RCE Chandigarh - 2018

Climate Change: Actions at local level
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Climate Change: Actions at local level
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Chandigarh
Contributing organization(s) : 
Punjab State Climate Change Knowledge Centre, GIZ-India, Punjab ENVIS Hub and Department of Science Technology (DST), Govt. of India
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Punjab State Climate Change Knowledge Centre
Organizational Affiliation: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh
E-mail: 
ssladhar@yahoo.com
Name: 
Punjab ENVIS Hub
Organizational Affiliation: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh
E-mail: 
ravleenmarwah@gmail.com
Name: 
Ishupinder
Organizational Affiliation: 
GIZ India
E-mail: 
ishupinder.kaur@giz.de
Name: 
Consultancy Cell on Pollution Control & Energy Conservation
Organizational Affiliation: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology
E-mail: 
jkarora20@rediffmail.com
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Web link: 
www.pscst.com & www.punenvis.nic.in
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Yes, in response to and inline with National Policy on Climate Change and National Action Plan on Climate Change
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Subnational
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
India
Location(s): 
Punjab, Inia
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Forest, Urban/Peri-urban, Wetlands
Target Audience:
Community, Primary, Secondary, Teacher Ed., TVET, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Punjab is predominately an agrarian state and is one of the leading states in terms of development and pioneer in green revolution. However, it is also one of the most environmentally affected states of the country. The state has done remarkably well in the field of agriculture and is now laying emphasis on industrial growth. According to the 2008 Global Hunger Index, Punjab has the lowest level of hunger in India. Less than one-fourth of children below the age of five are underweight. Punjab has also one of the lowest poverty rate in India at 6.16% (1999-2000 figures), and has won the best state performance award in the country.
The state also leads the nation in infrastructural development and having strong road, railway and communication network. However, over intensification of agriculture over the years along with industrialization, economic and infrastructural development has lead to degradation and over exploitation of natural resources of the state especially water, land and biodiversity. Developing and refining water saving technologies in crop production and management along with more pollution control & waste management strategies to cater to growing population of the region is needed for sustainable development in the region.
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:
• To enhance understanding about science of climate change
• Create mass awareness on Climate Change
• Capacity building of various stakeholders
• Preparation of projects aiming at addressing climate change vulnerabilities.
• R&D initiatives for developing suitable Climate Resilient Technologies.
• Technology identification and pilot scale demonstration.
• Development of target specific resource material.
• Integrating Climate Change concerns in the policies and programmes.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
April, 2014 to March, 2020
Rationale: 
The rationale behind the project is 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 aimed 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 moblizing 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.The project is focusing on capacity building for project development and is taking up target specific awareness generation programmes.
Objectives: 
Under this project RCE, Chandigarh is taking locale specific steps to achieve objectives outlined below:

Education aiming at addressing climate change vulnerabilities.
Capacity building of various stakeholders including students and youth.
Development of target specific resource material.
Integrating Climate Change concerns in the policies and programmes
Activities and/or practices employed: 
• Capacity building: 24 programmes, trained 1100 officials & oureach 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 7 concept notes/projects (under implementation).
• Implementation of following Projects:

 Towards Climate Resilient Livestock Production System in Punjab
 Gainful utilization of Paddy Straw as fuel in form of briquettes in Brick Kilns
 Paddy Straw as Raw Material for Ethanol Production
 Climate Change Adaptation in Rural Areas with GIZ
 Project for energy conservation & energy audit
 Cultivation & Value Addition through Post Harvest Processing of Bioresources in Shivalik belt to improve adaptive capacity of local people
 Source Apportionment Study : Ludhiana city
 Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) in Cupola Furnace
 Replication of zig-zag technology in brick kilns
Size of academic audience: 
• 24 trainings/ capacity building programs • 1100 officials of various stakeholder departments/institutions were trained • Outreach to >5 lac students by awareness programmes for schools, colleges and universities
Results: 
Technical outcomes of the project are as under:
• Sectoral brainstorming & capacity building programmes for identifying suitable climate resilient practices & technologies.
• Student outreach programmes: 5500 schools & more than 5 lac children by celebrating climate change awareness week.
• Facilitated and mobilized more than 30,000 students to visit Climate Change Science Express.
• Organized special educational & awareness visits through screening of climate change film at specially designed Climate Change Theatre at Science City.
• 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 and technical documents on climate resilient technologies.
• Design & development of Climate resilient cattle sheds and genetic improvement of climate resilient native breeds of cattle.
• Conceptualized and studied combustion behaviour of paddy straw for its gainful utilization as fuel in the form of briquettes in Brick Kilns in place of conventional fuel (coal). Technology demonstration is underway.
• Energy auditing of 14 institutional /government buildings and 60 power intensive industries undertaken to enhance energy efficiency & its conservation.
• Development & demonstration of Energy Efficient Zig-Zag Technology in brick kilns sector for cutting down coal consumption and thereby reducing GHG emissions.
• Developed 10 proposals for seeking climate finance.
Lessons learned: 
Success
• Identification of ESD & Climate Change related Issues
• Taking up awareness/training/capacity building and outreach activities including development of target specific information material
• New Techniques/Models Developed
Opportunities: Upcoming Activities:
• Proposed to set up a "Regional Bio-Residue Management Technology Facilitation Centre' at Mohali.
• Initiative for production of bio-ethanol from damaged wheat food grain is being taken for which process has been optimized at Laboratory scale.
• To take up 10 intensive capacity building programmes of various stakeholders at different levels for addressing climate change vulnerabilities.
Challenges
• Data Gaps in Climate related information /data
• Effective implementation constrained by poor links among different departments / agencies and
Key messages: 
The Project aims to identify emerging challenges from changing climate scenario and promote ESD in the region with more collaborations & linkages at all levels. It endeavors to holistically address Climate Change concerns relevant to the State, particularly, vulnerable sectors viz. agriculture, water, forests, ecosystem, biodiversity, etc.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
The Project is envisioned with promotion of ESD with functional knowledge on local Climate Change issues, catering to the needs of policy makers, scientific community and general public through generation and sharing of information on multiple dimensions.
Funding: 
Department of Science Technology (DST), Govt. of India

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Capacity building Prog.png (674.94 KB) Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh
Image icon Climate Change Express.png (497.19 KB) Punjab State Council for Science & Technology, Chandigarh
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 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 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Direct
Waste 
Direct
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 
Indirect
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