Kohima: Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPeD), supported by International Rivers, has announced to organize a workshop on ‘Community Micro Hydro in Northeast India: Challenges and opportunities’ in the Conference Hall of the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) at Dimapur from May 8 to 9 next.
According to official sources, the aim of the workshop is to better understand and strengthen community Micro Hydro projects in NE India by bringing together international and regional experts, policy makers, government energy development agencies, community organizers, and civil society.
The workshop will focus on the status, challenges, and solutions for micro hydro projects in the northeastern states of India.
Factors for project success will be discussed, including technical, social, financial, institutional, and policy elements.
Experts from successfully scaled and innovative micro hydro programmes in Nepal and Sri Lanka will be present as resource persons.
The agenda will include a tour of NEPeD’s promising local fabrication unit at Center for Excellence in Renewable Energy Studies (CERES) along with a tour to an installed Pico Hydro site.
Most important will be the presence of micro hydro practitioners and energy development agencies of northeast India namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, to share their field realities.
Sources said that the concept of workshop is to ensure that Micro Hydro in North East India have a holistic approach that is built upon the region’s strong culture of community and strengthening watersheds and ecosystems.
It is also aimed at an integrated approach that connects micro hydro implementation with a strategy for reducing poverty and drudgery and increasing local economic development as well as to have a sustainable and scaled approach that transforms pilot projects into a robust, long-term program built upon local capacity building, quality assurance, productive use, and innovation.
The objectives of the workshop are to bring together international and regional experts, policy makers, Government agencies, practitioners, community organizers and civil society to strengthen community Micro Hydro projects in North East India.
It has envisioned for an increased awareness among decision makers and local stakeholders of bad and good Micro Hydro practices; and how Micro Hydro can trigger an alternative, development model. (UNI)
