INDIA RCE GUWAHATI WEBINAR 2 RCE Guwahati area has been under lockdown since 25th March 2020 with 3,135 COVID-19 cases and 6 deaths. Phase I-II were complete lockdown with only essential services. Phase III-IV had partially relaxed agriculture, hospitals, offices & businesses. Phase V has night curfew, closed educational institutions, no public gatherings and containment zones are completely locked. Major challenges faced were people stranded in different locations, loss of jobs and no food. Government agencies, NGOs and the public helped with these situations. Hospitals were not accepting non COVID-19 patients. A Telemedicine helpline was introduced. Educational processes ceased while online classes were introduced with support from RCE Guwahati. New TV and mobile apps were offering live class sessions. An awareness campaign about COVID-19 and the importance of hand washing was conducted by the media supported by Government and RCE Guwahati. Emissions, SPM levels, Fertilizers and pesticide use was reduced. There was a reduction in crime and road crashes. Greenery increased and animals gained back their spaces. We also found that the family bond was strengthened due to the isolation. Presented by: Dr Simanta Kalita RCE KODAGU RCE Kodagu is responsible for working in and around the Kodagu district of Karnataka state in India, working for forest conservation education in rural schools. This district is well known for its coffee plantations, hill stations, wildlife sanctuaries and a national park. The direct impact of COVID-19 has been fortunately less in the district; however, the effect of the lockdown has severely impacted the economy. Due to travel restrictions, the RCE team has not been able to visit the place. The ESD challenges in this area which have been mapped by the team include closure of schools for 3 months now and lack of access to online platforms by students of rural government schools. Teachers are still learning to provide effective online education but many students belonging to economically weaker sections and do not have access to smartphones or laptops for continuing their education. The current COVID-19 situation requires the RCE to work for providing online platforms and content in local languages and engage with smaller student groups (6- 10 students) for nature education in future. Presented by: Ms Himashree Bhattacharyya 17
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