How to Become a Professional English Teacher

The demand of Education Jobs is always there since English is one of the most commonly spoken languages of the world. This is the reason as to why there are a lot of people who are willing to learn all about this language as knowing it will make them successful in education teaching jobs. The demand for English teachers is good in a lot of countries. Other than teaching the language to the professionals, businessmen and career aspirants, an English language teacher is also required for instruction in grade schools and colleges in the United States.

English teachers have the responsibility to instruct their students in junior high and high school. The teacher is a resource that helps students identify their language learning problems and find solutions to them, find out the skills they need to focus on, and take responsibility for making choices which determine what and how to learn. They are also required to conduct classes in academic subjects like:

* English and math
* Mechanical drawing or Wood work

English is one of the most common spoken languages in the world. Many people want to learn English as a second language to become successful in business. The role of an English language teacher is to begin at the roots and add complexity to it for triggering the intellect and imagination of the students and prepare the foundation for advanced education in the future and help them to go for Special Education Jobs when they are adults. A teacher is required to assist their colleagues to plan courses with the help of novel methodology and material or arrange extracurricular activities like social groups and sports.

Obtain a bachelor's degree in English for becoming an English teacher in grade school in the United States. The teacher preparation requirements are things that vary between states, although they generally require a bachelor's degree for the English teacher jobs. If you have a bachelor's degree in another subject and want to become an English teacher, you need to qualify for an English test to start teaching.

The English teacher should be skilled to work and perform as a team comprising the school counselors, school administrators, and school psychologists. Beyond the classroom, they should focus on including communities, government agencies, and parent groups into the curriculum.

College plus training is a must for the English Teacher jobs. You may also enroll in a teacher preparation program in the state of your choice and do an online search to find the parameters that are required by the state. Some of the programs are thorough. If you shift states after receiving your certificate, you may have to fulfill further formalities for being an English language teacher in that state.

Other training requirements include examinations, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, familiarity with student teaching and course work in education. In fact, a master's degree is becoming mandatory for English teacher jobs in a number of states.

It is best to go for substitute teaching in grades 6 to 12 for demonstrating your likeness for the class room and its ambience. Go for an online check to find the requirements of substitute teaching for your state. Speaking with grade school English teachers to find out Teacher Jobs whether being an English teacher is the right higher education jobs for you also helps in gaining the experience that is required. Observing some of their classes also helps.

Online job posts are available for online finding jobs as an English teacher in various countries. Many countries look for all kinds of people for English teacher jobs and for them having a college education and qualifications are not mandatory.

English teachers with a master's degree can earn much more than teachers with a bachelor's degree. In many schools, teachers receive a bonus payment for supervision of the extra curricular activities and coaching sports. The teachers of private schools earn less than their counterparts in the public schools.

The Leading Teaching Jobs at Community Colleges

Community colleges are experiencing a bang in student populace due to the declining economy. Community colleges are very prevalent in most areas, and they have quickly been gaining popularity with our struggling economy. what do you need to do to secure Education Jobs at your local community college? Different community colleges have different missions, so it is important that you research the school first before going on campus for the interview. Suddenly they are being bombarded by students who are searching for enhanced education to help them be more marketable in this difficult economic climate. Most community colleges will also require a teaching demonstration as part of the interview process, so be prepared! All of those students need teachers, and you might be perfect for that position. If you are someone who holds a Masters or Doctorate degree then you might be exactly what that community college is looking for in their next instructor.

Community colleges cost appreciably less than state or private colleges and universities. Each community college is different so you will want to be sure that you put in a bit of research prior to meeting with anyone from the college. Spend some time discovering what the schools mission is, what their student body is like, and what degree programs they offer. The schools website is a wonderful resource for you to start your research with Education Job Openings. Spend some time perusing it to get an idea of how the college operates. You may also want to actually pick up some literature on the school and the programs that you are interested in teaching for. This can be valuable information for you to take with you into your interview in college.

Nowadays, a lot can be learned from their websites, so make sure that you read them over watchfully before going to your interview. Prior to any interview that you have for Teacher Jobs you should spend some time preparing yourself. This means that you should try to compile a list of possible questions that may be asked of you so that you can prepare your answers. Knowing some of the details about the community college and its population will help you to prepare for some of the questions that might arise in your interview. You should definitely be prepared to answer different questions about your teaching techniques for students of different years.

Community college pays less and offers fewer remuneration than does a four-year institution, so you may not find it economically feasible to relocate for a community college teaching position. You should not be surprised if the community college requests for you to present a demonstration of your teaching in order for you to get one of their available teaching jobs. Knowing this in advance means that you can prepare for it. Chances are that you can expect to need to teach for about twenty minutes so you will need to choose a lesson that can be accomplished during this time period. Thoroughly plan out this lesson just as you would for any college class that you would be Teaching Jobs. It is best that you choose a general lesson to teach as opposed to choosing a very specific or technical lesson for your interview.

Community colleges generally consist of non-traditional students and traditional-aged freshmen and sophomore college students who may not be academically ready to attend a four-year institution. Lastly, you will need to expect to meet with the College Faculty Jobs. They will want to sit down with you to determine whether you are going to be a good fit for their college. They take responsibility for the individuals that they place in teaching jobs, and they will want to be sure that you are a good fit for their team and more specifically for their students. Be yourself with them, and let them see what you have to offer as a teacher. Additionally, use this as an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. They want to make sure that you are a good fit for the college, but you need to make sure that the community college is a great fit for you.

The Most Powerful Medium - Online Education

Education is a requirement in almost every nation in the world, and there are many countries in the world where it is but a dream to be able to obtain any form of education. Many of our younger generations would do well to recognize this fact. Fortunately however there is a huge portion of the worlds population that does understand the need Jobs in Education and desire it.

Online learning has become one of the most popular ways of gaining access to an education. There are a variety of options available for learning from online business education training to local area training facilities. if you were looking at getting your education from a traditional school, you will find that it is still important to make sure that you are getting a degree that is going to be respected and honored. Take a moment to really think about how you can move forward and find the right school for you.

Online degrees and distance learning are increasing in popularity. Easier accessibility for a growing range of subjects, as well as recent government calls for a push in e-learning, highlight the fact that more and more students will be studying from home in the future and partaking in this more economical and ecological method of higher education. The online colleges and universities offer business degree options that often exceeded those found in campus based schools. Therefore if you consider yourself to have the necessary motivation and discipline but lack the time to attend a full time on campus form of education then online business schools may be the best option to improve your Education Career.

If you are someone who is looking to make the most out of their Education Opportunities or if you are simply interested in an education career, you will find that one of the resources that you are going to need to think about is the prospect of an online education. More and more people are realizing that there are plenty of advantages to getting your education online and if you are in a place where the idea appeals, you are going to need to think about what you can do to make sure that you have a good institution to work with. Many people are a little bit dubious about the idea of getting a degree online, but the truth is that it is becoming more and more accepted and even looked for by the day.

