Capnet South Asia Regional Secretariat

ResNet South Asia - Research Strategy of Capnet South Asia

Back to Research

Introduction
-	Research Strategy of Capnet South Asia

-	ResNet SA - A concept note towards a Research Network on Water

Initiatives


	Resnet Brochure

Research is a critical component of Capacity Building, as it constitutes the basis of knowledge development and generation of new knowledge tracks that underlies strategic planning for action. Water research in South Asia does have an impressive track record. It remains however, largely technocratic, scattered, fragmented and disconnected. Parallel researches are practiced - and their outputs exist as relatively isolated pieces with few linkages to strategic action for addressing the problems through consolidated and systematic coordination.

Further, research is conducted within an essentially mono -disciplinarily orientation- understandably born out of existential compulsions of strong disciplinary orientations, organizational mandates, peer pressure or evaluation criteria etc. This does present a challenge for creating other modes for initiating & conducting interdisciplinary research. Capnets � through dedicated sub-networks � devoted to research on water - aim is to ensure that such interdisciplinary research in a network mode will do full justice to Capacity Building for IWRM. Through participatory research across a wide network of actors � it will enable the utilization and desired impacts of the knowledge/technologies thus generated.

In light of the above-Research network (RN) would work for facilitating following interventions

	Critical evaluation of existing water research in SA countries with respect to their focus on integrated approaches based on interdisciplinary perspectives.

	Stocktaking and assessment of existing water research and institutional modes of practicing such research activities in various SA countries.

	Interconnections of research - intra-research community & among research and administration/policy/application domains (policy, actions at various levels- micro, macro, input into educational institutions etc).

	Designing of a research strategy plan for directing research support along trajectories that are required but missing (identifying what such tracks are) and evolving ways of establishing interlink ages such that there exist synergies between different research activities.

	To stimulate 'socialization' of research as opposed to its pursuit as a stand alone/ isolated activity - not only within research community but also with its eventual application in concrete water actions and/or policies.

	To evolve strategies for dissemination of research findings research to outreach bit.

	To focus and stimulate need based action research that is �thrown up� from below and reflects the existential problems.

The RN will look into such issues - design strategies, concept notes, action plans, resource support strategies, monitoring activities etc & communicate with the wider CapNets in the region.

This would be done through constituting a Core Group from among Capnet partners in all South Asian countries who would volunteer to steer the network through transparent and inclusive process for monitoring the research directions as a collective venture, as also its linkages with policy and action. The diversity of skills, capacities and organizational strengths those are available to a network - may be productively mobilized for spanning levels of interventions far beyond the outreach of single agencies �which typically concentrate on more localized / specifically focused research trajectories.

a dristi design