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Communication Strategy in Action Research on Water Security in Four South Asian Peri-urban Locations. M. Shah Alam Khan Professor IWFM, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology June 19, 2013. CCW Asia Regional Partners Meeting , June 19-20, 2013; Kathmandu, Nepal.
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Communication Strategy in Action Research on Water Security in Four South Asian Peri-urban Locations M. Shah Alam Khan Professor IWFM, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology June 19, 2013 CCW Asia Regional Partners Meeting, June 19-20, 2013; Kathmandu, Nepal
Research Locations in South Asia • Partners: • SaciWATERs, India • BUET, Bangladesh • NEC, Nepal • MDI, India Represent diversity in physiographic and climatic patternsas well as similarities in peri-urban issues and processesacross South Asia.
Our Audience • Affected Community • Policy makers (politicians and bureaucrats) • Fellow researchers and academicians • Activists and advocacy groups • NGOs working around the issue • Media • Donor agencies
Strategies and Tools • Involvement of communities and policy makers in the research process • Exposure of service providers to the ground realities • Dialogue and multi-stakeholder platforms • Campaign: • ‘Save the Mayur’ (Khulna) • ‘Save Our Urban Lakes’ (Hyderabad) • ‘Water Source Conservation’ (Kathmandu) • Contribution of research outcome to Urban Policy and Programs: • Draft Urban Area Strategy (Bangladesh) • 12th Plan document (India) • Sensitizing media
Strategies and Tools • Community: leaflet, posters, wall writing in local language • Internet communication: dedicated website, project newsletter, blog, facebook, flicker, twitter and slideshare http://www.saciwaters.org/periurban/ • Discissions on relevant topics in Meetings • Press release, TV/radio interview • Leaflets, Posters, Brochures: • Research papers, Discussion papers, Working papers, Policy briefs • Conferences/Presentations • Documentary
Challenges/Obstacles/Learning • Research communication through media • less space for publishing research outcomes • media more interested in political and market based ‘news’ • Selective target (people) who we think matter the most given the limited budget and time • Communication as a process of sustained engagement rather than just a link for dissemination • It takes both time and commitment, and good social and interpersonal skills to build a good rapport with communities and government agencies • Communication and research are not parallel activities, communication needs to be grounded in research • Communication and research provide an interactive loop - one feeds into the other • Should researchers work on communications or should communicators do more research?