There are so many different options out there that you will need to think about where you are going to get the best results. Of course you can start your research online; there are a number of sites and informal lists that will rank the different programs for you. online education gives you opportunities to get various education jobs like Computer Teacher Jobs, Counselor Jobs, Online Teacher Jobs, English Teacher Jobs.etc. What might be more interesting for you to look into, however, are the comments that other people are going to make about the way that things work with the education opportunities that you are considering. Whether you want an education career, something more administrative or even something that is going to be more esoteric, there are going to be people talking about it.

After deciding on the program that you think is going to be the most interesting or the most satisfying, remember that you should sit down and find out how this arrangement might work with regards to your own situation. How much time are you going to need to devote to the class work and how long can you reasonably expect it to take to finish off your degree?

Take a moment to think about what your options are going to be and what you can do to make sure that you are getting the online education opportunities that you are looking for.

The Most Blooming Career for Educational Professionals

Nowadays, people feel stuck in ruts every year and turn to education to get the jobs they want. But as they say, knowing your destination is critical before you start your journey. This is particularly true with continuing education. Choosing the right Educational degree is highly dependent on what career you want to pursue.

The Education Industry can be described as the collection of organizations and businesses that provide products and services aimed at enhancing the quality of education in society. The education industry plays an increasingly important role in supporting public education by meeting the demand for products and services that both complement basic education services and supplement their underlying goals.

The industry is defined by four main categories:
Schools Service Providers, Supplemental Education Service Providers, Products, and Education Service Businesses. Each category has distinct market segments, all of which are defined below. For Job Seekers, having a clear picture of the industry is crucial for researching companies, determining a career path, and exploring potential employers.The education industry is expanding rapidly and its many businesses are eager for new talent, including experienced professionals and enthusiastic individuals just entering the workforce. The private sector is helping to transform education at all levels, from Prek to post secondary.

Many of the students who graduated during the emergence of the education industry have become its prominent leaders today. Their accomplishments provide a model for the skills and ideals necessary for success. As demonstrated in their careers, the early leaders maintained a simple but potent mindset: improve education by employing sound business management knowledge and high-minded goals. Their impact has set the stage for a new generation to push the envelope of progressive education.

Role of Education in Human Being's Life :
Education plays a very vital role in one's life. Education helps in the development of the overall personality of every individual. Education is a necessity in this modern world. Education develops self confidence in a person. Receiving basic education is the right of every individual. Education involves teaching as well as learning. It is the duty of every parent to impart education to their children so that they become good citizens of the country. Education can be attained in schools, colleges, and institutions. Today students can also go for higher education or correspondence courses by using internet as a media. Schooling is the first stage of education. The fact that education plays a very important role in one's life should be made clear to everyone.

Therefore, the first step in a career evolution that will use education as the entrance of opportunity is understanding what careers are right for you. People often turn to career coaches who give them assessments to determine their strengths and weaknesses and identify the opportunities that best fit their character. But this can cost thousands of dollars. Thankfully, there are online resources that can help you down a similar path.

Tips on free career assessment:
1. Identify the best careers for you. An assessment tells you what jobs are out there. The test allows you to uncover the tasks, experience, education, and training needed for your next career move. It's an essential tool for making tough career decisions and finding careers you otherwise might not explore.

2. Personal assessment can help by narrowing down your search. The eLearners assessment report displays both a graphical and text-based interpretation of your results and gives you access to a wealth of career information.

3. Prevent costly career mistakes. Pursuing unclear career objectives or stagnating in dead-end situations costs you money. By taking a career assessment, you find the job that allows you to be productive, happy, and self-confident.

Once you have identified your destination, it is much simpler to find the right Education Jobs path to get you there. It usually doesn't happen overnight, but there are steps you can take to speed up the process. Figuring out your strengths and weaknesses is a great first step. If you feel like your career path has led you to a dead end and you're ready for change but not sure where to begin, click here. It's a free test, but the answers could pay off for a lifetime.

Today’s students will become the leaders of tomorrow’s education industry. Using a diverse skill set, ranging from business expertise to a deep understanding of education, visionaries have an opportunity to reshape the industry to better serve students of all ages. Individuals seeking a career as Academic Advisor Jobs, Art Teacher Jobs, Computer Teacher Jobs, Counselor Jobs.etc. in the education industry should be passionate advocates of change based on an understanding of the education market today.

Prakriti Environment Education Bus

Prakriti Environment Education Bus
Gopal Kumar Jain and Keren Nazareth, Centre for Environment Education

The green bus with its vibrantly painted exterior is now a familiar sight in Ahmedabad, Surat, Bharuch, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Tapi and many other places around Gujarat.

The idea for such a bus came fi ve years ago from the Club of Youth Working for the Environment (CYWEN). They felt:
• Young people could be Environment Educators

• Young people need resources to carry out awareness programme

CEE started to explore concept of a mobile resource centre – Prakriti Environment Education Bus – with support from BG India and Gujarat Gas Company Limited (GGCL). The content and communication design was decided through discussions with teachers, youth, educationists etc.

Prakriti was launched in September 2005 by Shri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat in Gandhinagar. The launch began an era of CNG as well as accessible environment education beginning with the districts of Ahmedabad, Surat and Bharuch.

The Bus Structure
The bus is built on a Swaraj Mazda chassis and it runs Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). The sides have been modifi ed to make information panels. While the bus is moving, these sections are closed and covered by glass shutters. The side panels have:

A collage featuring people, lifestyle and places (cultural heritage) of Gujarat appears on one side of the bus Panels on natural heritage highlighting the richness of biodiversity.

The back of the bus is used to display 3D models and to screen fi lms. The bus carries with it a screen, speakers, LCD projector, generator, computer system and a public address (PA)system.

The bus is a one stop-shop for environment education. Users can set up an exhibition, activities, games, film shows, demonstrations, puppet-shows and conduct group discussions. Reference resource materials on various issues are also placed inside the bus, for those interested in more
details on any particular issue.

Prakriti Visits and Partnerships Having created the bus, the next step was to organize its
visits, mainly to areas where access was limited or existing systems had not been able to reach.
CYWEN chose to partner with local organisation working with youth: Nature Club Surat and the Nehru Yuva Kendra, Bharuch. Both these local partners have a strong youth volunteer base and youth were trained and oriented to carry out Prakriti programmes in their respective districts.

The first point of entry of the bus was through rural and urban schools. Over the years this expanded to events, programmes organised by groups, companies, corporate social responsibility projects, colleges and schools in neighbouring districts such as Gandhinagar, Tapi, and Vadodara.

A typical activity includes the bus exhibition, games, activities, fi lm shows, demonstrations and discussions. All these require well grounded, patient and enthusiastic individuals. The core team comprises one programme staff, one project staff, two interns, and the most important member, the driver of the bus. The strength of the Prakriti bus is its core team and the volunteers that help organise and carry out events.

Prakriti works on strengthening existing forums and platforms by providing resources, support, guidance and expertise over a period of time, to help such forums conduct their activities more effectively.

