Advanced training programme on urban lake management - Learn how to manage your lakes, with context specific guidance and hands-on practice sessions

Date: February 19-22, 2019
Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute (AAETI)
Nimli, Rajasthan (301405)                    

About the Training
Lakes are an important component of the urban hydrological cycle, they act as source of water, run-off controller and play a significant role in enhancing groundwater recharge, regulating micro-climatic conditions and increased overall resilience of the area. These water bodies also host a wide variety of flora and fauna and provide recreation spaces. However, managing lakes amidst unplanned urban growth is a big challenge that we are facing today.

Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has formulated the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and developed guidelines in 2008. In the 12th five year plan, one of the main strategic attention is towards the restoration of 0.1 million ha. of wetlands/inland lakes and water bodies by 2017. Ministry of Urban Development has also taken steps for prevention of pollution, conservation and restoration of lakes in urban areas. In 2013, the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO), the technical wing of the Ministry, has come up with an advisoryon conservation and restoration of water bodies. Also, there are NGOs and research institutes which are dedicatedly working on lake conservation but still the effort is inadequate given the scale of work required for lake management across the country.

The School of Water and Waste, AAETI, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) organized a four days training on “Urban Wetlands Management” in September, 2018. The training focused on providing basic concepts and principles of urban wetland management with emphasis on their role, catchment area management and lake management processes. Participants expressed a lot of interest in the subject and were keen to work further in this direction in their own locality. Realising the fact that context matters and the challenges and solutions would be unique for each lake’s management, this trainingis a step further focusing on providing hands-on practice based sessions forthose who are directly involved in lake management. Participants areencouraged to come up with their own case examples to showcase/discuss respective cases.

This training is being organised in association with Biome Environmental Trust and other leading organisations working in urbanlake management. The participants will also get an opportunity to interact with eminent experts from Centre for Inland Waters in South Asia, INTACH and Wetlands International. 

The four days short term residential training will be organized at CSE’s newly built state-of-art facility, AAETI at Nimli, Rajasthan. AAETI is a learning, training and innovation centre designed to find appropriate and affordable solutions to some of the most pressing environmental problems. To read more please click here.

Aim
The aim of this training is to develop capacity of various stakeholders who are responsible for or are involved in lake management.

Objectives
The training envisages to capacitate participants with:

• Improved knowledge on lake management – the concepts, tools and processes.
• Developed understanding of data requirements and freely available state-of-art tools such as GIS and remote sensing
• Developed skills to identify challenges, solutions and relevant stakeholders respective cases
• Enhanced confidence through hands-on practice sessions
• Exposure to on-ground successful cases, breaking down the journey from initiative to success

Training Methodology
The trainings style is considerably based on the ‘Harvard Case Method’, which conveys teaching messages through interactive practical work done by trainees. The trainings will be focused on experiential learning – including individual/group interaction, practical group exercises, interaction with experts, discussions, field visit and documentary films to highlight the best management practices successfully implemented. Furthermore, the trainings are complimented by sessions and discussions on existing case studies which demonstrate the recommended actions and interventions for sustainable water and sanitation management.

Field Visit
The training programmewill have dedicated field visits that will create opportunity for interaction with the real implementers/ beneficiaries. It will also provide a knowledge exchange platform to participants for discussing practical experiences of the best management practices for Urban Lake Management. 

Special Offers
Participants who would be selected for the training programme would either get full or part scholarship. The selection would be based on participants’ eligibility, credentials, supporting documents and probability of transforming the learnings from training into implementation “becoming a change-agent".

Female participants, candidates from Economically Weaker Sections, Government institutions and sanitation alliance partners are specially encouraged to apply and avail the scholarship benefits.

Full scholarship includes travel, boarding & lodging costs and training kit & fees costs. Accommodation on double sharing basis and group pick-up & drop for local travel from pre-defined locations.

Part Fellowship doesn't include to & fro Delhi travel (from your respective location) costs. However, it covers all other costs mentioned above.

Alumni of CSE Urban Lake Management - Part 1 and other water trainings will be given priority for fellowships

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be informed. 

Who can apply?

• City officials from urban local bodies, development authorities, water supply and sewerage boards and public health department involved in lake management
• Candidates from community based organisations, NGOs and institutions working for conservation of water bodies
• Urban planners, engineers, consultants, independent researchers with experience of working on lake management/conservation. 

Course Coordinator:

Chhavi Sharda
Deputy Programme Manager, Water Programme
+91-11-40616000 (Ext: 244), 
Email: chhavi@cseindia.org 

Rudresh Kumar Sugam
Senior Programme Manager, Water Programme
+91-11-40616000 (Ext: 389),
Email:rudresh.sugam@cseindia.org                                                                                     

Dr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla, Senior Director& Academic Director, 
(School of Water and Waste, Anil Agarwal Environment Training Institute – AAETI). 
srohilla@cseindia.org