Climate Resilient Communities

This campaign is a result of 2 roundtable discussions organisedin Kerala during September 2016 – January 2017 periodby Thanal, Climate Action Network South Asia, Phia and UNICEF’s climate change and disaster risk reduction program. The objective of the roundtables was to secure recommendations through dialogue between various state actors, government departments, universities, civil society organisations and media to strengthen Kerala’s State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) based on learning and latest best practices since 2014.

The process was started by Thanal by circulating a concept note (see Annexure1) to key officials and policy makers of the State Government and invited their participation for a dialogue on building a Climate Resilient Kerala (CRK). Following enthusiastic response from key state department officials, 2 roundtables were conducted to discuss climate change impacts on Kerala and how best to prepare future adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction plans for integration with state planning process at all levels of governance.

Both the roundtables were graced by the presence of Hon. Ministers for Finance,Women and Children, Disaster Management and Risk Reduction, Health, Solid Waste Management, Agriculture and Panchayath Raj Institutions. The gathering was also attended byHeads of State-level Missions, Secretaries to the Departments, representatives of NABARD. From these discussions women and children were pointed out as a specific area of interest for the SAPCC to focus on, continuing with the spirit of recently forming a new department focused on their welfare.

The process invoked a larger debate on the status of implementation of State Action Plan on Climate Change as well as its effectiveness and the Directorate of Climate Change decided to go for a wider consultation for strengthening SAPCC in the last quarter of 2016.

The CRK roundtables are absolutely conclude that women and children are especially vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, and therefore, need a special focus in the revised Kerala SAPCC through special programs, policiesand budgetary allocations.

The campaign also aims at providing resources, build capacity and network for expanding collective intelligence on climate resilient.

Follow us here Climate Resilient Kerala

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Zerowaste and Climate Action

Zero waste is a unique way one looks at resources – one of the forward looking relevant and profound ways that modern societal change is envisaged in the world today. Thanal provide technical support across India to design, develop and implement zero waste systems. Thanal promotes decentralized solid waste management systems which are based on zero waste principles and discourages polluting technologies that burn or dump waste which may pose threat to life on earth. The programme focuses on building capacities in governments and communities to manage waste more responsibly and  scientifically. It also encourages responsible production and consumption of resources to minimize wastage. Ethics, Efficiency and Economics – the 3Es are the guiding principles. It suggests sustainable development for the larger good and sustenance. It is a total systems approach that goes beyond just segregate- reuse- reduce- recycle. It reiterates the need for a social change to imbibe the ways of nature for survival and sustainability. Being ethical means having genuine concern for other living beings and the Mother Nature. Zero waste Kovalam is an attempt to implement zero waste concepts at Kovalam , the famous tourist destination in Kerala. The project was conceived and launched as a result of an anti waste incineration campaign launched by Thanal in 1996 as a part of larger Zero waste campaign. The project was initiated in 2001 focusing on building capacity and relationships among the local community for better resource management policies, generate clean and sustainable employment through discards recovery andmaterial substitution.

Zero waste centre, a part of Zero waste Kovalam programme was established in April 2003, as a resource use education centre with the objective of designing and developing useful products from discards and sustainable materials. The centre facilitate for sourcing of such products, imparting training and building awareness on zero waste. The Centre evolved from the need to complement the effort of the zero waste Kovalam programme which demands ideas, products and designs that are diverse and eco friendly. It has been able to share the lessons learnt in an economical and ecological way of handling waste with local self governments, institutions, local people and has helped build relationships and partnerships among various stakeholders.

Zero waste Himalaya was launched in 2010 and in last couple of years it is emerging as a movement to fight climate change "Zero Waste for Zero Warming". Zero Waste Himalaya was initiated by groups and individuals across the Himalayan Mountain region with the technical guidance of Thanal for promoting better resource use and recovery practices.

Join Zero Waste Himalayas in Facebook or write to zerowastehimalaya@gmail.com to join the group.

