THE EXCHANGE. In March 2010, a group of students from Northwestern University and Grinnell College traveled to Rajasthan, India and experienced first-hand life in the most water-distressed region of the world. This summer, top water experts from Rajasthan will visit Northwestern and meet with University faculty and administrators to develop a long-term study abroad program addressing water management and global heath.
As part of the Scholars Exchange Program sponsored by Jal Bhagirathi foundation, Northwestern and Grinnell students observed first-hand the daily struggles of remote desert villages, meeting with school children and village elders, and learning from herdsmen, pottery makers, and village women transporting water. These students also participated in a 24-hour immersion in village life, and on World Water Day joined over 500 villagers in a march led by H.H. Maharaja Gaj Singh.
The Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF) is a preeminent resource for Integrated Water Resource Management. Established as a Trust in India in the Marwar Region of Rajasthan, it has worked with some of the most water-distressed communities in the world. The efforts of the JBF have regenerated community leadership in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert. The JBF supports Integrated Water Resource Management by:
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Promoting access to drinking water.
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Integrating multiple disciplines in health studies.
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Harnessing social capital for community activism.
In June 2010, top water experts from Rajasthan will visit Northwestern and meet with University faculty and administrators. Later in the fall, community organizers from Jal Bhagirathi will visit Evanston and tour surrounding area water facilities to learn how these facilities run their systems.
For extensive and updated information regarding the Northwestern University/Rajasthan Scholars Exchange please visit our blog: blog.ipd.northwestern.edu/nurajasthanexchange/
