10^th IWMI-TATA annual partners meeting opens in Gujarat, India

(Anand 28 November) Celebrating a rich 12 year relationship between IWMI and the Sir Ratan TATA Trust, IWMI DG Jeremy Bird praised the successful partnership in his opening remarks. "The IWMI-TATA Policy Program has excelled in supporting and engaging in problem solving research, capacity building, and in pursuing an aggressive communication of results, making true changes on the ground at the policy and technology levels," said Dr. Bird. Tushaar Shah, of IWMI-Anand and pioneer of the IWMI-TATA program (ITP), recounted the history of the partnership starting back in 2001. The initial objective of the ITP was for IWMI to join with an Indian partner to engage Indian researchers on water and society research, he said. The aim was not simply to do more scientific research, but instead to focus on solution and policy oriented research.

Water And Society Program Schedule [PDF 1.19 MB]

10th IWMI-TATA annual partners meeting opens in Gujarat, India

(Anand 28 November) Celebrating a rich 12 year relationship between IWMI and the Sir Ratan TATA Trust, IWMI DG Jeremy Bird praised the successful partnership in his opening remarks. "The IWMI-TATA Policy Program has excelled in supporting and engaging in problem solving research, capacity building, and in pursuing an aggressive communication of results, making true changes on the ground at the policy and technology levels," said Dr. Bird. Tushaar Shah, of IWMI-Anand and pioneer of the IWMI-TATA program (ITP), recounted the history of the partnership starting back in 2001. The initial objective of the ITP was for IWMI to join with an Indian partner to engage Indian researchers on water and society research, he said. The aim was not simply to do more scientific research, but instead to focus on solution and policy oriented research.

December 2012 marks the conclusion of 10 years of IWMI-Tata Water Policy Program (ITP), a vibrant partnership between International Water Management Institute, Colombo and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Mumbai. Over the past decade, ITP has engaged in a broad range of water-energy-livelihood-environment issues facing India in a practical, problem solving framework. Time is now ripe to synthesize and celebrate a decade of work under ITP as well as dozens of other IWMI research projects, share it with partners, and explore an agenda for the future.

This will be done during the 2012 Annual Partners' Meet (APM) during November 28-30, at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA). Besides ITP work, the meet will also showcase some other influential IWMI research in India during recent years. 150-200 participants from academia, civil society, governments and above all from young students, researchers and practitioners who have contributed to ITP research as partners are expected to attend.

ITP has pursued a unique approach to research: it has supported numerous empirical field studies but used these to inform and deepen larger national debates. It has pursued practical solutions by adopting a problem-solving research format. Involving young students and practitioners in policy research has been a major strength of the program. Finally, the program has been prodigious in its research output, resulting in several hundred papers in refereed and other influential Indian journals such as the Economic and Political Weekly.

At the forthcoming APM, discussions will be based on some 200 pieces of new field research; scores of new hypotheses will have been tested and dozens of field-based situation assessments will have been made. Some indication of the rich fare that underpins the APM discussion can be had from the draft Program. The Program may change somewhat as we approach the APM dates; but the overall shape and substance will remain. ITP also publishes Water Policy Research Highlights and Comments - pre-publication policy briefs developed primarily as the basis for discussion during the APM. The 2012 series of ITP Highlights and Comments can be found here.

IWMI-Tata Program: Capacity Building as a Vehicle for Policy Research

A Compendium of IWMI-Tata Researchers and Their Research: 2001-12
(Download PDF 1.62 MB)