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Centring Community Stewardship - Pathways to Inclusive Climate Action and Finance This is an important session at the India Land and Development Conference (ILDC) 2024, organised by the Community Stewardship Coalition (CSC). It brings together experts, practitioners, and leaders to explore how community stewardship can become a cornerstone of climate resilience and sustainable finance. Featuring voices from Axis Bank Foundation, ClimateRISE Alliance, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun, India, EcoSatva Solutions, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Seva Mandir, Women4Biodiversity, Udaipur Urja Initiatives Producer Co. Ltd., and more, the session on November 7, 2.45 onwards, will dive into how community-led approaches can reshape conservation, drive climate action, and foster inclusive finance. Ishan Agrawal from Common Ground Initiative will be one of the speakers during this session. The roundtable will cover essential topics for: 🔹 Corporates & Carbon Market Players – Integrating community stewardship to reduce risks and enhance carbon market impacts 🔹 The Scientific Community – Innovations in participatory MRV and measurement methodologies 🔹 CSOs & Community Leaders – Building capacities, partnerships, and resilience against market forces The Community Stewardship Coalition (CSC) comprised of Foundation For Ecological Security (FES) | Landstack - Center for Land | ClimateRISE Alliance | Common Ground Initiative and LGT Venture Philanthropy, the CSC was formed to amplify community-led climate efforts across diverse geographies. Through the ILDC platform, CSC aims to engage Corporates, the Scientific Community, and CSOs to put community stewardship at the forefront of meaningful climate action. Together, let’s shift the conversation from “Can communities lead?” to “How do we ensure they’re at the centre of climate action?” Aranyak EcoHarvest Pvt. Ltd | Asar | Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay | Catalyst Management Services | Centre for Research in Schemes & Policies (CRISP) | Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai | Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe)| Dakshin Foundation | Gram Vaani | Idobro Impact Solutions | Indian Commoner Forum | India Development Review (IDR) | PHIA Foundation | Platform Commons | Professional Assistance For Development Action (PRADAN) | Rythu Sadhikara Samstha | The/Nudge Institute | UNDP in India | Vrutti -Livelihood Impact Partners | Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs | WASSANIndia | Living Landscapes #ClimateAction #CommunityStewardship #ILDC2024 #InclusiveFinance #CarbonMarkets

On October 27, 2024, Poovulagin Nanbargal, St. Xavier’s College in Palayamkottai, and the Jesuits Ecology Commission jointly organized a 5 km “Climate Walkathon,” with over 3,000 students advocating for decisive action against climate change. The rally, which began at 7 a.m., was officially inaugurated by esteemed guests, including Mr. Ramakrishnan, Mayor of Tirunelveli; Mr. Rupesh Kumar IPS, Tirunelveli City Police Commissioner; Fr. Ignatius Muthu, Director of the St. Xavier’s College Research Foundation; and College Principal Fr. Godwin Rufus. The event addressed the worsening climate crisis, highlighting the rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather events like storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and heat waves. After the walkathon, distinguished guests—MP Mr. Robert Bruce, MLA Mr. Abdul Waqab, Tirunelveli District Forest Officer Thiru. Murugan IFS, and Poovulagin Nanbargal Coordinator Thiru. Sundarrajan—spoke passionately about environmental stewardship, inspiring the young participants to lead by example. Each speaker emphasized the urgent need for collective global action. The rally concluded with students pledging a deepened commitment to understanding climate issues and becoming advocates for climate action in their communities. Their enthusiastic participation underscored a promising drive toward a more sustainable future, embodying hope for a proactive generation committed to protecting the planet.

Introducing the Climate Leaders Action Network 30 (CLAN30) Special Edition Report! After a powerful roundtable discussion, we're happy to share insights from our Climate Leaders Action Network 30 (CLAN30) roundtable on "Building Climate Resilience: The Power of Networks and Collective Action". This report highlights how climate action networks, grow stronger through interconnectedness and mutual support. The session brought together a range of experts Sridhar Radhakrishnan Jui Joshi Priya Pillai Siddharth Sreenivas Myron Mendes and Prabhakaran who shared valuable strategies on building resilient networks, engaging grassroots movements, and strengthening climate resilience. The report dives into practical steps for creating sustainable climate collectives, tackling climate change through local and global collaboration, and the importance of a bottom-up approach. 📢 Please read, reflect, and share this report widely, especially with those interested in creating or supporting climate-focused collectives. Let’s amplify the power of networks for a sustainable future! Happy to share this just before COP29 #ClimateAction #Sustainability #CollectiveImpact #CLAN30 #ClimateLeadership #YouthInClimate #cop29