Helpline for Zero Waste

A helpline service is provided by Thanal on solid waste management for local self Governments, institutions and public. This is to assist people in choosing technology, processes and practices for better waste management. Troubleshooting service of compost / biogas plants is available for people living in the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation. A database of recyclers of Thiruvananthapuram City has been made available at Thanal Website for facilitating the recovery of non-bio-degradable discards. Awareness classes, discussions, demonstrations are organized on demand.

The canvass of Zero Waste is broadened with Climate Action work which is focused on building Climate resilience. The programme advocates for ‘Low Carbon’ and ‘Carbon Neutral’ cities/villages. Thanal addresses the issue of climate change, by helping communities and governments to understand the depth of climate change, design and promote development projects that are climate-resilient to mitigate and to adapt to the changing climate scenarios. Our project areas work towards co-creating systemic shifts, action-based research and behaviour change in societies. In the current climate-uncertain world, we explore strategic partnerships and innovations with communities to ‘think global, act local’. The challenge of climate change calls for extraordinary vision, leadership, compassion and wisdom. The accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere has led to global warming. If the world is indeed serious about making climate-friendly investments, it must consider the opportunity provided by a country like India where economic growth could be achieved with the minimum level of emission by employing new technologies and finance for achieving low carbon growth.

MAJOR PROJECTS:

  • Zero waste cities
  • Carbon neutral communities
  • Break free from plastics
  • Zero waste Himalaya
  • Green Army International

ACTIVITIES

  • Environment leadership training
  • Material substitution
  • Entrepreneurship development programme
Categories

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Thanal promotes and supports a sustainable form of agriculture which ensures

  • Restoration and Protection of biodiversity and the environment
  • Enhanced incomes for farmers and their families,
  • Food safety and security for consumers and the public at large

Our work involves not only projects on the ground, but also advocating changes in government policies. We currently run projects in Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad and Palakkad in Kerala.

Save Our Rice Campaign, Promotion of organic farming, Organic Bazaar and Centre for Agroecology and Environment Studies in Wayanad are some of our current projects.

Along with other organisations in Kerala, Thanal strongly campaigned for keeping Kerala free of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), leading to the Kerala government declaring the state ‘GM-Free’ in 2007. Thanal also supported the state governments efforts to develop a robust policy for organic farming in Kerala.

Rice is the most important crop for Asians. Rice means not only food, but also culture, livelihood, nature, art, education … everything. For us in India, especially in the south, east and north eastern regions, rice is the staple food and it decides the landscape and rural economy. It is our heritage. It is our identity.

Unfortunately in the last 10-15 years, all the possible threats we can imagine, are making rice cultivation unsustainable. Unpredictable climatic changes, new trade policies, dismantling of support systems, loss of soil fertility, pest outbreak, loss in biodiversity, increasing cost of labour and other inputs, decreasing gross returns, etc. have created a situation where farmers find it difficult to sustain rice cultivation. Along with these, changing agriculture policies and campaign on the advantages of other uses of rice fields have attracted farmers and in many areas rice fields have given way to horticulture, urban development, development of landfills and industrial expansion. This is threatening the very existence of our culture and rural economy, relationships and ultimately ecology. Most importantly, this is threatening our food security and livelihood security.

Save our rice campaign is an attempt to bring together everyone who is interested in sustaining rice cultivation – farmers, consumers, NGOs, students, children, teachers, leaders, policymakers, media, academicians, scientists and in a broader sense, the general public – to explore several ways of sustaining rice and rice-culture. Rice and rice-culture is not just an agricultural affair. So the whole society, whose culture and identity is linked to the rice-systems, should come together, talk, experiment and find ways to save rice from being pushed into oblivion. The campaign covers the whole of Asia, connected and coordinated by various organizations and groups. We at THANAL propose to introduce the campaign in South India, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhyapradesh.
THE CAMPAIGN.

