Project Title:

Climate Change effects on food and/or fruit production and availability in Kashmir.

Project Mentors:

• Javed Hussain: Former Director, Asian Development Bank
• Mr. Rayees Malik: Phd, Centre for Ecological sciences IISC, Bangalore.
• Professor Shakil Ramshoo, Head Earth Sciences Department, University of Kashmir.
• Ms. Sanober Durrani: Climate Change Adaptation/Mitigation and Environment Specialist.

Project Goal:

Inculcate/Improve critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills of high/higher secondary school students.

Project Outcome:

• Participating students with improved critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills.
• Inspire the participating students for creative pursuit of science & technology in order to build the human resource with improved critical thinking, problem solving and communication.

Project outputs:

Primary output:

• A project report analyzing and describing the scope and ways in which climate change will impact local food/fruit productivity, production and availability and how the people might adapt to the changing climate under various scenarios.

Secondary output:

• An understanding of the past, present and future climate trends and the likely impacts of the changing climate on food security and availability.
• A critical mass of students/teachers equipped with current scientific/technical information and knowledge on climate change and its effects on local food/fruit production and availability.
• Expose students to climate change and environment careers and practitioners.
• A critical mass of teachers and students experienced in what and How of project based learning.

Note:

Project report maximum ten pages in length, can be supplemented by power point and videos, photographs as appendixes. Submission by email or hard copies acceptable.

Project Awards:

• Cash Award: Top ranked project/team Rs 20,000 – Rs 25,000
• Internship for winning team at Civic ecology Lab, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, New York, USA.
• Internship at University Of Kashmir in Earth Science Department.
• Incubation Award: Selected project team that qualifies for an incubation award will be awarded Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 to implement a problem solving innovation.

Project/problem background

Project and Problem in Brief:

There is overwhelming consensus among scientists that global warming driven by human induced greenhouse gas emissions in particular carbon dioxide (Co2) emissions are resulting in changes in global climate. These changes pose risks to agriculture, built infrastructure (buildings, roads, bridges, power plants, factories) as well as to our green infrastructure (our natural resources including farm land, water, forests, fresh water and marine fisheries.

For example, Climate Change is altering temperature as well as precipitation (snow/rainfall) patterns in terms of seasonality, duration and intensity. These changes in snow/rainfall and temperature patterns will impact terrestrial (agriculture land/forest), aquatic (fresh water-rivers, lakes; marine - oceans) ecosystem functioning. This will have impact on the products and services these ecosystems provide on which livelihoods, economic growth, employment and job creation depends. Agriculture/food production and availability is one of the most vulnerable and high risk sector that can be adversely impacted by climate change.

Approach for Project Based Learning: Some Guidance:

• First, select a teacher from science/environmental science curriculum – each project team not less than 4 students and not more than 6.
• Undertake climate change/agriculture science literature review to gain basic understanding of climate change problem in general and its impact on agriculture/food/fruit sectors in particular (mentors to provide guidance on references/literature sources).
• Next, students define and describe the specific problem they are going to tackle/investigate; students should/can focus on assessing climate change effects on one of the local food crop, fruit crop or agriculture related activity. For example, in food and fruit production they can focus on particular crop say rice, fruit such as apple; or livestock (milk and/or meat production); and decide on geographic location of the project.
• Student led and supported by teachers, list what are the key questions they are going to investigate and provide rationale for this list (why these questions).
• Define the primary focus and coverage (scope) of the problem/project. The students should preferably study the problem at larger spatial scale (province or state or regional or national level) keeping in view the wide footprint of the climate change impacts and coarse resolution of the data (data not available at Tehsil or District level).
• Discuss and come up with appropriate study design relevant to problem/project. Briefly describe the study design – what approach and methods they will use to undertake the study.
• Discuss and decide on data to be collected; data/information sources, collection and methodology. Data/information can be from observational data, model/simulated data, local surveys/traditional knowledge, historical records, secondary data and surveys/questionnaire responses from experts.
• Data analysis design: How will they analyze the data- quantitative and/or non-quantitative means; assumptions used, data/knowledge gaps and limitations.
• Within first month of project implementation prepare an outline of the report. To be shared with mentors for feedback and advice on report format as well as project implementation approach and methodology.

NOTE:

(Mentors will have to provide some upfront input to student teams they will be guiding – particularly at study definition, scoping and analytical design stage.)

Selection Process:

• Project Report: Weightage 60%
• Presentation: 20%
• Personal Interview: 20%