Research Placement in India Save The Brahmaputra River

Location:
Yorkshire, Leeds
Posted: 09/09/2009 17:05

Would you like to be the first researcher working on a brand new campaign to help SAVE THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER? The Assam Foundation – India is looking for a dedicated volunteer who will be able to work on the campaign for a minimum of 3 months who will be responsible for carrying out research and presenting their findings in a report.

You will investigate the following areas:

• Waste management in and around the Brahmaputra River – how polluted is the river? Who is polluting this river? What is being done to protect it from pollution?
• Who are the timber companies operating in Assam? How sustainable are their practices? Who are the farmers cutting down trees at an unsustainable rate? How can they be tempted to alter their practices?
• What are the current flood prevention measures being used? What are the problems associated with them? What more could be done? Who are the most vulnerable to flooding?
• To liaise with other organisations who are currently working on conservation measures in Assam in order to protect the river’s endangered creatures such as the Ganges river dolphin.
• To Approach Prime Ministers/ Royalties/ Presidents of India/ China/ UK/ USA as well as United Nations, UNESCO, UNISEF, WHO, World Bank, WMF, Asian Development Bank and other World Bodies to highlight the problems of the Brahmaputra and convince them to participate in saving the river, and prevail upon them not to construct big dams on the river or divert the waterway thereby damaging the eco-system.

The Assam Foundation – India is a registered NGO (Registration number: RS/KAM/240/H/287) and has been operating in Assam since 1998. The organisation has received national and international recognition of its cultural, literary and social achievements of Assam and Assamese. It has organised several international and national level seminars and lecture programmes in Indian capital city Delhi and North-East India’s cultural epicentre Guwahati, along with publishing different books, journals and brochures over the years. On the 31st of July 2009 a new campaign was launched, the SAVE THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER campaign.

The campaign has already been well received by the Indian media; appearing on prime TV on the news station NETV as well as appearing in India’s most popular broadsheet, the Times of India. Yet as a voluntary organisation, the campaign is in need of a dedicated researcher who will be able to investigate the current problems currently facing the river. Waste is regularly dumped into this fragile waterway, causing problems for the animals who often consume waste such as plastic and choke. The charismatic and endangered Ganges river dolphin also needs protection from over-fishing before it becomes extinct. Torrential flooding has also become commonplace in Assam and the land eroded by the swollen river results in lost crops and mass homelessness.

Who we are looking for:

• A dedicated environmental enthusiast who will be willing to dedicate their services for a minimum of three months.

Placement costs

• The three month placement will cost £1,000 which will cover all expenses including travel and accommodation. The chosen applicant will be fully taken care of in Guwahati, Assam; will be escorted from the airport and around the city and all accommodation will be arranged.

Please visit:

http://www.myspace.com/savethebrahmaputrariver

http://sustainabledevelopmentworldwide.blogspot.com/

For more information.

For all those who would like to apply, please send your CV to Tess Joyce at the following email address:
savethebrahmaputra@hotmail.co.uk

Thank you,

SAVE THE BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER
The Assam Foundation - India