Conflict & Commons: Community-Centred Land Governance for Renewable Energy

India’s rapid renewable energy (RE) expansion is creating new opportunities for clean power, energy security and rural development. At the same time, utility-scale solar and wind projects are seen to exert an impact on agricultural land, grazing commons, water resources, biodiversity and local livelihoods. Understanding these social and environmental dimensions and pressures is becoming important for planners, developers, government agencies and other stakeholders working to deliver renewable energy responsibly.

India’s transition from fossil fuels to RE is central to its climate and economic goals, with a target of reaching 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. Achieving this scale of deployment is estimated to require 0.3- 0.46 million hectare of land. This inevitably pits ‘development’ against environment: resolution of this conflict requires meticulous planning and in-depth understanding of the problem.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites applications for its intensive threeday residential workshop on conflict-sensitive renewable energy development. The course will examine how land governance, environmental and social assessment, stakeholder engagement, project design and benefit sharing can be integrated into renewable energy planning and implementation. Participants will explore practical approaches through Indian case studies and applied exercises.

ON THE TABLE

• Conflict-sensitive land screening and inclusive renewable energy siting, with early identification of land use conflicts and consideration of local social and environmental contexts.
• Land governance, commons, customary rights and livelihoods, including assessment of land classification, community land use and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) where relevant.
• Environmental and social assessment and water stewardship, stakeholder consultation and grievance mechanisms, with systematic identification and management of projectlevel social and environmental risks like biodiversity and habitat infringement.
• Innovative project design, benefit sharing and local livelihoods, including agrivoltaics, canal-top and floating solar, resource-efficient technologies, local employment, skills development and community benefit mechanisms.
• Practical case studies from Pavagada, Phalodi–Pokaran, Nedan, Charanka, Rewa, Sambhar, Dholera, Kamuthi and other renewable energy projects, to examine lessons in land governance, environmental safeguards and community engagement.

FOR MORE DETAILS, PLEASE CONTACT

BINIT DAS
Programme Manager
Renewable Energy Programme, CSE
binit.das@cseindia.org
+91 80933 26269

BISWAJIT GHOSH
Consultant
Renewable Energy Programme, CSE
biswajit@cseindia.org
+91 7980143101