Prakriti also reaches out to schools through the eco-clubs set up and run as a part of the National Green Corps programme of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. Eco-clubs have taken up the issues of health, biodiversity, plastic management, renewable energy, herbal medicines and plants, deforestation, noise pollution in their yearly projects.

Prakriti Projects
Projects have been undertaken by schools on concerns in their immediate environment. One such issue focussed is biodiversity. Projects include those on Spiders, Birds, Mosquitoes and their impact on health; medicinal plants and how they can be used to make home remedies for various ailments. A school in Surat has also done a survey on the types of trees in Surat city. “The children
interviewed doctors from the local hospital to get their expert advice on the types of mosquitoes, their life cycle and the diseases they cause.” Eco-club teacher, Bharuch “The children were shocked to fi nd out the number of birds that had either gone extinct or were on the verge of
extinction in their areas.” Eco-club teacher, Bharuch.

Few eco-club Prakriti schools focussed on maintaining the greenery on the school grounds and also cultivated green patches with fl owering plants; vegetable plants and medicinal plants. Two schools have initiated the practice of giving children from the eco-clubs saplings to plant in
their homes and take care of them. “We do a continuous follow up with the children as to how their plants are faring. Those who don’t have space around their houses, we’ve given them potted plants.” Principal of Anjuman-EIslam High School, Ahmedabad.

At the end of the year an event which brings together the entire year’s learning, partners, ollaborators, groups of youth and children is organised. It is a meeting of ideas, innovation, creativity and a platform to share and learn from the experiences of the students, teachers and youth volunteers. The event is held either at a district level or at the State level and has competitions, presentations, training sessions, workshops, cultural programmes, bird watching sessions and other excursions. The event also provides an opportunity for the Prakriti
team to evaluate the year gone by and plan for the up coming year.

Prakriti’s programmes have evolved over the last three years from generic outreach to all NGC schools to a more focussed one with selected schools that are interested in collaborating with Prakriti.

Prakriti has also collaborated with the Gujarat Paguthan Energy Corporation (GPEC), for their CSR programme in ten villages in Bharuch. In the past year (2008) Prakriti focused on “Ecofriendly festivals” to convey the impacts of synthetic colours used during holi on health and the
environment, while also providing an option of organic colours. During the last three years, over 100 youth particularly from the three project districts have been involved as educators for conducting programmes. For these young people, engagement with Prakriti was a good learning experience.
Using the Prakriti experience, a youth organisation in Vallabhvidyanagar has initiated its own resource centre. Nature Club Surat too is developing a programme to provide opportunities for youth to play the role of educators. Resource centres such as these are good tools for environment education.

For more information contact:
Gopal Jain
Centre for Environment Education
Nehru Foundation for Development
Thaltej Tekra, Ahmedabad 380054
Ph: 079 26858002; Fax: 079 26858010
Email: gopal.jain@ceeindia.org

Prakriti used innovative media to disseminate information on environment and create awareness among the target audience. These included panel exhibitions, quiz competition, games and activities, interactive models, activities, fi lms and slide shows, puppet shows, role plays and printed material such as activity manuals, posters, pamphlets and brochures.

World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development

Five years into the Decade, the conference at Germany followed four objectives:

1. To highlight the essential contribution of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to all of education and to achieving quality education
2. To promote international exchange on ESD
3. To carry out a stock-taking of DESD implementation
4. To develop strategies for the way ahead

The conference, attended by participants from 150 countries exchanged best practices on Education for Sustainable Development from all world regions. The participants developed mechanisms for enhanced cooperation in the implementation of the UN Decade, especially focusing on the exchange between developing countries, those in transition and industrialized countries.

At the end of the conference, a declaration reflecting the debates and proposing guidelines for the implementation of the UN Decade was adopted. The conference was organised by UNESCO and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, in cooperation with the German Commission for UNESCO.

For more information visit:
http://www.esd-world-conference-2009.org/


2010 International Year of Biodiversity
Highlights from the statement of Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at the occasion of the DPI Briefi ng for the community of NGOs on Biodiversity - The Basis for Human Well-Being: Celebrating the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010

Call for Assistance in Enhancing Public Awareness We need your assistance with increasing public awareness of the importance of biodiversity. We need your assistance to ensure that environmental issues become a core component of decision making across a variety of sectors.
We also need you to help us to integrate out work across a variety of issue areas.


Biodiversity loss is not a stand alone problem and cannot be tackled through separate initiatives that merely target species lost as an issue separate from poverty, climate change, water scarcity, growth in demand, development, confl ict, and the many other challenges that face our world. Civil society can act to support these efforts – to provide support, advice and vigilance such that they continue. There is increasing recognition that the true value of biodiversity and the services provided by ecosystems must be refl ected in our economies.


It is hoped that the study on the ‘The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (TEEB), led by Mr Pavan Sukhdev, will provide the rationale for the gradual internalization of the costs of biodiversity loss and other environmental degradation into our accounts.

Civil society organizations can support this, provide research, and examples of “green success stories” for 2010, which can demonstrate the validity of these approaches. In this climate of economic crisis, we all need to identify opportunities for major shifts towards a green economy
as UNEP is proposing. The International Year offers you an opportunity to highlight the relationship between biodiversity and a number of other issues and influence the international agenda in 2010 and beyond.

For more information visit:
http://www.cbd.int/doc/speech/2009/sp-2009-04-30-dpi-en.pdf

How BD contributes and extent of degradation
By the year 2000, only about 73% of the original global natural biodiversity was left. The strongest declines have occurred in the temperate and tropical grasslands and forests, where human civilizations fi rst developed. In the last 300 years, the global forest area has shrunk by approximately 40 per cent. Forests have completely disappeared in 25 countries, and another 29 countries have lost more than 90 per cent of their forest cover. Since 1900, the world has lost about 50% of its wetlands. Half of wild marine fi sheries are fully exploited, with a further quarter already overexploited. A striking aspect of the consequences of biodiversity loss is their disproportionate but unrecognized impact on the poor. For instance, if climate change resulted in a drought that halved the income of the poorest of the 28 million Ethiopians, this would barely register on the global balance sheet – world GDP would fall by less than 0.003%.

