RCE Jammu - 2019

Economics of Transitioning to Low Carbon Himalayan Economies: Opportunities, Challenges and Policy Options for Tackling Climate Risks
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Economics of Transitioning to Low Carbon Himalayan Economies: Opportunities, Challenges and Policy Options for Tackling Climate Risks
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Jammu
Contributing organization(s) : 
Dr. Falendra Kumar Sudan, RCE (Jammu) & Professor, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India – 180 006, E-mail: fk_sud@rediffmail.com
Ms. Suman Lata, Trustee, Jammu and Kashmir Child Rights and Research Trust, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India, E-mail: sumansudan1234@gmail.com
Mr. Tapas Sudan, M.B.A IV Semester, The Business School, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India, E-mail: tapassudan69@gmail.com
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Dr. Falendra Kumar Sudan
Organizational Affiliation: 
RCE (Jammu) & Professor, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India – 180 006
E-mail: 
fk_sud@rediffmail.com
Name: 
Ms. Suman Lata
Organizational Affiliation: 
Trustee, Jammu and Kashmir Child Rights and Research Trust, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
E-mail: 
sumansudan1234@gmail.com
Name: 
Mr. Tapas Sudan
Organizational Affiliation: 
M.B.A IV Semester, The Business School, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
E-mail: 
tapassudan69@gmail.com
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Update
Web link: 
www.jammuuniversity.in
Additional resources: 
In line with the Global Action Programme (GAP) for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), priority action areas are identified to advance the ESD in participatory manner, which includes integrating education and research relevant to key sustainable development (SD) challenges, such as low carbon economy, climate change, disaster risk reduction and biodiversity; reorienting curriculum and teaching methodology with community cooperation and participation at higher education and scaling up to other levels and types of education, including secondary schools, early childhood care and education, technical and vocational education and training, and the non-formal education of youth and adults; building capacity of educators and trainers, mentoring youth as change agents, and local communities in relevant areas of sustainable development using appropriate teaching and learning methodology through ESD. All relevant stakeholders including local government agencies, civil society organizations, private sector, media, academic and research community, educational institutions, and individual teachers and learners are roped in to operationalize priority action areas.
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Higher Education Policy
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
India
Location(s): 
Jammu and Kashmir
Address of focal point institution for project: 
RCE, Jammu, Department of Economics, University of Jammu, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Ecosystem(s):
Mountain
Target Audience:
Higher
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The climate is predominantly sub-tropical in Jammu region, which lies in the Shivaliks of the Himalayas. The population of the region is most sparse in hills with high density in low-lands urban areas. Being hilly and rural characteristics, the occupational distribution of the region is biased in favour of agriculture and allied activities. The region is richly endowed with forests and mineral resources. It has huge potential of horticulture and floriculture, which contribute immensely to financial strengthening of the region and provide livelihood to masses and help alleviate poverty.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The region has great diversity and disparity in terms of socio-cultural, economic and environmental conditions in the context of climate change and adaptation capacity, which is facing major challenges confronting the goal of sustainable development in the context of climate change. Some districts of the region have experienced extreme poverty, high incidence of food insecurity and malnutrition, low school enrollment and widespread illiteracy. Above all, the quality education for sustainable development (ESD) is a major challenge in the region, for which there is need to assign high priority to curriculum reform including teaching and learning at all levels of education.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
January, 2019 to September, 2019
Rationale: 
In the context of teaching and learning, SD concerns are integrated in curriculum development as well as curriculum re-orientation. Courses on ESD have been more intensively implemented at undergraduate and postgraduate level along with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research studies at university level only. Current and future ESD activities of RCE (Jammu) at Department of Economics and at university level are noticeable and reflected in terms of introduction of new elective courses at postgraduate level and Diploma and Certificate courses in area of SD offered at some faculties. For instance, there is an ongoing specialized compulsory undergraduate course on “Environmental Studies” for students of all affiliated colleges. Nine new courses focusing on sustainable development themes such as Environmental Economics, Demography and Climate Change, Urban Economics, Economics of Innovation, Health Economics and Policy, Energy Economics, Natural Resource Economics, and Economics of Gender have been made operational from the current academic session 2018-19 for postgraduate students in Economics with active support and mentoring of RCE (Jammu). Two new postgraduate interdisciplinary online/offline One Year (Two Semesters) Diploma Courses in “Sustainable Urban Development and Policy” and “Sustainable Development” and three new interdisciplinary online/offline three months certificate courses in “Economics of Climate Change”, “Economics of Water Governance”, and “Climate Change and Sustainable Development” are to be operationalized from the academic session 2019-2020. In near future, short duration courses on "Economics of Low Carbon Himalayan Economies" will be offered to youth and stakeholders in government and non-government sectors, for which training modules are being prepared.
