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Work overview

Sustainable Food Systems program team at CSE leads the Regenerative Agriculture campaign and has been focussing on promotion of agroecological practices such as organic/natural farming and climate resilient agriculture. The programme team works towards necessary change in policy, practice and systems across relevant sectors. Enabling policies/programs for greater promotion of organic/natural farming and climate resilient agriculture Capacity building of state-level agriculture extension officials Generate evidence, policy surveillance and raising awareness There is a need to re-think the way food should be produced in India. Transition to sustainable food systems—is a win-win for people, the planet and livelihoods.  

Work overview

This component of the programme designs tools and approaches to strengthen pollution regulation and environment impact assessments across the global South. As part of this, CSE recommends environment assessment approaches that are tailored to high impact/visibility sectors, and then helps build capacities of officials/regulators in the application of these approaches. In Tanzania, CSE has provided a crucial support in formulating new regulations to the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC), the nodal agency in Tanzania, for conducting environmental impact assessments, compliance and enforcement. The Government of Tanzania has notified the regulations on August 31, 2018.

WORK OVERVIEW

CSE has been well known for influencing the design of international climate policy since well before such policy was enshrined in formal institutions - whether it is the landmark paper released in 1991 by Sunita Narain and Anil Agarwal, calling for a decolonisation of carbon budget accounting, or CSE’s commentary on every UN climate meeting since 1992. CSE has led the discourse in climate policy for over three decades advocating for equity, the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, and investing in resilient economies for the poor. The Climate Change Programme is committed to championing the study of the most pressing climate issues relevant for the Global South. CSE’s publications on climate-critical topics, its presence at UNFCCC proceedings such as COP summits and Subsidiary Body meetings, public outreach and advocacy, media engagement, and training programmes are designed to create multipliers in society for climate action.

Work Overview

An excreta flow diagram (also often described as shit flow diagram, SFD) is a tool to readily understand and communicate how excreta physically flows through a city or town. For more info on SFD and the SFD promotion initiative visit https://sfd.susana.org During the first two phases of the SFD promotion initiative, CSE was closely working with SFD PI partners (BMGF, EAWAG, GIZ, University of Leeds, WEDC, World Bank) to develop tools and methods for the production of SFDs and refinement based on feedback received from sector practitioners. As part of the SFD Phase 1 & 2 grants, CSE prepared more than 100 SFDs (65 + in Ganga basin states & the rest for other cities in India). CSE has made a considerable contribution to support the production and review of good-quality SFDs as well as help train practitioners.

WORK OVERVIEW

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) entered into a partnership with Bijnor Nagar Palika Parishad (BNPP) to support in implementation of action plan/strategies with a focus on effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management, as listed in the City’s Sanitation Plan (CSP) endorsed by the City Sanitation Task Force (CSTF)’ in February 2019. CSE supports municipal functionaries to plan and implement reforms for achieving effective FSSM and city-wide sanitation by facilitating the convergence of various national and state policies, plans, programmes and project implementation showcasing improvements across the urban sanitation value chain – containment, emptying, disposal, treatment and reuse/recycle, together with river pollution abatement.

WORK OVERVIEW

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) entered into a partnership with Chunar Nagar Palika Parishad (CNPP) to implement effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management for improved city-wide sanitation, in February 2019. CSE agreed to co-operate with CNPP to provide technical support for improvement in urban sanitation across the sanitation value chain in the city. CSE supports Municipal functionaries plan and implement reforms for achieving effective

WORK OVERVIEW

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) entered into a partnership with Department of Urban Development (DoUD), Government of Uttar Pradesh for ‘Support foreffective Septage Management in Uttar Pradesh’ in January 2018. CSE agreed to co-operate with DoUD to provide support for improvement in urban sanitation across the sanitation value chain in state-supported programmes, and provide technical support to select cities in Uttar Pradesh. CSE shall support state functionaries and ULBs plan and implement reforms for achieving effective septage management and city wide sanitation by facilitating the convergence of various national and state policies, plans, programmes and project implementation showcasing improvements across the urban sanitation value chain – containment, emptying, disposal, treatment and reuse/recycle, together with river pollution abatement.

