Actualités

Impact of microfinance on rural employment : a new interdisciplinary and international research project

The project, Rural microfinance and employment. Do processes matter ?, presented by Dr. Isabelle Guérin (French Research Institute for Development [IRD]/IFP) and others, has been selected by the French National Agency for Research (programme : Les Suds, Aujourd’hui). It deals with the impact of microfinance on rural employment. It is based, notably, on a combination of econometric and anthropological approaches. By means of a comparison between Indian, Mexican and Malagasy fields, it will allow the continued application of the innovative methods tested in South India (Labour, Finance and Social Dynamics project hosted at the IFP). The project will also help strengthen the integration of the Indo-French team in an international network.

Contact : Dr. Isabelle Guérin

IFP publishes a DVD on water management in India

Ways of managing water have evolved during the past decades in India. A source of prosperity, this much-coveted resource can also produce setbacks and bitter experiences. An IFP team has made a trilingual (French, English, Tamil) documentary film on users’ perception of lack of water in two villages in Tamil Nadu. Water appears to be a pointer to the ecological, social, economic, cultural and political stakes of a society in the midst of genuine upheaval. The actors concerned throw light on the origin of the problem and the solutions to be sought. This documentary will be of interest to researchers, school and university professors and, indeed, all development agents wishing to address issues related to water management. It has proved a remarkable tool in raising awareness about current social problems in India.

Contact : Nathanaël COSTE / Nicolas PLOUMPIDIS
Dr. Olivia Aubriot / Dr. Anupama. K. / Dr. Y. Gunnell

Reference publications on the biodiversity of the Western Ghats

A book recently published by the IFP’s Department of Ecology, Forest landscapes of the Southern Western Ghats, India : biodiversity, human ecology and management strategies, has been praised by specialists in biodiversity conservation and in the press. A daily newspaper, The Hindu, brought out an extensive report. The Department of Ecology has, meanwhile, taken the initiative to bring together the best researchers and specialists on the subject of the Western Ghats forests, with a view to editing a volume containing an extended synthesis ( The Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hotspot ). The aim is to take stock of the knowledge gained about the physical environment, flora and fauna and their interaction with human societies as well as the conservation stakes.

Contact : Dr. Jean-Pierre Muller