-------Resources  and Environment Group (REG)®

Poverty Alleviation/Energy/ Water/ Environment/Development/Public Health/ Youth

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Resources and Environment Group (REG)® undertakes policy research, provides advisory services and facilitates stakeholder participation in equitable and sustainable management of water and energy resources in developing countries. The aim is to evolve consensus on policy and implementation strategies that benefit the poorest of the poor.

REG activities include:

•Policy research on interfaces among resources, environment, public health, poverty alleviation and development;

•Analysis of policy options that include legislation and regulation, resource pricing, use of pollution charges and other market-based instruments;

•Evaluation of innovative financing packages for investors/consumers;

•Studies on impact evaluation of innovative institutional and financing practices

•Facilitating stakeholder participation and empowerment of women, community groups and NGOs through India Water Partnership.

REG services include organizing stakeholder participation meetings, disseminating synthesized knowledge and impact evaluations and providing advisory services on innovative financing and capacity building.

 

 

Mission

The mission of REG is to ensure equitable and sustainable management of water and energy resources in developing countries. The aim is to evolve consensus on policy and implementation strategies that benefit the poorest of the poor.

REG’s specific missions are in three areas of critical importance to the poorest people:

·        Encouraging innovative institutional and financing mechanisms for rural and urban water supply

·        Improving public health and control of  water pollution through market-based instruments

·        Promoting the use of renewable energy sources for lighting and income-generating activities including household industries

·        Facilitating involvement of women and education of girls in resource management and use

 

 

 

 

REG  ACTIVITIES

 

REG is a non-profit association of multidisciplinary professionals and organizations. The group includes highly specialized experts in economics, resource and environmental economics, engineering, finance, sociology, demography, and biological and environmental sciences.

 

The main subject area of concern to the REG are:

Population growth, resource degradation and poverty

Macro economic policies, trade policies, regulation and resource pricing

Infrastructure financing and Public-Private Partnership

Global climate change and distribution of “burden” among developing and industrialized countries.

Water resources, income distribution and public health

Energy for the rural and urban poor

Pollution control technologies, policies and experiences

Community participation and management

 

 

The REG also aims to facilitate South-South collaboration and technology transfer in the field of energy, water conservation and pollution control.

 

Stakeholder Participation

REG activities in Stakeholder Participation include:

 India Water Partnership (IWP).

 

 

The main objective of IWP is  to promote equitable and sustainable water management by  providing forums for stakeholders representing competing interests  to engage in dialogue and agree to a process of conflict resolution. This first step in this process has been achieved by organizing meetings of various stakeholders for preparing  two documents: India Water Vision: 2025 and a Framework For Action on India Water Vision. These exercises were carried out as part of the collaborative effort initiated by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) on preparing a 2025 Vision for World Water. 

 

India Water Vision 2025

 

The process of vision development consisted of  the following steps: (i) holding consultation meetings of various stakeholders, (ii) commissioning of background papers and (iii) review of other related documents. A report on India Water Vision: 2025 presents various scenarios of demand and supply of  water and implications of these scenarios for water scarcity, food security, livelihood security, water quality and public health and  investment needs for meeting water demands.

 

Vision Consultation Meetings

 

The process of vision development was Operationalize through a series of zonal and national level consultations. Three national level meetings were organized in New Delhi during March 9-10,1999; May 17-18, 1999 and June 24-25, 1999. In addition three zonal consultations were held  at Aurangabad (for the Western Zone) on June 16, 1999, Chennai (for the Southern Zone)  during June 18-19,1999 and at Patna (for Eastern Zone) on June 21,1999. The important objectives of these consultations were:

 

·        To provide discussion forums to various stakeholders in water management

·        To present to the participants an overview of the World Water Vision process and update them on the progress achieved so far

·        To present the scenarios and their underlying drivers used in the Global Water Vision process and elicit from the participants the set of drivers and scenarios relevant for developing the India Water Vision 2025

·        To present to the participants the implications of the scenarios for food , livelihood, health and ecological security

·        To consult various stakeholders on the basic features of the India Water Vision 2025 that are to be presented at the South Asia Zonal and Global consultation meetings.

 

All the vision consultation meetings were very well attended by various stakeholder groups in water management. The representation at these meetings included senior Government officials both from the Central Ministries as also from the States, academics, water experts, donor agencies, international organizations (UNICEF, World Bank etc.), NGOs and  industry representatives.

 

Consultations on Framework for Action on India Water Vision-2025

 

The main objective of Framework for Action (FFA) exercise was to encourage and facilitate actions that would translate principles and visions into reality. FFA therefore focused on priorities, policies, research, technologies, institutions etc which were important for achieving the vision. The FFA was developed through a stakeholder consultation process. Two national consultations were organized in New Delhi while five zonal consultations were organized in Lucknow, Guwahati, Patna, Mumbai and Chennai during November-December, 1999.

 

 

 

 

Consultations on Financing of the Water Sector

 

The REG in collaboration with the South Asia Technical Advisory Committee (SASTAC) of the Global Water Partnership organized in New Delhi on January 28,2000 a one day consultation meeting on "Investment Needs and Financing Issues in the Water Sector."  The theme paper for the consultation meeting was prepared by REG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

REG  SERVICES

 

Synthesized Knowledge and Information

REG provides synthesized knowledge by providing critical reviews of “best practice” cases; innovative policy and implementation strategies; investment opportunities; financing packages and institutional options.