We are happy to share an important news article recently co-published by BaiManus Media Research Centre and Mongabay India as part of Project Dharitri supported by #Asar. The piece delves into the world of fireflies and looks at the fireflies festivals that happen across many parts of Maharashtra and have become a great tourist attraction over the years. It chronicles the impact of climate induced changes and unsustainable tourism on fireflies in Bhandardara leading to their habitat loss. The report particularly looks at how this has posed grave challenges for local indigenous communities and mainly women whose livelihoods depend on the fireflies festivals as they sell local produce like fruits and berries to the tourists to make a living. With a loss in their habitats and stricter rules to regulate tourism, they are struggling to make ends meet. Read this story to know more.  https://lnkd.in/gPaQ9fwb 🔍What is Project Dharitri? Project Dharitri is an initiative led by Asar and Baimanus (a grassroots media platform in Maharashtra) to encourage reporting on climate change at the grassroots level in local language by women who are themselves affected by the climate crisis. Women community reporters from 10 districts of Maharashtra have been reporting on issues underlying the various intersections of gender and climate change in India. #ClimateChange #GenderandClimate #Fireflies #HabitatLoss #Biodiversity Neha Saigal Ankita Bhatkhande Saumya Shrivastava Elizabeth Soby

Strengthening Women’s Agency in Environmental Governance | ILDC 2024 The India Land Development Conference (ILDC) has emerged as a key gathering for practitioners, policymakers, and experts focused on land-related issues in India. This year’s ILDC, hosted at Flame University, Pune, from November 5-7, will bring critical discussions to the fore. Learn more about ILDC here: https://www.ildc.co.in/ Common Ground Initiative is pleased to host an invite-only roundtable, Strengthening Women’s Agency for Environmental Governance in India, on November 5, 2024, from 2:45 PM onwards. This session builds on the conversations initiated during the Commons Convening in August on Women’s Leadership for Commons. Insights from that session highlighted the importance of linking women’s empowerment with the sustainable management of shared resources. (Recording of the session available here: https://lnkd.in/gNx8UdGt) This roundtable at ILDC will bring together women-focused and conservation-centred organisations to advance these discussions and build a collaborative agenda for empowering women in environmental governance. Stay tuned to this page for more information on the session. Visit Landstack - Center for Land for more information on ILDC. Mann Deshi Foundation | Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank Limited | Kalpavriksh | Womanity | Foundation For Ecological Security (FES) | Tata Institute of Social Sciences | UNDP in India | Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe) | Aranyak EcoHarvest Pvt. Ltd | Asar | Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies, IIT Bombay | Catalyst Management Services | Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai | Dakshin Foundation | Gram Vaani | Idobro Impact Solutions | Indian Commoner Forum | India Development Review (IDR) | Platform Commons | Professional Assistance For Development Action (PRADAN) | Rythu Sadhikara Samstha | The/Nudge Institute | Vrutti -Livelihood Impact Partners | Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs | WASSANIndia | PHIA Foundation | Centre for Research in Schemes & Policies (CRISP) | Living Landscapes #WomenInGovernance #EnvironmentalLeadership #ILDC2024 #Commons #Empowerment #SustainableDevelopment