Blaming cities for climate change? An analysis of urban greenhouse gas emissions inventories

Blaming cities for climate change? An analysis of urban greenhouse gas emissions inventories

David Dodman, IIED, 3 Endsleigh Street, London WC1H 0DD; david.dodman@iied.org

Cities are often blamed for high levels of greenhouse gas emissions. However, an analysis of emissions inventories shows that — in most cases — per capita emissions from
cities are lower than the average for the countries in which they are located. The paper assesses these patterns of emissions by city and by sector, discusses the implications of different methodological approaches to producing inventories, identifi es the main drivers for high
levels of greenhouse gas production, and examines the role and potential for cities to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 21, No. 1, 185-201 (2009)
http://eau.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/1/185

“This is no longer the city I once knew” Evictions, the urban poor and the right to the city in millennial Delhi
Gautam Bhan, Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California, gbhan@berkeley.edu

Between 1990 and 2003, 51,461 houses were demolished in Delhi under “slum clearance” schemes. Between 2004 and 2007 alone, at least 45,000 homes were demolished, and since 2007, eviction notices have been served on at least three other large settlements. Fewer than 25 per cent of the households evicted in this period have received any alternative resettlement sites. These evictions represent a shift not just in degree but also in kind. They were not ordered by the city’s planning agency, its municipal bodies or by the city government. Instead, each was the result of a judicial ruling. What has this emergence of the judiciary into urban planning and government meant for the urban poor? This paper analyzes the dictums of verdicts on evictions in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India from 1985 to 2006. Using these judgments, it explores
the “misrecognition” of poor that became dramatically apparent in the early 1990s and that underlies and justifies evictions. This shift is then located in the larger political, economic and aesthetic transformations that are reconfiguring the politics of public interest in Indian cities.

Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 21, No. 1, 127-142 (2009)
http://eau.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/21/1/127

A tale of two wards: political participation and the urban poor in Dhaka city
Nicola Banks, University of Manchester, nicolabanks@gmail.com

This paper investigates the extent of political participation of the urban poor in Dhaka, identifying the actors with whom the urban poor interact for problem solving and gaining access to services. Through a comparison of different experiences of “active” and “non-active” poor residents across two wards, the research identifies barriers to effective political participation; it then considers how
opportunities for participation can be advanced. The experience of the Coalition for the Urban Poor’s Basti Basheer Odhikar Surakha Committee illustrates how collective mobilization of the poor has been successful in incorporating the urban poor into municipal governance. Alongside its successes, the research also investigates constraints to such initiatives in terms of securing national commitment to urban poverty reduction.

Environment and Urbanization, Vol. 20,No.2,361-376 (2008)
http://eau.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/20/2/361

Between Constructivism and Connectedness
Mordechai Gordon, Quinnipiac University; mordechai.gordon@quinnipiac.edu

Parker Palmer is correct in his claims that good teaching depends more on capacity for connectedness than on technique and that helping teacher candidates cultivate a strong sense of personal identity is crucial. To whatextent are Palmer’s claims compatible with the various
constructivist models of learning that are now prevalent in many colleges of education? And, how are the goals of Palmer’s approach integrated with those of constructivism?
This essay responds to these questions and negotiates between constructivism and Palmer’s educational approach. First the author lays out a predominant constructivist model of teaching and learning. Next, he explores some potential limitations facing constructivism and argues that
Palmer’s notion of connectedness can help mitigate some of the shortcomings of constructivism. Finally, the author examines a specifi c example from an English methods course that represents an attempt to integrate the virtues of Palmer’s approach with those of constructivism.
http://jte.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/59/4/322

World Forestry Day - 21 March

Environment Days

World Forestry Day - 21 March

‘World Forestry Day’ is celebrated on 21st of March each year to commemorates the contribution and value of forests and forestry to the community.

It was in 1971 at the 23rd General Assembly of European Confederation of Agriculture it was decided to celebrate Forestry day. Later the same year United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization gave support to the idea believing that the event would contribute a great deal to public awareness of the importance of forests and agreed that it should be observed every year and so March 21, the autumn equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere was chosen as the day to be celebrated offering information about protection, production and recreation of forests.

Every year, on this day people the world over take time to consider the benefi ts of forests, of goods and services obtained from the forests. People can learn about how forests can be/should be managed and used in such a way that we continue to get all these benefi ts (without any harm to the forest ecosystems) and save them for the future too.

This years theme for celebrating WFD is “Biodiversity and Climate Change”.

2nd February - Wetlands Day
‘Upstream – Downstream’ Wetlands connect us all 2nd February each year is World Wetlands Day. It marks the date of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. WWD was celebrated for the fi rst time in 1997 and made an encouraging beginning. Each year, government agencies, nongovernmental
organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefi ts in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

Parties to Ramsar Convention: 159
Number of designate ramsar sites: 1834
Total surface area of designated Ramsar sites:
170,427,084 hectares

The theme for 2009 ‘Upstream – Downstream’ Wetlands connect us all is an opportunity for people to look around at their own wetland and its interconnections with the environment around it
– how the wetland benefi ts the surroundings and, of course, how activities throughout the river basin may affect their wetland.

ENVIS Centre on Wetland Ecosystems
Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is the ENVIS Centre on wetland ecosystems that aims to facilitate generation and dissemination of information on various facets of wetland ecosystems. The Centre work towards fulfi llment of the following objectives:

• Database creation on Wetland Ecosystems on internet with regional language interface.
• To establish and operate a distributed clearing house to answer and channel queries related to wetland ecosystems.
• To establish linkages with information users, carriers and providers from government, academic, business and Non-Governmental Organizations.
• Identifi cation of information/data gaps on wetland ecosystems.

For more information visit: http://www.wetlandsofindia.org/

22 March, World Water Day

Transboundary waters: shared water, shared opportunities

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The United Nations General Assembly responded
by designating 22 March 1993 as the fi rst World Water Day. The day is designated to draw attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate sustainable management of freshwater
resources. Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. 2009 focuses on transboundary waters. The theme this year is ‘Shared Water - Shared Opportunities’.
Transboundary waster refers to lakes, rivers and aquifers (ground water) which are shared between more than one country.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are the lead agencies for World Water Day 2009.

For more information visit:
http://www.worldwaterday.org/

National Hazardous Waste Management Strategy

National Hazardous Waste Management Strategy

In March 2009, the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a draft National Hazardous Waste Management Strategy. The overarching objective of the National Hazardous Waste management Strategy is to reach the goal of ‘Zero Disposal of Hazardous Waste’, adopting a holistic approach encompassing reduction at source, reuse, recycle and recovery through infusion of cost-effective innovative technologies, processes, and practices.

Further, the management of ‘end of life’ consumer products, having hazardous constituents, such as used lead acid batteries, waste electrical and electronic equipment etc., must give primacy to reuse, recycling and recovery. Hazardous waste which is not amenable to reuse, recycling and recovery has to be subjected to physico -chemical/ biological treatment, incineration or disposal in the secured landfill.
The Strategy also addresses the issue of import of recyclable, recoverable or reusable hazardous waste not only to meet the growing needs of certain materials like non-ferrous metals but
also to reduce negative environmental footprints. Import of hazardous waste from any country to India for disposal shall not be permitted.
The Draft Strategy, will act as a guiding document to facilitate minimization, recycling, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner.

For more information visit:
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
Published by Emerald Insight. ISSN: 1467-6370
The International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education is a fully-refereed academic journal. Published in conjunction with the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable
Future (ULSF), the journal aims at addressing environmental management systems (EMS), sustainable development and Agenda 21 issues at higher education institutions, worldwide. It intends to act as an outlet for papers dealing with curriculum greening and methodological approaches to sustainability. In addition, the journal will report on initiatives aimed at environmental
improvements in universities, and the increased competitiveness of self-regulatory mechanisms such as environmental auditing and maintaining EMS. IJSHE disseminates case studies, projects
and programmes whilst still considering the market opportunities available.