In particular, REG

Facilitating Stakeholder Participation

 

REG facilitates participation of stakeholders by organizing consultation meetings among  policy makers, regulators, managers, consumers’ groups, NGOs and environmental activists. REG organizes seminars, workshops, discussion groups and e-conferences

Advisory Services

For the benefit of national/state governments, research organizations, NGOs and international agencies, the REG

Capacity Building

REG

REG Outputs, Outcomes and Impacts

 

REG Outputs

 

Reports of E-Conferences

 

(To be written)

 

Working Papers

 

To disseminate the results of research studies on contemporary policy issues undertaken by researchers of REG and its associates, REG brings out working papers from time to time. It is currently in the process of bringing out a number of  papers in this series. Some of the forthcoming working papers include:

 

·      Poverty and Irrigation in India: Some Empirical Findings

·      Cost Effectiveness Analysis for Rural Water Supply

·      Water for Food and Livelihood Security

·      Ensuring water Security in India - Investment Needs and Sources of Funds

·      Water for Health and Ecological Security

·      Health and Mortality Issues in Delhi - Some Results Based on NFHS I

·      Improving Sustainability of Large Scale Rural Water Supply Scheme Projects

·      Livestock Resource in the Context of Livelihood Security

 

Reprint Series and Policy Briefings Series

 

The REG will soon start a Reprint Series wherein some of the important research papers, that may have been published by acknowledged professionals in the subject areas of concern to REG, will be published for widespread dissemination. The REG will also soon start a "Policy Briefing" series.

 

Seminar Series

 

The REG will soon start a Seminar series on issues  which are of wider policy importance. The first of a series of Seminars on "Delhi in Crisis" is proposed to be organized shortly.

 

REG Outcomes

(To be written)

 

REG Impacts

 

(To be written)

REG Governance

Resources and Environment Group (REG) is a non-profit organization  registered in New Delhi, India, under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860. The activities of REG are managed by a Governing Body with Professor  Ramesh Bhatia as  founder President

and Dr R.P.S.Malik as  Member Secretary. Professor Devendra Bhushan Gupta is Director, Resources and Environment Group. Dr. Rishikesh Sharma has recently joined as  Senior Fellow, REG. The other Board members are senior professionals in their respective fields.

 

 

 

Contact Us

Head Office:

SU-125 Vishakha Enclave

 

 

Delhi 110034, India

Email: rameshbhatia77@yahoo.com

Phone 91-11-707 1370; Fax 91-11-707 3192

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New Delhi Office:

….. Greater Kailash Part II

New Delhi….

Email: rps_malik@yahoo.com

Phone: …..; Fax…

 

 

 

PART II

 

REG  LINKS

 

REG Activities

 

REG activities in the last three years have included, inter alia, the following:

 

 

India Water Partnership (IWP).

 

 

The main objective of IWP is  to promote equitable and sustainable water management by  providing forums for stakeholders representing competing interests  to engage in dialogue and agree to a process of conflict resolution. This first step in this process has been achieved by organizing meetings of various stakeholders for preparing  two documents: India Water Vision: 2025 and a Framework For Action on India Water Vision. These exercises were carried out as part of the collaborative effort initiated by the Global Water Partnership (GWP) on preparing a 2025 Vision for World Water. 

 

 

India Water Vision 2025

 

The process of vision development consisted of  the following steps: (i) holding consultation meetings of various stakeholders, (ii) commissioning of background papers and (iii) review of other related documents. A report on India Water Vision: 2025 presents various scenarios of demand and supply of  water and implications of these scenarios for water scarcity, food security, livelihood security, water quality and public health and  investment needs for meeting water demands.

 

Vision Consultation Meetings

 

The process of vision development was Operationalize through a series of zonal and national level consultations. Three national level meetings were organized in New Delhi during March 9-10,1999; May 17-18, 1999 and June 24-25, 1999. In addition three zonal consultations were held  at Aurangabad (for the Western Zone) on June 16, 1999, Chennai (for the Southern Zone)  during June 18-19,1999 and at Patna (for Eastern Zone) on June 21,1999. The important objectives of these consultations were:

 

·        To provide discussion forums to various stakeholders in water management

·        To present to the participants an overview of the World Water Vision process and update them on the progress achieved so far

·        To present the scenarios and their underlying drivers used in the Global Water Vision process and elicit from the participants the set of drivers and scenarios relevant for developing the India Water Vision 2025

·        To present to the participants the implications of the scenarios for food , livelihood, health and ecological security

·        To consult various stakeholders on the basic features of the India Water Vision 2025 that are to be presented at the South Asia Zonal and Global consultation meetings.

 

Stakeholder Participation

 

All the vision consultation meetings were very well attended by various stakeholder groups in water management. The representation at these meetings included senior Government officials both from the Central Ministries as also from the States, academics, water experts, donor agencies, international organizations (UNICEF, World Bank etc.), NGOs and  industry representatives.

 

Consultations on Framework for Action on India Water Vision-2025

 

The main objective of Framework for Action (FFA) exercise was to encourage and facilitate actions that would translate principles and visions into reality. FFA therefore focused on priorities, policies, research, technologies, institutions etc which were important for achieving the vision. The FFA was developed through a stakeholder consultation process. Two national consultations were organized in New Delhi while five zonal consultations were organized in Lucknow, Guwahati, Patna, Mumbai and Chennai during November-December, 1999.

 

 

 

 

Consultations on Financing of the Water Sector

 

The REG in collaboration with the South Asia Technical Advisory Committee (SASTAC) of the Global Water Partnership organized in New Delhi on January 28,2000 a one day consultation meeting on "Investment Needs and Financing Issues in the Water Sector."  The theme paper for the consultation meeting was prepared by REG.