In March 2010, a group of Northwestern University students traveled to Rajasthan, India for an intensive 10-day scholars program on Best Practices of Sustainable Development in Water Resource Management, in one of the most water-distressed regions of the world. Hosted by the Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF), the aim of this exchange was for students and faculty to employ their first-hand experiences to develop sustainable water practices to tackle local issues on NU’s campus and work with JBF on international water advocacy.
The Office of International Program Development sent Medill alumna Andrea Hart along the group of NU students to Rajasthan. Andrea is a journalist and writer for Circle of Blue WaterNews, a news source that offers up-to-date information and resources on the global freshwater crisis. Andrea just published her first article on the experience: “Standing In A Long, Really Long Line: Toilet Queue Serves Indian Village Effort to Promote Sanitation Awareness“, outlines the events of Janadesar’s “World Toilet Day”. Organized by JBF, almost 900 residents of the rural Indian village Janadesar, located in the Marwari region of Northwest India, which is marked by long droughts and decreasing groundwater resources, came together to celebrate “World Toilet Day” and to compete for inclusion into the Guinness Book of World Records!
