India’s First Water Fund in Action: The Ghod River Water Fund
To address the challenge of water scarcity, using a science-based approach, The Nature Conservancy has identified the Ghod River Basin in western Maharashtra to implement an innovative concept of a Water Fund which is a governance and finance mechanism through collective action.
The GRWF Project is a ground-breaking initiative that aims to secure a sustainable future for the Ghod River and the communities that rely on it. The Nature Conservancy India Solution (NCIS)and its partners are working towards building a world where people and nature can thrive together, thus making this Project a pivotal NCIS initiative.
To tackle the water security challenges in the Ghod River Basin through collective action of the key stakeholders, the proposed GRWF aims to achieve the following:
- Enhance biodiversity;
- Support sustainable agriculture practices - Developing water-efficient agriculture: Trainings are provided to farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices that conserve water;
- Develop a sustainable model that can be replicated across regions;
- To establish a network of Partners to enable and promote nature-based solutions for water resilience to improve water availability for local communities;
- To form a citizen scientist coalition including farming and tribal communities supporting stewardship of the basin;
- To strengthen community knowledge on water use efficiency and ensure equitable access to all and develop local capacity to manage operations of the GRWF and to ensure equitable access to water;
- Restoring natural ecosystems: Local communities are crucial and involved in restoring degraded forests, grasslands, and wetlands. These ecosystems play a crucial role in regulating the water cycle, improving soil health, and supporting biodiversity;
- Recharging groundwater: Communities build and maintain structures that help recharge groundwater. This helps increase water availability during dry periods and droughts.
Source : The Nature Conservancy
Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome and Gates Foundation collaborate to accelerate global health equity
The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced a new joint partnership to support critical scientific research and development (R&D) for global health.
The partnership aims to support science and innovation to advance accessible and affordable solutions for people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).Source : Philanthropy News Digest
India 2024 AgriFoodTech Investment Report launched by AgFunder
In 2023, Indian agrifoodtech startups raised $940 million across 129 deals, down 60% from 2022.
The number of deals remained almost flat with 129 closing in 2023 compared to 133 deals in 2022, indicating smaller deal sizes given the steep decline in dollars raised.
Source : AgFunder
Applications are now open for Tvaran 2.0
Villgro and CISCO’s 12-month program to support seven entrepreneurs creating transformative solutions across three key areas: Digital Solutions Led by Women, Digital Solutions Impacting Women, and Technology/Digital Solutions Enabling Financial Inclusion.
Source : Villgro
Stride Ventures closes third fund at $165 million
Venture debt firm Stride Ventures has closed its third fund at $165 million, about a year after it announced the first close of the same fund. This fund has garnered support from a diverse mix of investors, including insurance companies, family offices, corporate treasuries and high net-worth individuals (HNI). The fund primarily focuses on consumer-centric brands, financial services, and clean-tech sectors. Some of its portfolio companies include BlueStone, Moneyview, Moove, Foxtale, CureSkin, NewMe, Nat Habit, and AgroStar.
Source : Live Mint