Environment Systems Branch, DA

Celebrations of the Environment Day reinforce the feeling that there are many environmental and developmental challenges which must be dealt with right away. The curse of poverty or issues of global warming and sea level rise cannot be solved by linear thinking or by conforming to one type of "development", or by blocking off alternate streams of development. Today, the buzz word is multifarious diversity. No single solution can be applied universally. Customized solutions are required at both the local and global levels. Some of these solutions have already been implimented locally. Environment Day helps bring into focus these varied schools of alternative development strategies that we now need to adopt globally.




 Industrial and Urban Environment Systems Group

Growing realisation of environmental issues associated with industrialisation and urbanisation has led to a variety of ameliorative efforts. There is also evidence that measures aimed at merely complying with regulatory requirements can prove expensive and non-sustainable in the long run. The Industrial and Urban Environment Systems Group aims to demonstrate that internalising environmental and social concerns makes good business sense. The group focusses on preventing pollution at source through cleaner technologies and waste minimisation techniques. The Group advocates two broad programmes:

Cleaner Production Programme
Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility Programme.

SERVICES OFFERED
Cleaner production strategy formulation; Waste management minimisation programmes; Pollution prevention studies; Environmental audits and EIA


Biodiversity Conservation Systems Group

This group focusses on conservation and management of living resources viz. flora and fauna and the ecosystems they inhabit. To facilitate biodiversity conservation at local, regional and global levels, the group has a thrust on activities such as identification of priority areas for conservation, methodologies for study and evaluation of natural habitats and development of natural sites for promotion of conservation issues. The two broad programme areas are:

Protected Area Management Programme
Non-Timber Forest Produce Enterprises

SERVICES OFFERED
Protected Area Management, Eco-development and Eco-tourism Planning; Corridor Management; Development and Customisation of NTFP Enterprises

Environment Monitoring Facility

Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative aspects of the environment is a pre-requisite to understanding its status and designing future strategies for environmental management. Our Environment Monitoring Facility is equipped to undertake physico-chemical analysis of air, water and soil by developing inexpensive and reliable field kits. These kits along with nationwide programmes like Community Led Environment Action Network empowered local communities to assess the environmental quality and initiate remedial measures. The Programme areas are:

Environment Monitoring Kits Programme
Community based Environment Action Programme

SERVICES OFFERED
Physico-chemical analysis of various environmental attributes; Environmental Quality Monitoring, EIA/EMP, Environmental Audits, WM&PP studies; Back-stopping Community Level Campaigns

Rural Environment Systems Group

The Rural Environment Systems Group designs environmentally sustainable options to enhance the quality of life in rural areas. A combination of research, implementation and policy advocacy provides innovative solutions for management of natural resources, institutional systems and basic needs’ fulfillment with activities focussing on socially and economically disadvantaged sections of society. The Group has three broad programmes:

Sustainable Development Strategies Programme
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Programme
Community Natural Resources Management Programme

SERVICES OFFERED
Project Planning, Design, Monitoring and Evaluation; Support Service for project implementation; Policy Reviews and Advocacy

Global Environment Systems Group

Green house induced global warming and Ozone hole over Antartica pose major threats to life on our planet. Studies indicate that these phenomena are caused by human induced activities resulting in emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, Chloro Fluro Carbons etc. This Group contributes to developing local and global solutions to these problems through three broad programmes:

Climate Change Programme
Atmospheric Ozone Programme
Conventions and Protocol Programme

SERVICES OFFERED
Research Studies on Global Environmental Issues; Formulating Policy Responses; Outreach and Awareness through Workshops and Publications

Geomatic Facility

Recent advances in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have made it a cost and time effective tool within the reach of a much wider audience and application. Our Geomatics Facility, in collaboration with theThematic Groups, applies this technolgoy for decision making on sustainable development issues. The three broad applicaiton areas are:

Rural Environment Systems Applications
Industrial and Urban Environment Systems Applications
Biodiversity Conservation Systems Applications

SERVICES OFFERED
Sustainable Development Strategies; EIA; Preparation of Environmental Atlases; Urban Networks and Services Planning; Biodiversity Conservation Strategies

The Environment Systems Branch of Development Alternatives designs alternative development strategies and environment management strategies, undertakes experimental and demonstration projects and carries out field studies which include environmental impact assessments, environment management plans, environment and social policies, community development, food security, rehabilitation and resettlement, pollution prevention, cleaner production, waste management, natural resource management using GIS and remote sensing, and income generation through micro-enterprises and bio-diversity conservation.

 

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