  • Save our rice campaign is a people’s movement to protect the diverse rice cultures,
    knowledge, and ensure food sovereignty. In India, it started in 2004, and empowers
    communities build sustainable food security and livelihood.
  • Establishing community rice diversity blocks (RDBs) and seed banks, conserving and
    promoting indigenous varieties of paddy seeds.
  • Creating awareness about value of rice diversity among urban consumers.
  • Facilitating adoption of agro-ecological farming in rice ecosystems, and encouraging
    farmers, states and local governments to adopt indigenous seeds.
  • Enabling active discussions in the media about indigenous seeds and agro ecological
    farming.

OBJECTIVES

  • Conserving rice ecosystems
  • Sustaining rice culture and diversity
  • Protecting traditional wisdom
  • Preventing GMO’s and toxics
  • Ensuring safe and nutritious food

ACTIVITIES(2006-2018)

  • Climate resilient agriculture
  • Rice diversity blocks
  • Seed festivals
  • Seed banks
  • Protection of paddy wetlands
  • Seed conservation
  • Markets for organic rice varieties
  • Traditional food melas
  • Working with the Governments
  • Children for the future of rice

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

  • 26 Rice diversity blocks in 7 states
  • 21 community level seed banks in 7 states
  • 21 indigenous organic rice trade networks in 7 states
  • 11 community rice resource centers in 7 states
  • 1054 indigenous rice seeds available in collection in 7 states
  • More than 1 lakh farmers across 7 states adopt indigenous paddy varieties
  • Nabadigantho farming system for sustainability, improved livelihood and climate
    resilience in the villages in Sunderbans
  • Policy change in various states and local governments – protection of paddy wetlands;
    organic farming; adoption of indigenous paddy varieties; positions against GMOs.

PUBLICATIONS & FILMS

  • Quarterly paddy bulletin
  • Rice calendars
  • Books on folk rice in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamilnadu
  • Status of rice in India,2016
  • Posters on folk rice in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Paddy storage systems
  • Reports, booklets, case studies on paddy ecosystems, pesticide use in rice
  • In search of our lost rice seeds(Documentary film)
  • Pearls of wisdom (Documentary film)
  • Documentation of indigenous seeds

What all can we do?

There are many individuals and groups who have been working on sustaining rice for a very long period. But the threat faced by rice in the country cannot be fought back by the efforts in isolation. We need to join together to stop wrong policies and biotechnology from destroying our precious rice heritage. To come together and act, we request you to

  • Identify individuals and groups and form regional level networks. Hold local and
    regional level meetings to discuss, analyse and explore ways for sustaining rice
    and rice-farmers in your region.
  • Build up a campaign addressing various sections of the society, especially
    consumer groups, farmers and students on the needs to sustain rice.
  • Identify, document and conserve paddy fields, related systems, traditional varieties
    and cultivation practices, traditional knowledge, culture etc.
  • Join the “Save Our Rice – Campaign” and form a part of a regional, state wide,
    national and international movement to conserve rice.
  • Pressure the local, state and central governments to sustain rice and rice farmers.
  • Write to us about the status, concerns and scope of rice in your area, region and
    state.

Also write to us about your work in related aspects and about your campaign. We can work together to sustain rice.

visit indianricecampaign.org

Categories

Living Ecosystem

The current ‘Development’ paradigm unfortunately do not consider the totality of eco systems which supports lives and livelihoods of people. The engines of ‘Development’ which are motivated by temporary profits disregard just and equitable right over the natural resources. The piece meal approach in managing land without considering the ecosystems of which they are part of it leads to environmental disaster and social conflicts. Living Ecosystems is a programme of Thanal, where it tries to sensitize public and policy makers in land use so as to conserve the eco systems which harbors millions of people and their livelihood. Through policy advocacy and campaign, Thanal contributed for the formulation of Wetland and Paddy land conservation programmes and policies in Kerala. Currently Thanal is following the debates over Western Ghats.

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