Sand in My Hands!

An Activity Book on Sandy Beaches and Sand Dunes for Children

Published by ATREE, UNDP, Handesign; Pages 54

The book is primarily meant for students/ children. Information is presented in a workbook format, and covers coasts, map making, formation of beaches, waves and tides, intertidal creatures,

birds, fl ora etc. Children are encouraged to make observations in text and drawing, conduct interviews etc. Educators, especially in coastal states, would fi nd it a useful school resource.

Written simply and attractively illustrated, it was developed as part of the Post-Tsunami Environment Initiative, jointly taken up by Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore, the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Bangalore and the Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), Chennai. The aim of the book is to generate interest and awareness about the signifi cance of coastal ecosystems.

EE resource books for teacher educators

EE resource books for teacher educators
This set of three books aims at helping teacher educators (at diploma, bachelors and masters level) to effectively oranize Environmental Education programmes as part of their training.
All the three resource book have content on Environment and Development, Environmental Education, Evaluation and Education for Sustainable Development.

Environmental Education: A Resource Book for Teacher Educators, Level 1 (D.Ed)
ISBN No: 978-81-89587-26-0; Cost: Rs 280/-
The resource book is meant for use by Teacher Educators or trainees who would teach at the Elementary Level or Primary Teachers. The resource book has material on content and
transaction and is based on the syllabus of Environmental Education for the Elementary Level and NCTE’s EE curriculum guidelines for D.Ed programmes. It has seven units.Each unit has
sections on

• Teaching Methods – provide an overview of the teaching resources, and pointers on how the Teacher Educator might introduce these resources to the trainees
• Teaching Resources (labeled A, B, C …) – activity plans for use in the school situation, and which may be tried out with the trainee teachers to provide practical insights into EE and

• content.

The Teacher Educator is expected to draw attention of trainee teachers to the range of teaching methods, help with actual use of these and adapt them according to the local situation. These

aspects are discussed at the beginning of the Teaching Resources section in each Unit.

Environmental Education: A Resource Book for Teacher Educators, Level 2 (B.Ed)

ISBN No: 978-81-89587-27-7; Cost: Rs 280/-

The objectives of the resource book are to

• Provide teacher educators/trainers with a background of EE– Concepts, historical perspective, objectives, guiding principles, etc.
• Help infuse contents and methodologies
• Oranize EE related activities, projects, workshops etc.
• Use activity oriented and interactive modes of training methodologies

Considerations underlying the Resource book:

• Activity and interactive modes of teaching-learning
• Self-contained
• Local examples,environmental Issues and case studies
• Flexible for use in pre-service/in-service training.
• Refl ect the content outline in EE developed by NCTE
• The likelihood of EE introduced as a foundation paper at B.Ed as against an elective/additional subject
• Heterogeneity of teacher trainees and teacher trainers with respect to their subject specialization
• Knowledge of content and methodologies of EE required by teachers for infusing/ teaching environmental topics in schools
• Educational aspect of EE than just ecological concepts
• Availability of teaching resources in EE in B.Ed colleges

Environmental Education:A Resource Book for Teacher Educators, Level 3 (M.Ed)

ISBN No: 978-81-89587-28-4; Cost: Rs. 280/-

This resource book intends to:

• Enhance understanding on EE and ESD
• Sensitize teacher educators about environmental issues and concerns
• Provide an understanding of the concept of SD and its dimensions
• Introduce skills to communicate the concepts of ESD
• Give an overview of the action projects on SD

The resource book will help teacher educators to incorporate environmental consciousness leading to sustainable development in their teacher education programmes and improving in the effectiveness of transacting concepts, values, ethics, competencies with regard to environmental consciousness and SD.

For more information contact:

Shivani Jain, Centre for Environment Education

Nehru Foundation for development, Thaltej Tekra,

Ahmedabad 380054, Ph: 079 26858002

E-mail: shivani.jain@ceeindia.org

Changing Thinking about Learning for a Changing World

Joe E. Heimlich, Ohio State University, USA

Martin Storksdieck, Institute for Learning Innovation, USA

The purpose of this paper is primarily to describe the main characteristics of what the author’s refer to as free-choice learning for the environment, and to draw some conclusions on how this understanding can infl uence informal environmental education. The author’s argue that a common perspective on education, namely that ‘learning’ results only or mostly from education, and that education occurs in schools and school-like environments, is too narrow a perspective in a world in which lifelong or lifespan learning outside formal schooling is becoming increasingly more important, and increasingly more recognized.

http://www.eeasa.org.za/publications/063_heimlich_et_al.pdf

Developing new approaches for people-centred development

Developing new approaches for people-centred development

Jockin Arputham SDI, PO Box 9389, Mumbai 400 026, India

Jockin Arputham founded the National Slum Dwellers Federation in India and is president of Slum/Shack Dwellers International (SDI). This paper describes Jockin’s life and work and the many different methods he has used to fight eviction and get government support for people-centred
development over the last 40 years. This includes the long fight to protect Janata colony in Mumbai from eviction, working with Bangladeshi refugees, and the formation of the federation of slum dwellers, fi rst in Mumbai and then for all of India.

Key Words: community organizations • evictions • federations• grassroots

Environment and Urbanization,Vol. 20, No. 2,
483-499 (2008); DOI: 10.1177/0956247808096124

“Negotiated spaces” for representation in Mumbai: ward committees, advanced locality
management and the politics of middle-class activism

Isa Baud University of Amsterdam, Department of Human Geography, Planning and International Development Studies,

Navtej Nainan University of Amsterdam,

In Mumbai, new forms of cooperation between local government and citizens seek to improve local
representation and the quality of services. This paper examines which residents are represented or excluded in these arrangements, the mandates anda processes by which the arrangements are negotiated and the outcomes. Local representation through elected councillors is compared with
that through voluntary neighbourhood groups (Advanced Locality Management groups, or ALMs), which work with the executive wing of local government. ALMs, involving middle-class groups, work on environmental, security and upgrading issues. They are expanding their claim to both political and public space, often excluding “unwanted” people. Elected councillors are channels mainly for low income groups, addressing issues relevant to municipal services but also responding to personal grievances and concerns. Confl ict between political representatives and their parties and ALMs is not unusual. Both of these “negotiated spaces” give citizens some way of holding
government to account, although middle-class citizens are finding greater scope for action.

Key Words: citizenship • civil society participation • India •urban governance • middle-class activism • Mumbai • spaces

Environment and Urbanization,
Vol. 20, No. 2, 483-499 (2008)

Climate, climate change and human health in Asian cities

Sari Kovats, Centre on Global Change and Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK, sari.

