Environment and Ecology

Environmental conservation and sustainability, respecting ecological integrity and limits

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This section relates to initiatives that promote the principles of ecological integrity and limits. These are initiatives which envision models of decentralized conservation of land, water and biodiversity, based on a respect for both local and modern knowledge, and considering environment as an integral part of life and work. It also highlight attempts at linking livelihoods to ecological regeneration and restoration at local and landscape level. It will feature innovative attempts to deal with problems of pollution and waste. Overall, this section will try to work towards an understanding of the ecosystem which includes sociological, historical and geographical considerations while deciding on the path that local urban/ rural communities and the larger society take towards well-being.

Whitefield Rising: Making the change happen

From waste management to water conservation, garbage issues to road safety, Whitefield Rising brings the community together to combat these issues on their own.

Sustainability Museum in Chennai

The country’s first sustainability museum in Chennai has been launched to create awareness among people about eco-friendly products and practices.

It’s the heart of Indian agriculture that matters, not GM evangelism

“We assert our sovereign rights to freely plant, use, reproduce, select, improve, adapt, save, share…as we have done for past millennia.”

Rice from Dry River

“The channel provides water throughout the year, even when the drought is severe,” says Chinna Erappa, a farmer.

Debal Deb: The barefoot conservator

"The places Indian elites like to call ‘backward’, such as tribal areas, were those with the greatest chances of having retained these varieties over time."

Raju: 1 Billion(!) Trees planted in a Day!

S. M. Raju ingeniously integrated the Indian government’s rural employment guaranty scheme (NREGA) with tree plantation drives.

30-year journey from tribal boy to Forest Man

The man who planted a forest

From Hunters to Protectors

(for kids) The Nyishi community of Arunachal Pradesh used to hunt hornbills, then things changed...

Hiware Bazar : A conversation with Popatrao Pawar

A free wheeling conversation with Popatrao Pawar, the legendary Sarpanch of Hiware Bazar. Pawar led Hiware Bazar's transformation from a drought- prone village to a green and prosperous model village, thus successfully reproducing Anna Hazare's Ralegaon Siddhi model of village development. In this conversation, he talks us through his journey of the last 25 years and the principles by which the village governs itself.