Safeguarding India’s Shared Wealth: Protecting Our Commons 🌿 In this video story presented by Article 14, we are taken across the diverse landscapes of India—forests, pastures, and coastal ecosystems—to witness the significance of the Commons. These shared resources, collectively managed by communities, support millions of livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, and hold centuries of cultural and traditional wisdom, along with locally evolved self-regulatory practices fundamental to democracy at the local level. Conserving such Commons and their self-governing capability helps address several challenges, including climate change, biodiversity conservation, local democratic governance, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Jagdeesh Puppala, Subrata Singh, and Kanchi Kohli—share their insights and lived experiences, shedding light on the critical role of the Commons in sustaining communities and fostering environmental resilience. Together, they speak of the importance of local governance and self-regulation of Commons, economic valuation of land Commons, and restoration as a path to preserving livelihoods and achieving social justice. The story explores the economic and ecological value of land Commons, embraces multilingual perspectives on conservation, and showcases the Commons Convening—a collaborative initiative uniting civil society, community leaders, businesses and academicians-- to join hands in protecting these shared resources from climate and human-induced threats. This story by Kavitha Iyer and Article 14 is a reminder of the need to preserve these lands and uphold a legacy of shared responsibility and climate resilience—a legacy that will sustain and serve generations to come. Watch the video here: https://lnkd.in/gJxzZqYW 1000 Landscapes For 1 Billion People | Aranyak EcoHarvest Pvt. Ltd | Asar | Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment | Axis Bank Foundation | Azim Premji Foundation | Catalyst Management Services | Centre for Research in Schemes & Policies (CRISP) | Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai | Co-Impact | Collaborating for Resilience (CoRe) | Dakshin Foundation | EcoAgriculture Partners | EdelGive Foundation | Foundation For Ecological Security (FES) | Gram Vaani | Idobro Impact Solutions | India Climate Collaborative | LGT Venture Philanthropy | Mulago | Platform Commons | Professional Assistance For Development Action (PRADAN) | Rainmatter Foundation | Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies | Reap Benefit | Skoll Foundation | Target | The Convergence Foundation | The/Nudge Institute | UNDP in India | Vrutti -Livelihood Impact Partners | Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs | WASSANIndia #India #Sustainability #CommonsConservation #Biodiversity #Article14Live #ClimateAction #Conservation #CommunityResilience #TraditionalKnowledge #LocalGovernance #NaturalResources #BiodiversityConservation #LandCommons

Maharashtra's Bhandardara-Kalsubai region lights up in May and June as fireflies glow up trees in the valley. The end of May and the beginning of June are typically mating seasons for this species. During this time, fireflies procreate, creating a dazzling show of lights. The tribal communities living here benefit as tourists from cities flock here to witness the show. However, the unregulated influx of tourists disturbs the delicate mating process of fireflies. While tourism provides locals with seasonal income, it threatens the firefly population and jeopardises future tourism. This story is produced under Project Dharitri, a joint undertaking by Asar and Baimanus. Mongabay-India is collaborating with the Project to highlight climate and gender issues. Reporting by Rushikesh More and Sanjana Khandare. This story is produced under Project Dharitri, a joint undertaking by Asar and BaiManus Media Research Centre. Mongabay India is collaborating with the Project to highlight climate and gender issues.

Nicely woven together story by the team at BaiManus Media Research Centre as part of Project Dharitri which is an initiative that supports grassroots journalism especially led by women in collab with the gender and climate programme at Asar The story is from the Bhandardara-Kalsubai region in Maharashtra and really highlights the criticality of cycles in nature and when impacted by unregulated development and climate crisis, it impacts the lives of communities especially livelihoods of women. Fireflies an important species in that region especially for tribal farmers and income generation for locals, their populations are affected due to climate change and that has a chain reaction for the whole ecosystem. Loved reading this piece in Mongabay India #climatechange #biodiversity #forests https://lnkd.in/gaWiiZzz Ankita Bhatkhande Saumya Shrivastava Elizabeth Soby Vinuta Gopal Nitya Kaushik Brikesh Singh

Webinar Alert! Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a strategic initiative based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) which assigns specific roles to stakeholders at various pollution levels. This is to ensure timely interventions to curb air pollution and safeguard public health. Join us as to explore the effectiveness and replicability of GRAP. Speaker: Dr.Mohan P George, Consultant, Clean Air & Sustainable Mobility, Center for Science and Environment; Ex. Additional Director, Delhi Pollution Control Committee Date: 15th November 2024 Time: 7:00 - 8:00 pm Registration: https://lnkd.in/gin4F7Sd Brikesh Singh Natasha Chandy Kezia Shah Sakshi Rajabhoj Vilas L Gite Vinuta Gopal Sanjiv Gopal

Over the last 10 days, Vayu-Veers in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, with support from #Asar, Clean Air Jharkhand, and Adarsh Seva Sansthan, engaged with local residents, sparking conversations on how we can celebrate Diwali safely and sustainably! 🌿 They encouraged everyone to choose eco-friendly celebrations, reducing pollution for cleaner, healthier air during this festive time. Let’s honor their efforts by celebrating a #PradushanFreeDiwali in our homes. A happy and safe Diwali to everyone! 💚✨ P.S. The background music has been written and composed by Vayu-Veers themselves. #Diwali2024 #AirPollutionawareness #CleanAirNow Vinuta Gopal Sanjiv Gopal Brikesh Singh Munna Jha Natasha Chandy Ankita Jyoti Virat Singh Madhav Sharma Satyam Kumar Bodhisattva Sen Roy Kriti Satti