Rais Akhtar, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi-110067, India,

Climate change will affect the health of urban populations. It represents a range of environmental hazards and will affect populations where the current burden of climatesensitive disease is high — such as the urban poor in lowand middle-income countries. Understanding the current impact of weather and climate variability on the health of urban populations is the fi rst step towards assessing future impacts. The authors review the scientific evidence for the effects of temperature, rainfall and extreme events on human health, in particular the impacts of heat waves and fl oods. The methods for assessing the risks of climate change are undergoing development, and there is
a need to shift the focus from global and regional to local studies. Sectoral approaches to climate change impact assessments often ignore the effects on health. There is a need to better describe the risks to health from extreme weather events as well as improve the effectiveness of public health interventions. Improving the resilience of cities to climate change also requires improvements in the urban infrastructure, but such improvements may not be achieved quickly enough to avoid an increased burden of disease due to global climate change.

Key Words: cities • climate change • diarrhoeal disease • floods • heat stroke • heat waves • mortality

Environment and Urbanization,
Vol. 20,No.1,165-175 (2008)

International Conference of the Social Ecological Research Programme Berlin

International Conference of the Social Ecological Research Programme
Berlin, 22 - 23 February 2008

The conference addressed ‘Long-Term Policies: Governing Social-Ecological Change’ and provided opportunities to bring social-ecological research into international debates and the future perspectives of this fi eld. This conference was the eighth event in the series of annual European Conferences on the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change, which began in Berlin in 2001.

The conference was organised by Oldenburg Centre for Sustainability Economics and Management, CENTOS, Oldenburg University and the Environmental Policy Research Centre, Freie University, Berlin.

The Berlin conference brought together recent research and conceptual developments from scientific approaches and discussed the current challenges, research tasks, practical solutions and possible strategies for long-term policies. A mutual exchange between the different actor
groups was facilitated and the practicability of problem solving trans disciplinary work was discussed.

Representatives from particular actor groups such as businesses, civil society and NGOs, politics and the natural and social sciences took active part to integrate their particular expertise.

EE in Teacher Education
Resource book Dissemination Workshops

National Council for Teacher Education and Centre for Environment Education have worked together over the last 2 years towards strengthening environmental education in teacher education in the country.

A set of 3 Resource Books on Environmental Education (EE) has been developed and published in English and Hindi. Experts in teacher education and environmental education guided the development of these Resource Books. They are based on the NCTE-developed curriculum of EE in teacher education and are suitable for use by teacher educators at D.Ed, B.Ed and M.Ed levels.

The books are being disseminated to teacher education institutions by NCTE and through a series of six workshops being conducted by NCTE and CEE. The first workshop was organized in Lucknow in November 2008 for faculty from teacher education institutions in some northern Indian states. Prof. M.A. Siddiqui, Chairperson, NCTE, New Delhi inaugurated the workshop. Participants discussed the opportunities and challenges of infusion of environmental education into teacher education, as well as special projects and courses taken up by them. Sessions
on the use of action projects, ICT, resource materials etc were useful opportunities for sharing of experiences.

Over the coming months and in the next academic year, the institutions participating in the workshops would be developing methods to strengthen EE in their courses. They would also provide their insights into the use of the Resource Books to NCTE and CEE. The next 5 workshops will be held over Dec 08 to Feb 09.

For more information contact:

Shivani Jain, Centre for Environment Education
Nehru Foundation for Development, Thaltej Tekra,
Ahmedabad 380054; Ph: 079 26858002;
Email: shivani.jain@ceeindia.org

COP 10 Wetland Conventtion

The 158 contracting parties to the Convention on Wetlands met in Changwon, the Republic of Korea for COP 10 between 28 Oct – 4 Nov 2008.

The Changwon Declaration presented at the conclusion of the conference gave an overview of priority action steps that together show “how to” deliver some of the world’s most critical environmental sustainability goals.

The Declaration, emphasizes the signifi cance of wetland governance; actions people may take to ensure the effectiveness of wetlands in the fi ght against Climate change; the interconnection between people’s livelihoods and health on wetlands; the effects of land use change
and Biodiversity loss; planning and Sustainable financing; as well as sharing knowledge and experience in wetland Conservation management.

The 10 Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity actively participated in the COP 10 as wetland management plays a crucial issue in biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia.

The Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award in the category of Education was awarded to Dr. Sansanee Choowaew of Mahidol University, Thailand.

Coastal Management Notification - Public Consultations

The Central Government has proposed a new framework to be brought out into force “for managing and regulating activity in the coastal and marine area for conserving and protecting the coastal area for considering and protecting the coastal resources and coastal environment, and for
ensuring protection of coastal population and structure from risk of inundation, due to natural hazards, and for ensuring the livelihoods of coastal population or strengthen by superceding the said coastal regulation zone, notifi cation, 1991.”

In this regards, the government has issued a draft notification, “to be known as coastal management zone (CMZ) notifi cation 2008 for the information of public” in May 2008, in the gazette of India. This was republished in 21st July 2008. In order to get view points on the
CMZ notifi cation 2008 from various stakeholder groups particularly from local communities and NGOs working in the coastal stretches, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, commissioned CEE to facilitate public consultation in the coastal states.

CEE brought out salient features of CMZ notifi cation 2008 in various state languages, widely publicized the consultation workshops, organized these consultations in partnerships
with local NGO’s and CBOs.

Thirty five public consultations were organized in the nine states between 26th July and 13th September 2008. Over 3500 individuals belonging to various stakeholder groups participated. These included representatives of

• local community (individuals from coastal communities, panchayat members and fi sher - farmers association)
• NGOs and trade (working in coastal stretches)
• public authorities (municipal corporation, block, district and state offi cials and political leaders)
• other’s (academic and research organization, legal experts and media)
• corporate bodies (tourism and allied industries participated in this consultation processes and contributed to the discussion.

About 73 percent of the participant represented the local fisher communities. A summary and detailed report of this consultation has been compiled and submitted to the Ministry of Environment

and Forests. Written responses, petitions, documents received during the consultation workshops and audiovideo recordings of the workshop proceedings have also been submitted.

Activity for Teacher Educators: Impacts of Degraded Ecosystems

Activity for Teacher Educators: Impacts of Degraded Ecosystems

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment was launched by United Nations Secretary- General Kofi Annan. Initiated in 2001, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) involved over 1360 experts world-wide, in an assessment of the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. Their fi ndings, contained in fi ve technical volumes and six synthesis reports, provide a state-of-the-art scientifi c appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide (such as clean water, food, forest products, fl ood control, and natural resources) and the options to restore, conserve or enhance the sustainable use of ecosystems

For the Teacher Educator
Discuss the use of websites for obtaining information with the trainees. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using websites?

There are several websites, including those of UN organizations, government bodies, NGOs etc that provide a huge amount of information on projects, research experiments, data on environmental status and quality, etc.

Let the trainees share information on websites they have found useful.

Ask the trainees to suggest ways in which they could use specific websites as teaching resources for school students during school hours. Caution the trainees on inappropriate content for children, and the need for adult supervision.

