Profile: Thirsty about water issues

Carolin Arul
Water resources engineer, Lecturer at the Anna University, Chennai, India

Carolin's vision is to 'conserve each raindrop'. Water resources are something like bank deposits, she says. Water is a finite resource. We can't keep misusing it and using it up and not replenishing it; otherwise it will run out one day.

The author of Water Laws and Rights in India, Carol is studying towards her PhD in water management using remote sensing and geography information systems. She developed an interest in this area after reading a newspaper article about water issues in rural districts. It impressed her a lot and made her 'thirsty' about these issues. Her grandfather is a farmer and she wanted to do something for farmers. This increased her thirst for learning about the problems of the local people.

Water management must involve people at the grassroots, says Carolin. Technology and scientific knowledge are of no use unless we work in conjunction with the local people and understand their needs and concerns. The major water-related problems in her area are privatization, depletion of groundwater, and salination.

Carolin has a special interest in helping farmers because they are poor. Only educated people can understand technical terminology and language; she wants to give farmers the benefit of technology and knowledge by communicating with them in language they can understand.

From this consultation Carolin expects to gain knowledge and learn about the experiences of women from other countries.