Vandana Shiva: Water Wisdom

[marmar]

via CommonDreams:



Published on Sunday, March 14, 2010 by Resurgence.org
Water Wisdom

by Vandana Shiva


Since 1966 - and as a consequence of the introduction of the Green Revolution model of water-intensive, chemical farming - India has over-exploited her groundwater, creating a water famine.

Intensification of drought, floods and cyclones is one of the predictable impacts of climate change and climate instability. The failure of monsoon in India, and the consequent drought, has impacted two-thirds of the country, especially the breadbasket of India's fertile Gangetic plains. Bihar, for example, has had a 43% rainfall deficit, and the story is the same in many other parts of India.

In the final analysis, India's food security rests on the monsoon. Monsoon failure and widespread drought imply a deepening of the already severe food crisis triggered by trade-liberalisation policies, which have made India the capital of hunger. They also imply a deepening of the water crisis.

The monsoons recharge the groundwater and surface-water systems. Since 1966, as a consequence of the introduction of the Green Revolution model of water-intensive chemical farming, India has over-exploited her groundwater, creating a water famine. The chemical monocultures of the Green Revolution use ten times more water than the biodiverse ecological farming systems. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/03/14-2

[eleny]

1. vandeninis and vanduo - two Lithuaniain words for water

"vandana" was how my family referred to water in daily conversation. I'm always happy to find links between Lithuanian words and Sanskrit.

[mia]

2. Thanks for this link.

I've long admired Vandana Shiva. She is one of the very few I believe these days.