WORK OVERVIEW

India faces a huge energy deficit, with millions of households without power for basic lighting or cooking, and coal power is essential for the next few decades to resolve this energy crisis, to address the issue of energy access, which is just as important as the environmental problems of unclean power. Centre for Science and Environment believes that we need to push for renewables – not because we can afford to do without coal, but because it is the urgent requirement to address the looming climate change concerns. At the same time, it is equally important is to clean up our coal power sector so that it does not destroy the environment and take human lives. This entails shutting down old and inefficient power plants, and reducing emissions from the remaining

WORK OVERVIEW

CSE has been working on rural water and sanitation issues for over two decades, with its focus on the need for sustainable management of water and wastewater. As part of this work, we have spearheaded research projects, documented case studies, produced a wide range of publications, reports and manuals, and undertaken model projects and training programmes. This work has resulted in some of CSE’s most influential and widely appreciated publications, among them Dying Wisdom: The Rise, Fall and Potential of Traditional Water Harvesting Systems, a monumental study that catalysed political leaders, judiciary, the media and other decision-makers into start thinking about rainwater harvesting, and Making Water Everybody’s Business, a treatise on the theory and practice of rainwater harvesting targeted at planners and policy-makers. In 1998,

WORK OVERVIEW

The Food Safety and Toxins (FST) programme team at CSE leads the AMR campaign and has been focusing on the animal and environmental aspects of AMR since 2009. Centered on the laboratory studies, the programme team complements with field studies and works towards necessary change in policy, practice and systems across relevant sectors such as food, feed, drug and environment. It has been part of the NAP-AMR development process and was successful in bringing necessary focus on the animal and environment aspects. CSE is now a stakeholder in NAP-AMR implementation and is working with the state of Kerala to support its action plan.

The School of Water and Waste (SW&W)

CSE has played a significant role in highlighting issues around Water, especially in creating awareness for an urgent need to address citywide sanitation and effective Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM). For instance, in 2011 CSE developed a policy paper on Septage Management in India which influenced the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to issue an Advisory Note on SeptageManagement in 2013,

WORK OVERVIEW

The waste management programme at CSE addresses institutional structures involved in waste management, treatment and disposal; helps build regulatory and technical capacities of cities in waste management; and highlights the role of the informal sector in India and global south through in-depth research and advocacy. CSE’s influential publication in 2016 on solid waste management, ‘Not in My Backyard’, highlighted the growing problem of waste in urban areas and carried in-depth case studies from cities following good solid waste management practices, as well as enabling policies and regulations. As part of its initiative to support implementation, the team signed an MoU with the city of Muzzafarpur in Bihar to develop an enabling framework for solid waste management which can be replicated in other cities and towns of India.  

The right of the people of the mining-affected areas to benefit from the mineral-rich lands they live on

The lopsided equation of poverty and social benefits have ailed some of India's richest mining districts for decades. Mining has benefitted mining companies, individual miners and governments, not the communities living there. After years of deliberations and negotiations in 2015, the country's central mining law, the the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) of 1957 was amended and District Mineral Foundation (DMF) was instituted. The DMF is a non-profit statutory 'Trust' for every Indian district affected by mining-related operations, which should "work for the interest and benefit of persons, and areas affected by mining-related operations".

WHAT IS CEMS?

Continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) and continuous effluent quality monitoring system (CEQMS) are real-time air and water pollution monitoring systems respectively. Continuous ambient air quality monitoring system (CAAQMS) is used for monitoring ambient air quality on real- time basis. A continuous monitoring system is comprised of sampling, conditioning, and analytical components and software designed to provide direct, real- time, continuous measurements of pollution by analyzing representative sample(s) of air and water to be monitored. It is an important tool for better compliance enforcement through credible pollution monitoring and reporting practices.