5.1

National recycling rate, tons of material recycled

12.6

Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle

12.6.1

Number of companies publishing sustainability reports

12.7

Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities

12.7.1

Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans

12.8

By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

12.8.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

12.a

Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production

12.a.1

Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)

12.b

Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products

12.b.1

Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability

12.c

Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities

12.c.1

Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP

False

Feedback

Action Network

Timeline

01 April 2023 (start date)

31 March 2028 (date of completion)

Entity

VAAGDHARA

SDGs

2 6 12

Region

Asia and Pacific

Other beneficiaries

Indigenous communities of 1000 villages in tri-junction area of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh

More information

www.vaagdhara.org

Countries

India

Contact Information

Jayesh, Secretary and CEO

vaagdhara@gmail.com