Objectives: 
One of the goals of RCE (Jammu) is to initiate courses and programmes to impart formal and informal education and learning including interdisciplinary research and dissemination at higher education level to accelerate progress towards SD by reorienting higher education and learning for transfer of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to empower relevant stakeholders to contribute to SD.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
New courses on SD themes have been made operational from 2018-19 at postgraduate level in Economics. Two new postgraduate interdisciplinary online/offline Diploma Courses and three new interdisciplinary online/offline three months certificate courses are to be operationalized from 2019-2020. Broader area of research is “Addressing Sustainability in Shivaliks of Himalayan Region”. Short term activities includes conducting research studies, writing working papers, publishing edited volumes, organizing symposiums, workshops, seminars and conferences on climate change and addressing sustainability. The proposed Faculty Improvement Programme (FIP) includes Teaching Sustainability in Higher Education and Pedagogic Workshop on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). RCE (Jammu) has also proposed to start a new bi-annual peer reviewed research journal titled “Journal of Sustainable Development” in inter-disciplinary perspective, besides Foreign University Collaborations, University- Industry Interface, and University-Government Interface in research and development tasks on local and regional development. For these proposed activities and programmes, the University of Jammu has recently allocated a generous funding of INR 2000000 (equivalent 30000 USD).
Size of academic audience: 
Postgraduate students in Economics: 90 + (Regular mode) and 500 + (Distance mode) each year; Post-Graduate Diploma Courses: Online – 500 +, offline – 50 + per programme each year; Short Duration Courses: 40 + each
Results: 
In the field of ESD, new SD courses will be taught as a part of Masters Degree programme at Department of Economics, University of Jammu with active collaboration of members of the RCE Jammu from July 2019. Two new postgraduate interdisciplinary online/offline One Year (Two Semesters) Diploma Courses and three new interdisciplinary online/offline three months certificate courses on SD Themes are to be operationalized from 2019-2020 for researchers and professionals from government and non-government agencies as well as the fresh graduates and post-graduates and members of the civil society. Faculty Improvement Programme, Pedagogic Workshop, International Conference on ESD, Journal of Sustainable Development, Foreign University Collaborations, University- Industry Interface, and University-Government Interface on ESD will be accomplished by the end of March 2020.
Lessons learned: 
Community engagement and collaboration in ongoing initiatives and activities is essential to address key SD challenges in different knowledge domains. In above context, institutional support is needed to effectively operationalize the ESD programmes from executive leadership of University of Jammu. Local government and agencies are chronically strapped of SD research skills and RCE Jammu can engage for SD projects at local level by entering in to internship or practicum programmes with them through active collaboration. University authorities has given generous funding of INR 2000000 (equivalent 30000 USD)to start a new bi-annual peer reviewed research journal titled “Journal of Sustainable Development” in inter-disciplinary perspective, besides Foreign University Collaborations, University- Industry Interface, and University-Government Interface in research and development tasks on local and regional development.
Key messages: 
Aim of project is to focus on how it fits in to the framework of ESD, Sustainable Development, Low Carbon Himalayan Economy and Climate Change and whether adopted approaches for developing courses and their contents and materials are convincing? It will be open for constructive criticism, feedback and suggestions for strengthening future course of actions.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
As per past practice, efforts will be made to collaborate with other RCE in the Region, specifically RCE Srinagar to develop the related course materials and organization and conduct of programmes and research collaboration.
Funding: 
In order to accomplish the aforesaid academic, research and capacity building, a funding of more than INR 260 lacs (equivalent 3.5 million USD) has been proposed under Rashtriya Uttchtar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India up to March 2020. University authorities has given generous funding of INR 2000000(equivalent 30000 USD)to start a new bi-annual peer reviewed research journal titled “Journal of Sustainable Development” in inter-disciplinary perspective, besides Foreign University Collaborations, University- Industry Interface, and University-Government Interface in research and development tasks on local and regional development.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Photo.JPEG_DSC01209.JPG (1.25 MB) RCE Jammu and RCE Srinagar Collaborative Workshop A. Gangwar
Image icon Photo.JPEG_DSC01213.JPG (1.33 MB) RCE Jammu and RCE Srinagar Collaborative Workshop A. Gangwar
Image icon Photo.JPEG_DSC01227.JPG (1.32 MB) RCE Jammu and RCE Srinagar Collaborative Workshop A. Gangwar
References and reference materials: 
File RCE JAMMU_LOW CARBON_Climate_Himalayan_Abstract.docx
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
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 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Direct
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Indirect
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 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
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 
Indirect
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Ecotourism 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Direct
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: 
Yes