Climate Education
Mainstreaming Climate Education
WHAT WE ARE DOING?
We have set up climate laboratories in underprivileged schools, equipped with tools to measure weather, water, air, soil, and biodiversity parameters. The initiative includes training components that focus on environmental monitoring, risk identification, and low-cost solutions for climate resilience. Students are organized into groups focusing on specific environmental components—air, water, soil, weather, and biodiversity—allowing them to actively engage in data collection and analysis while fostering a deeper understanding of local climate issues.
WHERE WE ARE DOING THIS?
Currently, climate laboratories have been established in twelve schools located in West Bengal, Pune, Kochi, Bangalore, and Gurugram. Each school is situated in a different geographical zone with unique climate challenges, such as heatwaves, droughts, and flooding. This localized approach ensures that the monitoring activities are relevant to the specific environmental issues faced by each community.
WHY WE ARE DOING THIS
The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, faces increasing climate vulnerability due to frequent cyclones and environmental degradation. These natural disasters not only threaten livelihoods but also lead to long-term soil infertility, forcing communities to migrate. Similarly Purulia, Kochi, Gurugram Pune, and Bangalore – all these places are facing different threats due to climate change. Recognizing the urgent need for climate education and resilience, we aim to establish climate laboratories in schools to empower students with knowledge and tools to monitor and adapt to their changing environment.
Sobuj Prithibi: Bengal’s Voice for Climate Action
WHAT WE ARE DOING?
Sobuj Prithibi is the Bengali-language climate communication platform of our NGO, launched in 2019 to bring the conversation on climate change closer to the people of West Bengal. It began as a humble initiative to translate and transcribe scientific reports and global climate documents into Bengali, making critical information understandable and accessible to local communities.
Over time, it has evolved into a dynamic platform that also produces original content such as comics, infographics, and articles to raise awareness. Alongside communication, Sobuj Prithibi is deeply involved in action. We organize climate-resilient livelihood sessions led by experts, helping to connect farmers directly with scientists.
We also run a monthly micro-grant program to fund one grassroots, environment-related project every month. Our Saturday climate workshops are conducted regularly in schools, colleges, NGOs, and universities, reaching young minds and future changemakers.
WHERE WE ARE DOING THIS?
Though Sobuj Prithibi began its journey in Kolkata, its footprint now covers every district of West Bengal. From urban schools to remote rural blocks, our workshops and community engagements have been conducted across the state.
Digitally, our impact is growing exponentially — our website and social media channels attract millions of visitors, making it one of the most active regional platforms on climate change in India.
WHY WE ARE DOING THIS?
In the global fight against climate change, language should not be a barrier. Most scientific literature on climate is inaccessible to the Bengali-speaking population. Sobuj Prithibi was created to bridge that gap, ensuring that climate knowledge is not just available, but understandable to all.
But our mission goes beyond awareness. We believe that localized knowledge, scientific literacy, and grassroots innovation must go hand in hand. By using Bengali — the mother tongue of millions — we are fostering a deeper, more personal connection to climate issues, empowering communities to take ownership of both the problem and the solution.
IMPACT WE ARE HAVING
Since its inception, Sobuj Prithibi has become a powerful platform for climate literacy and local action:
- Workshops conducted across all districts of West Bengal
- Thousands of students, youth, and citizens sensitized
- Millions engaged online through Bengali-language climate content
- Dozens of grassroots projects funded through our micro-grants
- Farmer-scientist linkages created to build climate-resilient livelihoods
Sobuj Prithibi stands today as a beacon of local climate leadership, proving that meaningful climate action can—and must—begin in our own language, with our own people.
Kolkata’s Water Under the Microscope: A Citizen-Led Water Quality Study
WHAT WE ARE DOING?
We recently carried out one of Kolkata’s largest citizen-science initiatives on drinking water quality, focusing specifically on the widespread consumption of water from unbranded 20-litre plastic jars. The project was jointly conducted by Climate Thinker, an NGO working at the intersection of climate change and sustainable development, and Adamas University.
Our study aimed to understand the hidden health risks in everyday drinking water and to assess how climate change-related environmental factors may be affecting public health through waterborne diseases.
A total of 570 water samples were collected from across the city, including 341 samples from unbranded plastic jars. These samples were tested for coliform bacteria — a known indicator of contamination. Shockingly, 150 out of the 341 unbranded jars were found to contain coliform levels far beyond acceptable limits, rendering the water unfit for human consumption.
WHERE WE ARE DOING THIS?
This project was carried out across Kolkata, with participation from nearly every major locality in the city. Our network of trained citizen volunteers collected samples from homes, shops, and community spaces — ensuring true grassroots coverage.
The initiative mobilised over 300 concerned citizens, who were trained in safe and effective sample collection methods. Through their efforts, we created a comprehensive and decentralized data map of the city’s drinking water quality.
Why We Are Doing This
Clean drinking water is a basic human right, but climate change, poor regulation, and urban pollution are rapidly compromising this right in Indian cities. The presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water is a major cause of gastrointestinal diseases and can be life-threatening for children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.
We undertook this study because climate change is not a distant threat — it is already in our water. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and failing sanitation systems are creating a fertile ground for water contamination in densely populated urban areas like Kolkata. And yet, these invisible threats go largely unnoticed and untested.
This project was designed not only to collect data but also to empower citizens with awareness and tools to demand accountability from suppliers and policy-makers.
IMPACT WE ARE HAVING
- 570 water samples collected, covering almost every corner of Kolkata
- 341 unbranded jar samples tested, with 150 found to contain unsafe levels of coliform bacteria
- 300 citizens trained and mobilised, turning residents into community scientists
- Public health concerns raised and media attention garnered — the project was covered by The Times of India, among other outlets
- First step toward policy-level advocacy for regulating unbranded water suppliers in the city
This study has sparked important conversations about everyday health risks and urban water quality, while highlighting how community participation can uncover critical, often ignored, climate-related public health issues.