General Workshop Description 

There seems to be a lot happening in the environment sector. Whether it’s the new Environment Impact Assessment 2020 draft, or the links between the COVID pandemic and our deteriorating relationship with natural resources, the environment as a sector has made its way into many (albeit not enough) on-going discussions. The discussions often give the scope of understanding a wide range of issues, but can we also create opportunities to go deep?

The Bastion brings you an opportunity to understand the deeper layers of some core issues in the environment, with a one-month knowledge series, “Environment in Depth,” brought to you by experts in this field. Through a combination of hands-on training and knowledge sharing, this series would aid the participants with tools, information, and resources available to keep the “green” conversation going. Over 8 sessions, the series would help develop skills to access environmental information and data, introduce you to GIS Mapping, and help understand the role of media as a tool for policy advocacy. 

Curated for (but not limited to) young students, journalists, researchers, development and policy practitioners with a keen interest in ecology and environment, this workshop would provide different lenses to view through, and a new set of skills that will help you navigate in environment-related work.

Week 1: Information, Data & the Environment

Session 1: Hands on Training: Paper Trailing Environmental Information | Kanchi Kohli, Senior Legal Advisor, Centre for Policy Research

How do you navigate the MoEFCC website for relevant environmental information of proposed development projects? What kind of information and data do these sources have? How can they help in policy advocacy and running campaigns?

Session 2: Hands on Training: Unpacking the Right to Information (RTI) | Ventakesh Nayak, Programme Head, Access to Information programme at Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

What is the potential you can unlock by using an RTI? How much information can you get from an RTI? How do you write an effective RTI? 

This session will be conducted in two different groups—one, for participants who are not familiar with the RTI process, and two, for those who have familiarity but would like to improve their skills and expand their current efforts.

Session 3: Experience Sharing: Democratising Data | Dr. Naveen Namboothri and Dr. Kartik Shanker, Founding Trustees, Dakshin Foundation

Experience-Sharing: Can data shift from experts and authorities to the hands of communities? Dr. Naveen Namboothri and Dr. Kartik Shanker toy with the idea of “democratising data” while sharing their experience of coordinating a communities-based fisheries monitoring system in Lakshadweep Islands, which was co-created with the local fisher communities to address data gaps. 

Week 2: Technology for Environmental Good: Mapping & GIS

Session 1: Hands on Training: Introduction to Mapping | Shashank Srinivasan, Founder & Director, Technology for Wildlife

This session will introduce the basics of using Google Earth and QGIS for mapping. This will help participants explore the possibilities of using technology and mapping as interventions to conservation problems being faced. 

Session 2: Experience-Sharing: Democratizing Technology & Empowering Citizens | Chiranjit Guha, Principal Consultant, Analytics, Foundation for Ecological Security

The session will take participants through the benefits of democratizing information. The discussion will be around the use of Composite Land Assessment & Restoration Tool (CLART), developed by Foundation for Ecological Security. CLART is a geographic information system (GIS) tool that enables rural communities to identify the optimum soil and water conservation measures for a particular location. 

Week 3: Storytelling for the Environment

Session 1: Hands on Training: Reporting & Writing for the Environment | Tish Sanghera, Independent Journalist, Pultizer Centre Grantee

This session will take the participants through looking at the environment as a journalistic subject. The session will outline key aspects of environmental journalism: how and where do you look for environmental stories, the sources to be assessed, protocols to be followed, and addressing challenges that are faced. 

Session 2: Hands on Training: Visual Storytelling | Kalyan Varma, Independent Filmmaker & Photographer

The session focuses on the art of environmental storytelling-- what makes a good, visual story? How do you combine different forms of media to create impactful stories? 

Session 3: Experience-Sharing: Films for the Environment | Kalyan Varma, Independent Filmmaker & Photographer

Focusing on some of his films, including Wild Karnataka, Varma ties together some technicalities of film-making with bringing about policy and social changes with film making.

Session 4: Experience-Sharing: Marrying Research & Media | Pankaj Sekhsaria, Member, Kalpavriksh, Associate Professor, Centre for Technology Alternatives, IIT-Bombay

Associate Faculty, Centre for Policy Studies, IIT-Bombay

Using his experience of reporting on the Andamans and Nicobar Islands, writing fiction based on the Islands, as well as preparing research oriented media analysis, Pankaj Sekhsaria will give you an insight into the opportunities and challenges of bringing together research and media.

Week 4: How do we envision our climate action to look like in the near future?

Session 1: Panel Discussion: Envisioning Climate Action in the Near Future | Tish Sanghera, Kanchi Kohli, Prathigna Poonacha (Consultant — Practice, Indian Institute of Human Settlements)

In this multi-disciplinary panel, panelists discuss what kind of turn they hope the climate action would take 10 years down the line, in their particular fields. This will also be open to extensive audience interaction.