: Arsenic Knowledge and Action Network

Knowledge and Action

By Project Well Posted on Thu 17 Mar 2016, about 8 years ago

Hi,
You have an impressive website that is built to share knowledge of Arsenic issues including mitigation.
1. What do you mean by Action? ArsenicNetwork.in is not into any action perhaps yet.
2. How would the contributors benefit from this website? I may have missed out some information. I would appreciate if somebody can direct me where the information is available.
3. What would be the function of Arsenic Network on PWX? reviewer? funder?
Thank you
Meera

Knowledge and Action

By Arsenic Knowledge and Action Network Posted on Thu 17 Mar 2016, about 8 years ago

Dear Meera,

Thank you for the comments and questions.
The website is a constant work in progress. We are working with other information portals to bring together and integrate information resources. We are building the website as a one point source that can be accessed by anyone for information related to Arsenic. Contributing to the website would enhance visibility of the efforts taking place and assist in advocacy.
By action we mean facilitating network members to take up joint action with the secretariat providing the knowledge support. The first there years of the network have been spent on building foundation for the regional efforts to gradually become independent network nodes and take ahead action. Building advocacy effort to integrated effective action approaches in to governmental schemes. Based on the members consultation is has been decided that AKAN will not move in project mode but rather be more decentralised role of enhancing integrated local action.

As of now I don't know what role the Network would play in PWX, still figuring this out.

Looking forward to hearing more from you about your efforts.

Warm regards,
Safa Fanaian

Re: Knowledge and Action

By Peer Water Exchange Posted on Thu 17 Mar 2016, about 8 years ago

Thanks Safa.

Do you see the gov't schemes as the major (only) avenue into projects?

If there is a role for NGOs to do more than pilots, then PWX would be glad to help. One option is for projects data to be captured here and AKAN can distill, summarize, and disseminate, while providing a way to still access the core data.

Look forward to working with AKAN on these issues.

Regards,
Rajesh

Knowledge and Action

By Project Well Posted on Sat 19 Mar 2016, about 8 years ago

Hello Safa,
Thanks for the response. It has taken 20 years for this Arsenic Network to be developed that was mentioned in my first article in 1999. We had started something like this on geocities to avoid overlapping of arsenic mitigation in the same area in West Bengal. However, with no monitoring the projects that were/are implemented, solving the issue in a sustainable manner is difficult. We have been working in the villages since 2001 (refer to the article on Bi-tech wells) we are still facing challenges almost every month. Currently we are trying to develop an iron and/or organic odour removal filter for those wells the water of which are used for other purposes. There are filters available in the market but we are keen on developing something that is affordable and easy to maintain. I must say without the monthly internal monitoring and plan to upload reports quarterly on PWX the bi-tech wells like many other mitigation projects would have been a history. IT IS INDEED EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE IN ANY PROJECT IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE SUSTAINABLE STAGE IS REACHED. My advice would be to have all the implementers those who are on Arsenic Network to use PWX to monitor their projects. And it is advisable to have the discussions on PWX and AKAN to be interconnected so that we are not flooded with emails. Rajesh?
We are travelling. Will work on the case study for AKAN soon.
Thank you and cheers!
Meera

Knowledge and Action

By Arsenic Knowledge and Action Network Posted on Sat 19 Mar 2016, about 8 years ago

Dear Meera,

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It indeed interesting and valuable for AKAN to learn from previous experiences on how to ensure sustainable mitigation projects that don't end once a project period is over.

I look forward to learning more about how we can integrate PWX within the Network.

Also looking forward to learning about your experiences with bi-tech wells. As Sunder was mentioning there are other groups that are working on reviving open well to deal with arsenic, it would be interesting to connect and learn from each others experiences.

warm regards
Safa