Courses - General
Establishment and management of community sanitary complexes in rural areas - A handbook by Water and Sanitation Program
This handbook by Water and Sanitation Program gives a very useful insight on the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of sanitary toilet complexes in a sustainable way. It is intended primarily for programme implementers to help them understand the critical need for Community Sanitary Complexes and inform them of the guiding principles to be adopted while planning for these.
India remains one of the countries wherein concerted efforts are still required to eliminate the practice of open defecation. The lack of priority given to safe confinement and disposal of human excreta poses significant health risks manifest in the sanitation challenge facing the nation today.
The provision of sanitation facilities through public toilet complexes is the most suitable option for those who cannot afford individual toilets for monetary reasons or due to lack of space, and opt for open defecation. Such complexes are a useful and valuable option at public places, markets, taxi stands, etc., where a large congregation of people takes place. The Community Sanitary Complex (CSC) fosters the cognitive development of healthy sanitation practices in the community.
Read MoreLivelihood augmentation in rainfed areas – A strategy handbook for practitioners by Development Support Centre
This strategy handbook for practitioners authored by Astad Pastakia and Sachin Oza and published by Development Support Centre deals with livelihood augmentation in rainfed areas. It is a compilation of ongoing, successful strategies piloted and upscaled by a range of development agencies in different parts of the country. The handbook is presented in four volumes under a common framework and focus on initiatives related to: participatory natural resource management; rural entrepreneurship development; use of information communication technology and institution development.
About 400 million rural poor reside in about 200 poorest districts of the country that constitute rainfed areas. Scientific research has revealed a vast untapped potential in rainfed agriculture where crop yields are lower than their potential by two to five fold. A large number of innovative projects and ideas have been tried to address this issue, although documentation has been uneven and fragmented. Drawing upon such experiences, the handbook points towards new vistas and untapped opportunities in meeting the challenge of enhancing food security with limited water resources and improving the carrying capacities of rainfed areas to match the rapidly increasing populations in these regions and elsewhere.
Read MoreIntroduction to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) - Open courseware from the United Nations University (UNU)
This introductory course on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), from the United Nations University (UNU), provides a brief historical background and overview of IWRM and gives an overview of the various aspects of IWRM, from integration, capacity building to applications and case studies.
IWRM has been defined by the Global Water Partnership (2000) as a process, which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. An important aspect of any IWRM program is therefore, research, planning and action at the river basin level. Read More
Users handbook on Solar Water Heaters by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
This user’s handbook on Solar Water Heaters by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in collaboration with the UNDP/UNEP/GEF Global Solar Water Heating Market Transformation Strengthening Initiative attempts to transform the solar water heating market in India.
Guidelines for Assessing the Risk to Groundwater from On–Site Sanitation (ARGOSS)
These "Guidelines for Assessing the Risk to Groundwater from On–Site Sanitation (ARGOSS)" were developed to provide guidance on how to assess and reduce the risk of contamination of groundwater supplies from on–site sanitation systems and are aimed at those responsible for planning low cost water supply and sanitation schemes. The manual developed by the British Geological Survey has been field tested between 1999 and 2003.
Technology options for household sanitation - A report by the Ministry of Rural Development and UNICEF
As part of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC), the Ministry of Rural Development under the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission and UNICEF have brought out a compedium that details the various sanitation technologies available to above and below poverty line households .
The authors have divided the report into three subjects - the first being the need for household sanitation and the extent of the problem in rural India. The second section looks at sanitation technology in general with a focus on rural areas and technologies for different conditions. The third part deals with operation and maintenance of such technologies and includes a chapter on components of a toilet.
Read More
Kudrati Kheti (Natural Farming) - A manual in Hindi
This manual in Hindi developed by Rajinder Chaudhary on natural farming, also known as organic, zero budget or alternative farming, is an attempt to spread awareness among Indian farmers about the above sustainable agriculture methods.
Conventional agricultural practices with an undue emphasis on intensive use of water, chemical fertilisers and high investments has led many farmers into a debt trap.
Natural farming is presented as the solution to the burning problems of farmers in the context of the crisis facing Indian agriculture because of rising input costs, uncertain yields and output prices, spurious seeds/ fertilizers/ pesticides/ herbicides and damage to environment due to unsustainable farming practices. Read More
Water and Wastewater Engineering and Management - A Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning
This Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) on the broad subject of Water and Wastewater Engineering and Management is being carried out by Indian Institute of Technology’s and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a collaborative project supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country, by developing curriculum based video and web courses. In these web based lectures, the authors have developed the subject in detail and in stages in a student-friendly manner. The broad group of Water and Wastewater Engineering and Management is structured into modules on the following topics:
Environmental Pollution and Management - A Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning
This Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) on the broad subject of Environmental Pollution and Management is being carried out by Indian Institute of Technology’s and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a collaborative project supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country, by developing curriculum based video and web courses. In these web based lectures, the authors have developed the subject in detail and in stages in a student-friendly manner. The broad group of Environmental Pollution and Management is structured into modules on the following topics:
Solid Waste Management - A Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning
This Civil Engineering Course under the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) on the broad subject of Solid Waste Management is being carried out by Indian Institute of Technology’s and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a collaborative project supported by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Government of India) to enhance the quality of engineering education in the country, by developing curriculum based video and web courses. In these web based lectures, the authors have developed the subject in detail and in stages in a student-friendly manner. The broad group of Solid Waste Management is structured into modules on the following topics:
