Issue 4: Jul - Sep 2025
www.dhan.orgDear Readers
Greetings !!!
Partnership driven development interventions at grassroots creates lasting impact. This quarter, the Vayalagam Movement has once again demonstrated how collective efforts can transform communities and ecosystems. The lead article, “Development Partnership – The Vayalagam Way,” captures the spirit of collaboration and showcases how development partnerships with diverse stakeholders strengthen community resilience. The Madurai Symposium brought together a wide range of practitioners, policymakers, and community representatives to exchange ideas, build capacities, and work together towards enabling communities to move out of poverty. Becoming an Official Direct Member of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) marks another milestone for DHAN on the global stage. The World Water Week celebrations reflected DHAN’s unique strength—from grassroots-level events in villages to active participation through exhibitions, dialogues, and workshops at the India Water Week conference in Stockholm.
We are delighted to share the milestones, learnings, and inspirations that have shaped this quarter’s journey. Your continued support, reflections, and engagement strengthen our resolve to build a future where water, people, and partnerships flow together in harmony.
Team
Advancing Development Partnership towards sustainable Water Security – The Vayalagam Way
Background: Madurai Symposium 2025
Madurai Symposium is a “Unique” Knowledge Mart inviting Development Stakeholders and aspirants to showcase and appreciate the success stories in development arena. DHAN Foundation has hosted 11 Symposiums in Madurai so far involving many stakeholders with diversity in development: Community Organizations, Civil societies / NGOs, Government, Banks, Insurance Companies, CSR Foundations, Donors, Philanthropists and Academia. The deliberations have envisaged sharing knowledge & experience, shaping future actions, contributing to policy and practice change and developing mechanisms to work collectively. The “Twelfth Edition” of Madurai Symposium is being organized at Madurai from September 17-21, 2025. Every Symposium is hosted on advancing a specific development theme and this symposium theme is “Enabling Development Partnership”. Vayalgam programme has conducted seven knowledge events on each day with different stakeholders. The knowledge synthesis of the events are consolidated and brought out as this article as “Development Partnership – The Vayalagam Way” Read More
Madurai Symposium 2025
The Symposium, initiated as the Madurai Symposium in 2003 by DHAN Foundation, has grown into a vibrant biennial platform that brings together a wide spectrum of stakeholders in development—Community Organizations, Civil Societies, Governments, Banks, Insurance Companies, CSR Foundations, Philanthropists, Academia, and Development Practitioners. For nearly two decades, Madurai was the hub where thousands of participants converged to share knowledge, innovations, and best practices in advancing inclusive development and addressing poverty. Read More
Events List
| # | Event Name | Brochure | Knowledge Brief and Proceedings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Convention on Mainstreaming community-led conservation of water commons | Click here | Click here |
| 2 | Workshop on Livelihoods advancement through partnership graduation: Models and Products | Click here | Click here |
| 3 | Seminar on Restoring urban water commons: Partnership advancement with Local Bodies | Click here | Click here |
| 4 | Convention on Saturation and Sustainability of Vayalagam institutions in PAMBAR River Basin: Partnership Pathways and Milestones | Click here | Click here |
| 5 | Roundtable on Making CAUSE more Pervasive: Potential Partnerships for Knowledge and Resource Exchange | Click here | Click here |
| 6 | Seminar on Collaborative endeavours in demonstration and dissemination of agriculture technologies with Vayalagam community: Proven propositions | Click here | Click here |
| 7 | Workshop on Partnership journey with Panchayat Institutions: Best practices and prospective moves in conservation of natural resources | Click here | Click here |
Participation in World Irrigation Forum (WIF4) – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
We are pleased to share that DHAN Foundation has become an Official Direct Member of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) this year. This partnership marks an important step in strengthening our global engagement in sustainable water management, irrigation, and agricultural development. Read More
Inland Fisheries ToT for people functionaries
Inland fish rearing activities is one of the key components of the Vayalgam programme. The two-day training (Aug 25-26, 2025) on inland fisheries provided participants with comprehensive knowledge and hands-on experience in modern fish rearing practices. The sessions began with an overview of the importance of inland aquaculture and the various scientific methods used to enhance productivity. Participants learned about pond preparation, seed selection, feeding techniques, and water quality management, which are essential for sustainable fish farming. Practical demonstrations and field visits helped them understand real-world applications and best management practices for maintaining healthy fish stocks. Totally 18 participants who are the nodal persons for this intervention actively participated in the event. Read More
Success Story: Orchard farming
Orchard Farming: A Climate-Resilient Agricultural Initiative
Orchard farming has traditionally been the domain of large farmers who can afford high investments for the plant, but the Vayalagam programme of DHAN Foundation has successfully brought this opportunity to small and marginal farmers, enabling them to diversify their cropping systems and enhance their farm income. Establishing an orchard is indeed a one-time investment, yet with proper maintenance, it can yield sustainable returns for years. As part of its agricultural development initiatives, with the CSR partnership of ITC’s Mission Sunehra Kal, the Vayalagam programme distributed 5,261 fruit plants covering 104 acres during 2022–23. Read More
Book Launch: ‘Flowers of Adavi’
The book was released during Madurai symposium event, during the convention Mainstreaming community-led conservation of water commons in the presence of District Forest officers, Chief Guest Dr Satyagopal, Vayalagam and Kalanjiam leaders. ‘Adavi’ is a collaborative effort of the HCL Foundation, Madurai Kamaraj University, and the DHAN Foundation. Beginning with the ecological restoration of four acres of degraded land in 2021, today it has expanded to over 50 acres in the foothills of Nagamalai Hills, Madurai. Read More
43rd Vayalagam Movement Workers’ Training Programme
The 43rd Vayalagam Movement Workers’ Training Programme was held from 25th to 30th September 2025, with 40 participants (38 women and 2 men) representing the Pambar, Gundar, and Vaippar regions. The training was inaugurated by leaders of the Vayalagam Mutual Movement and Dhan Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation. The 42-day training programme is launched with one week classroom sessions. The sessions covered the fundamentals of development, poverty and its causes, participatory learning methods, and the philosophy and evolution of the DHAN Foundation. Participants were introduced to the structure and functions of development organizations, the formation and governance of Vayalagam institutions, and the practical dimensions of watershed and agricultural finance management. Read More
Life Journey of Mr Ramalingam
Mr. K. Ramalingam was born in 1947 in Porangal village, located in Chengalpattu district. He is the eldest of five children, with three brothers and one sister. His father worked as a village administrator, and though he held a salaried position, he remained deeply involved in farming activities and social activities in the village. Watching his father balance both administration and agriculture left a lasting impression on young Ramalingam, who developed a natural passion for farming from an early age. Read More
World Water Week 2025
World Water Week is a leading international conference on global water issues, organized annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). It aims to facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and action among diverse stakeholders to address water-related challenges. The event brings together experts from NGOs, academia, businesses, and governments to develop solutions for issues like food security, health, and biodiversity, with a particular focus on the climate crisis. The event covered various aspects of the water cycle, focusing on ecosystem protection, fairness, and climate justice. In addition to the main conference in Stockholm, World Water Week also had accessible online seminars and activities, allowing for wider participation. The event covered a range of topics, including the mitigation of climate impacts through ecosystem resilience, nature-based solutions for water security, and solar-powered water solutions for climate-resilient agriculture. Read More
Online Event
The online workshop on “Building Climate-Resilient People and Institutions in India’s Ephemeral River Basins” was organized by DHAN Foundation on August 28, 2025. Around 233 participants of various stakeholders and countries attended the event including direct participants and virtual participants. The session began with a welcome and context brief by Mr. V. Venkatesan, Chief Executive, DHAN Vayalagam (Tank) Foundation, who set the stage for discussions on the role of communities and institutions in fostering climate resilience. Ms. Dhruvi Shah, Executive Trustee and CEO of Axis Bank Foundation, shared insights on the co-creative partnership journey between the Foundation and DHAN in empowering rural communities for sustainable climate adaptation. Read More
IN News
A community driven Ecological revival of Cascades- a effective testimony of Community-Civil Society-Corporates- Government Patnerships. Thanks to VMRDA and Redington Foundation. Thanks to The Hindu
Full Article pdf – Click Here
Devaravani Chervu has been rejuvenated with the support of VMRDA and Redington Foundation
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