Impact of Degraded Ecosystems
Objective: To understand the impacts of disturbance of ecosystems, on human beings
Material: Internet access
Duration: One session
Method
It provides information based on the studies of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment project.
The material is organized as the following ten questions:
1. How have ecosystems changed?
2. How have ecosystem services and their uses changed?
3. How have ecosystem changes affected human well-being and poverty alleviation?
4. What are the most critical factors causing ecosystem changes?
5. How might ecosystems and their services change in the future under various plausible scenarios?
6. Why are both global and sub-global assessments of ecosystem change useful?
7. How do ecosystems change over time?
8. What options exist to manage ecosystems sustainably?
9. What are the most important uncertainties hindering decision-making concerning ecosystems?
10. Conclusion: main fi ndings
They may explore all the ten questions. Question 3 provides information on effects of ecosystem change on human well-being. The tasks for this activity are as follows:

• Click on Question 3 and read the text under Level 1 Summary and Level 2 Details.
• Write a short note on how ecosystem change most affects poorer people.
• The trainees should also think about the city, town or village where they are located and try to identify examples of wateror soil pollution, poor air quality or any other ecosystem degradation. Who is most affected by such degradation? What is the impact of polluted or risky ecosystems on health?
• The trainees may work in groups, pairs or individually. The examples of effects of ecosystem degradation can be shared in class.

Source: NCTE and CEE (2007) Environmental Education - A Resource Book for Teacher Educators, Level 1 - D.Ed.

Education and Participation Help Conserve the Dal Lake

Education and Participation Help Conserve the Dal Lake

Rashmi Gangwar, Centre for Environment Education

Dal Lake: the Pride of Kashmir
Dal Lake, is a Himalayan urban lake, famous for its pristine beauty. It harbours a rich biodiversity of plants and animals. There is a very rich presence of birds. Several migratory bird species arrive every year. A variety of fish are found in the Lake, some are rare and endangered ones. Referred
to as ‘Heaven on Earth’, Dal Lake is a favourite tourist destination. It attracts thousands of tourists every year. Shikaras or houseboats are a major attraction to enjoy the pristine beauty of the Kashmir valley while living on the Lake. The Dal Lake is also one of only very few water bodies in the world having permanent human settlements within its confi nes. It is an important source of livelihood for above 60,000 local people residing in 125 hamlets, 602 houseboats and 272 doongas (smaller boats for ferrying people and goods) though the services like tourism, water sports, fi shery, cultivation of vegetables on the ‘floating gardens, providing a variety of products like lotus seeds and rhizomes, vegetables and fruits etc. Many aquatic plants growing in the lake are used as food, fodder and compost for agricultural fi elds. Lotus grows abundantly. The lotus rhizomes are harvested and sold for use as a vegetable and fetch a good price.

There are many old buildings having rich traditional architecture. The life in the interiors of the Lake depicts a live picture of the rich traditional skills like carpet weaving, embroidery, paper mashie, arts and crafts etc. The Water of the Lake is supplied for drinking and other domestic purposes to some Srinagar localities. The Lake is also a sink for the sewage from human settlements in and
around it.

Major Threats
Due to rapid and unplanned urbanization, large quantities of untreated sewage are discharged in the lake water, which might pose health problems in the near future. The unhealthy infl ux of nutrients in the form of sewage mostly comprising of nitrogen and phosphorus acts as a superfertilizer.
This results in an explosive growth of duckweed, water ferns, and algae that eventually deplete the oxygen of water vital to fi sh and other aquatic life. Eutrophication or excessive weed growth is prevalent throughout the lake.

Large peripheral areas have been reclaimed and converted into floating gardens. Expanding agriculture in the Dal catchment area also contributes serious levels of fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals through run-off. Rapid deforestation in catchment area of the Lake has accelerated soil erosion. Over 80,000 tons of silt are deposited in the Lake each year despite the siltation tanks constructed by J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority.

The Lake drainage system is clogged with little wind to aerate the water and the result researchers refer it as ‘a Lake in peril’. The anthropogenic factors have resulted in astonishing shrinking of the Lake from 24 to 11.41 square kilometers in the past 50 years. Experts predict that if pollution in lake continues at the same rate it will perish
within next few years.

Impact of Pollution in Dal Lake on the Lives of People

Sringar, the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir state although surrounded by lakes, streams, rivers and mountains faces shortage of a clean drinking water supply for domestic use! An appallingly high infant mortality of 1 in 5 due to common water borne infectious diseases is directly related to unclean water supplies throughout the valley. Forty percent of all illnesses are related to polluted water supplies, resulting into frequent outbreaks of ineffective hepatitis, gastroenteritis, poliomyelitis, typhoid and cholera.

Designing an Educational Intervention
A survey found that 90 percent of the lake residents were not fully aware that they were contributing to the degradation of Lake. CEE initiated an educational initiative with a view to focus attention of the local people and other stakeholders on the status of the Lake, the practices and systems contributing to the deterioration and possible ways to address the deterioration.

The school system was considered on priority to strengthen ongoing Dal Lake conservation efforts of the local government. The programme also involved community members including, boatmen, women, religious leaders and youth.

The School Programme
With support from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, CEE Himalaya initiated the Dal Lake Conservation through Education programme in 2004.
Twelve schools from within the Lake and eight from the main catchement area of Dal Lake were chosen to begin with. Principals/Head Masters of these schools were oriented about the need for and simple ways of lake conservation. Local leaders, government officials, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority and academicians were also involved in the process. It was
observed that the children and their parents living in the Dal lake, interacting with Lake environment day and night and earning their livelihood from it do not have anything about Dal lake environment in their syllabus and curriculum. To supplement the curriculum and make school education locally relevant, some educational material was developed for both teachers and students.

For teachers a resource book on Dal Lake, the related aquatic environment and water quality monitoring has been developed. The students’ book contains ideas for small scale conservation projects in their schools and locality to contribute their bits to keep lake clean.

Eco-clubs were formed in each school. The teachers in charge of the eco-clubs were trained in organising students, maintaining records and accounts, writing reports and conducting ecoclub activities. Methods of monitoring the local environment and to understand pollution in the Lake were explained in great detail. CEE’s portable water quality monitoring kit was used and demonstrated
for monitoring physical characteristics like odor, colour, suspended particles, pH, hardness, dissolved oxygen etc. In addition, the relationship of biodiversity, solid and liquid wastes to the health of the lake was discussed.

