72 Monitori ng, docume ntation, pr otection, and edu cation Master Trainers during demonstration session 10 RCE Chandigarh: Enhancing Understanding about Wetland Ecosystems among Students Neelima Jerath Satnam Singh Ladhar Ravleen Singh S. K. Saxena Rupali Bal RCE Chandigarh RCE Chandigarh, led by the Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST), works on education for sustainable development (ESD) activities and issues in Chandigarh and the state of Punjab, India. PSCST runs programmes at international, national and state levels, working with organisations and institutions such as UNESCO , UNDP, The Energy Research Institute (TERI), the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Department of Science and Technology, and other government and semi-government departments and institutions. PSCST also works with universities, colleges, schools and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in its work. To involve partners in the RCE network, PSCST interacted with various educational institutions, including institutions of higher learning, government agencies, and NGOs in the state of Punjab and Union Territory, Chandigarh. The ESD issues to be taken up by the RCE were discussed in detail in a consultation meeting, in which representatives from 27 different institutions participated. These included three participants from education departments, three from universities, nine from colleges, six from schools and six from NGOs, all of whom take up education and awareness programmes in various parts of the Punjab State and Chandigarh. RCE Chandigarh partnering agencies also include educational institutions, institutions of higher learning, government agencies and NGOs in the state of Punjab and Union Territory, Chandigarh. The organisations in the network already work to improve access to quality basic education via formal and informal education to address sustainable development, by taking steps such as strengthening existing education programmes, enhancing public understanding and awareness, and by providing training in various sectors. Overall, these organisations intend to create a learning space so that, globally, a world is created where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and positive societal transition. The major sustainable development challenges affecting the region are degradation of the state’s fragile agro ecosystem, water-related problems, pollution, biodiversity loss, and loss of indigenous and traditional knowledge. The case study covered in this chapter explores an initiative that addresses the degradation of the fragile ecosystem of the Punjab State. Project Overview This particular project is aimed at creating awareness about wetland ecosystems and their importance, as well as providing an opportunity for ‘learning by doing’ through field experiences and hands-on training by exploring wetlands. By inspiring the youthful, energetic force of students, educators and district level officers of state government to protect and conserve wetlands, the project plans to reach out to local communities at a grassroots level. A focus on preserving wetland ecosystems will help preserve the important repository of biodiversity and ensure sustainable exploitation of resources for environmental protection. Further, it is hoped that this project will help raise public recognition of wetlands and raise awareness of the associated livelihood benefits and sustainable development. Project Background Wetlands are important ecosystems, infused with aquatic, semi-aquatic and terrestrial characteristics. They are an integral part of larger landscapes that provide numerous services and benefits to mankind, such as provisions (e.g. food, fuel), regulation (e.g. control of floods, climate), support (e.g. nutrient cycles), culture (e.g. recreational, spiritual) and preservation (e.g. maintenance of biodiversity). With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, large amounts of wetlands are disappearing. Thus, wetlands need to be preserved and conserved in order to ensure sustainable development, a key proposition when one understands the mechanisms involved in the evolution and degradation of wetland ecology.
Traditional Knowledge and Biodiversity
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