RCE Chandigarh - 2018

Sub-National Actions for Climate Resilient Sustainable Development in Punjab, India
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Sub-National Actions for Climate Resilient Sustainable Development in Punjab, India
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Chandigarh
Contributing organization(s) : 
Punjab State Climate Change Knowledge Centre, Consultancy Cell on Pollution Control & Energy Conservation, Punjab ENVIS Hub, Punjab Biodiversity Board and regional educational institutions.
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh, India
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Additional resources: 
Dovetailing of ESD activities with various ongoing environment related projects.
In response to and in line with National Action Plan on Climate Change and State Action Plan on Climate Change
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Local
In response to and in line with National Action Plan on Climate Change and State Action Plan on Climate Change
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Subnational
In response to and in line with National Action Plan on Climate Change and State Action Plan on Climate Change
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
India
Location(s): 
Punjab, India
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh, India
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Work area of RCE Chandigarh is Chandigarh (UT) and state of Punjab where agriculture is predominant activity. Having done remarkably well in field of agriculture, region has been advancing towards industrial development. Around 70% population in the region is dependent on agriculture which is fragile and vulnerable to climate vagaries. Agriculture has led to over-exploitation of natural resources and over use of agro-chemicals causing its degradation. As more than 84% area under agriculture the state is struggling to meet its target of bringing 15% area under forest cover which is presently around 6.5%.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Climate change is the most significant challenge to achieve sustainable development and current project aims to enhance Climate Change actions at local level by following initiatives:
- Enhance understanding about climate change and its impacts.
- Mass awareness and capacity building of various stakeholders.
- Identify climate change vulnerabilities and develop action programmes.
- Collaboration with R&D institutions for developing suitable climate adaptation practices.
- Setting up pilot units to demonstrate technological interventions for sustainable development and involving communities in their implementation.
- Environment and energy auditing of schools and institutions.
- Integrating Climate Change concerns in the policies and programmes.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Rationale: 
The project has been taken up to address challenges and implications of climate change with focus on climate sensitive and vulnerable sectors in short and long-term scenarios and to take suitable adaptation initiatives through ESD. It aims to carry forward the activities for enhancing resilience of the state in sustained manner in collaboration with various stakeholder agencies particularly the educational institutions with focus on mobilizing students and youth. ESD related activities taken up for better understanding of the communities regarding state specific issues enabled RCE to identify climate adaptive measures & practices for sustainability of resources. Under the project, capacities of stakeholder are also being built for developing region specific programmes and mobilizing climate finance for the same as well as taking target specific awareness generation programmes.
Objectives: 
Under this project RCE, Chandigarh is taking locale specific steps to achieve objectives outlined below:
- Mainstreaming the SDGs: Climate Action through Education for ensuring multi-stakeholder participation.
- Promoting ESD with an aim to augment understanding to address climate change concerns.
- Transforming learning and training environments for focused ESD.
- Capacity building of various stakeholders including students, youth and industry.
- Identification, scaling up and promotion of climate adaptation practices and technologies.
- Development of target specific resource material.
- Integrating Climate Change concerns in the policies and programmes.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Capacity building: 30 programmes, trained 1100 officials & outreach to 5 lac students.
- Resource material: Information kit on Climate Change in Punjab, Brochure on utilization of briquettes made from paddy straw in brick kilns and Punjab ENVIS Newsletter on Climate Change.
- Developed and implementing following mission mode programmes :
o Implementation of National Green Corps programmes to promote ESD and awareness on climate change issues in 5500 schools
o Towards Climate Resilient Livestock Production System in Punjab
o Gainful utilization of Paddy Straw, abundant agricultural residue of Punjab as green fuel to replacement of fossil fuels.
o Paddy Straw as Raw Material for Ethanol Production
o Climate Change Adaptation in Rural Areas with GIZ
o Project for energy conservation & energy audit in large institutional buildings
o Cultivation & Value Addition through Post Harvest Processing of Bioresources in Shivalik belt to improve adaptive capacity of local people
o Source Apportionment Study : Ludhiana city
o Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) in Cupola Furnace
o Replication of zig-zag technology in brick kilns
Size of academic audience: 
1100 officials of various stakeholder departments/institutions trained, Outreach to more than 0.5 million students by awareness programmes for schools, colleges and universities, Information material distributed to 10000 persons from various target groups
Results: 
- Focused activities for learning through participation of about 0.5 million students of 5500 schools.
- 31,500 students gained exposure through special educational programmes viz. screening of climate change film at specially designed Climate Change Theatre at Science City and visit to Climate Change Science Express.
- Collection, compilation and analysis of Sate specific climate data i.e temperature, rainfall, etc. for last over 100 years.
- Development of target specific resource material on climate resilient technologies.
- Community involvement in designing & developing Climate resilient cattle sheds.
- Technology demonstration for conversion of agri-residue to greener fuel.
- Promoted energy conservation through energy auditing of 74 institutional/government/industrial buildings.
- Development & demonstration of Energy Efficient Technology having replication potential in 3000 brick kilns.
- Sectoral brainstorming & capacity building programmes for identification of suitable climate resilient practices & technologies by collaborating stakeholder organizations which led to development of 10 proposals for seeking climate finance.
Lessons learned: 
Success
- Undertook Training Need Assessment on ESD & climate change issues.
- Development of target specific knowledge material.
- Mass involvement of youth (0.5 million students) in ESD initiatives.
- New Technologies/Processes for pollution control and energy conservation demonstrated involving technical institutions and industry.
- Extensive anti plastic campaigns in educational institutions.

Challenges
- Resource constraints for priority activities.
- Knowledge gaps.
- Need for developing affordable and cost effective climate resilient technologies.
- International linkages and exchange programmes.

Opportunities:
- Plans to set up a "Regional Bio-Residue Management Technology Facilitation Centre'.
- To take up intensive capacity building programmes for addressing climate change vulnerabilities in rural areas.
Key messages: 
The Project is contributing significantly towards SDG 13 through mass involvement of youth, local communities and other stakeholders in addressing concerns pertaining to climate change. The mission mode approach adopted in its implementation has generated visible impact in the command area of RCE Chandigarh.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
The activities taken up under the project have been well integrated with other activities of RCE i.e. popularization of science, dissemination of technologies for pollution control, energy conservation and biotechnological interventions for livelihood generation etc.
Funding: 
RCE Chandigarh acknowledges the support received from Department of Science Technology (DST), Govt. of India, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Govt. of India and GIZ.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Picture-1.JPEG.png (674.94 KB) Training programme on ‘Climate Risk Management’ in collaboration with GIZ at RCE, Chandigarh (20.12.2017) RCE Chandigarh
Image icon Picture-2.JPEG.png (497.19 KB) Visit of school students to Climate Change Special Science Express Train organized by RCE Chandigarh RCE Chandigarh
Image icon Picture-3.JPEG.jpg (110.07 KB) Mission mode programme on promotion of sustainable livelihoods through cultivation & processing of medicinal and aromatic plants in Shivalik Foothill area, Punjab RCE Chandigarh
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Direct
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Direct
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Direct
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Direct
Curriculum Development 
Indirect
Ecotourism 
Direct
Forests/Trees 
Direct
Plants & Animals 
Direct
Waste 
Indirect
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No