Teachers were guided to produce their own locale specific education material and to facilitate real life learning for the students. Small scale conservation projects were designed with the help of teachers through which the students could study the threats to the Lake and think about solutions.
The students collected local environmental status data such as on water quality and solid waste. This helped the students as well as the larger community understand the damage to the Lake much more vividly. This also inspired them to take corrective measures that were easy and possible for them. Some Student Activities

• The things we eat (the contribution of the Lake to the local diet)
• Algal Bloom (to understand lake pollution)
• Biodiversity Register of Dal Lake (richness of biodiversity the Lake harbours, demographic changes in recent years, local fi sh, fruits losing out to exotic ones)
• Let’s Make a Dustbin (red and green coloured) (demonstrated segregation of solid waste and its proper disposal)
• Drop of water (explained the value and availability of water and fresh water being so scarce on earth)
• Filter your own water (demonstrated purifi cation of water through simple, low cost methods promoting hygiene and avoiding water borne diseases)
• Making a Compost pit (to teach proper disposal of wet waste, how to reduce waste to be disposed off and making good use of it in kitchen gardens)
• Water Use Chart-Let’s Calculate!(promoting conservation of water and avoiding its misuse and wastage)
• Waste segregation into biodegradable and nonbiodegradable, paper recycling
• What’s the news? (advocacy of important environmental issues) Who am I? (demonstrating interactive and interesting way of teaching and learning)
• Seed Bank (about local crops and richness of varieties and their importance)
• Reach out to the Community (creating awareness and seeking community participation in improving quality of environment and quality of life of people)
• Convincing the Tourist (promoting environment friendly tourism, providing tourists simple dos and don’ts)

Community Awareness Programme
A number of formal and informal meetings were done with the local community including, boatmen, women, religious leaders and youth etc. about the deterioration of Dal Lake and its impact on the quality of life of the people living in the Lake. Dal-dwellers recognise Dal Lake as their cultural
heritage and were unhappy with the government policies and initiatives for conservation of the Lake.

The discussions highlighted the direct relationship between deterioration in Dal Lake and the livelihoods of people. Citizens expressed their anxiety on Dal Lake being used as sewage disposal site for Srinagar city. Other issues like rehabilitation of people in the city and poor infrastructure facilities for the Dal Lake inhabitants emerged during the meetings. People shared how clean the water of Dal Lake used to be some years ago that it was being used for drinking.
They agreed that infl ow of untreated sewage into the lake was one of the major causes for its deterioration.

In addition, awareness programme on the impact of using polluted water on the health of community, the need for sanitation and personal hygiene were done with the help of J&K Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Srinagar. Health camps organized focus on educating the people about the need for keeping the lake clean and that the outbreak of various diseases is due to polluted water.

Besides local NGOs, concerned government departments like J&K Lakes & Waterways Development Authority (LWDA), Department of Education, Forests and Wildlife, State Pollution Control Board, Tourism etc. were involved in the programme implementation.

Women and adolescent girls living in the Lake are important stakeholders in the management and conservation of the Lake. With support from the Mridula Sarabhai Foundation, a project titled “Women’s Participation in Dal Lake Conservation through Environmental Awareness and Appropriate Technology Demonstration” was taken up. This support helped in addressing sanitation, health and hygiene issues of women and adolescent girls to some extent, through awareness programmes and health camps.

Citizens also expressed the need for more dustbins and for more frequent clearance of dustbins. Awareness campaigns were done to bring about an understanding about techniques of domestic waste minimisation and management through segregation and composting. The consequences of direct disposal of solid waste and sewage into the Lake on water quality were described.

Local NGOs have become interested in waste management programmes in the confi nes of Lake. The LWDA has now arranged door to door collection of household waste which is brought outside the Lake and taken to the municipal dump site. Dustbins have been installed at suitable places
and people are encouraged to use them and to not litter the Lake and surroundings. Use of plastic carry bags is banned in the Lake area. People are now using dustbins provided by the local administration, thereby reducing the direct disposal of solid waste into the lake.

For more information contact:
Abdhesh Gangwar
CEE Himalaya
Kanli Bagh, Baba Rishi Road, Baramulla
Jammu & Kashmir 193 101
Ph: 095-2210440, 095-2235695
E-mail: abdhesh.gangwar@ceeindia.org
Website: www.ceehimalaya.org

Identify & Get Informed

Educational technology, the incorporation of information technology into the learning experience, is a term that continues to evolve alongside technological advancements in the field.

The issue of educational technology has played a major part in improving the learning outcomes of individuals by personalizing the learning experience. The immediate responsiveness of computer based programs, and the self-paced private learning environment that educational technology warrants seeks to promote higher levels of motivation among students worldwide. It has also provided greater access to education such as in the case of increased accommodation for students with severe physical disabilities and for students living in remote locations.

E-learning refers to the specific kind of learning experienced within the domain of educational technology, which can be used in or out of the classroom. Distance learning, computer-based training, and social networking tools are just a few examples of e-learning. Tools like TIGed (http://www.tigweb.org/tiged) combine engaging social networking technologies with citizenship and global education. Implementing such tools in the classroom addresses the pressing need for today’s youth to be more aware of their global environment.

The debate over which tool best serves the needs of the learners is ongoing and subject to geographic context. For instance, in developing countries, mobile phones out number computers because of their low costs and operating needs, thus, raising the question of whether mobiles could serve as a better learning tool with more educational benefits than computers in the developing countries.

Education and housing key areas for reform, says OECD Economic Survey of Switzerland

Switzerland has weathered the economic crisis better than most OECD economies, with a less than 2% decline in activity in 2009, and only a moderate rise in unemployment. The latest OECD Economic Survey of Switzerland encourages closer supervision of financial markets to address more fully the systemic risks to the system. It highlights the need for reforming the education and housing sectors as well as healthcare spending and pensions in order to address the rising costs of an ageing society.

The timing of the exit strategy will be crucial for monetary and fiscal policy; the report recommends maintaining the current expansionary monetary stance in Switzerland until recovery picks up.


Fiscal stimulus has so far been modest compared to other OECD countries, but discipline will be needed in the medium and long term to remain within budgetary rules.

Stronger cross-border arrangements with financial authorities in other countries are essential to ensure effective supervision of the largest Swiss financial institutions. The report recommends internationally coordinated contingency plans to unwind failing multinational intermediaries in an orderly fashion, limiting theneed for bail-outs.

While GDP per capita is among the highest in the OECD, productivity is still held back by low performance in sectors not exposed to international competition, keeping the overall price level of goods and services high. Housing costs, which are some 60% higher than the average for the European Union, contribute to the high living costs.

“The harmonisation of building regulations in the housing sector would promote competition. In order to increase the supply of affordable housing, municipalities’ incentives to develop buildable land should bestrengthened, for example by further raising the weight of real estate tax revenues in municipalities’ budgets”, says Andrés Fuentes, responsible for Switzerland in the OECD’s Economics Department and co-author of the report.

Education outcomes in Switzerland are excellent in international comparisons (OECD Programme for International Student Assessment - PISA), although this largely reflects high education attainment among parents and people with high per-capita income. The vocational education system and universities enjoy a high reputation.

However, Switzerland’s lead in formal qualifications over the other OECD countries has slipped considerably. A number if indicators show that increasing the supply of higher education graduates could improve economic productivity. In this light, the report recommends significantly increasing government-sponsored student loans to facilitate access to tertiary education. The report also recommends an increase in public spending for childcare facilities and new criteria for support to day nurseries, the number of which are still inadequate.