Climate Change, Human Rights, Public Policy: Fact Finding and Reporting

Outline of the Program

Kerala for the last four years has witnessed the most disastrous monsoons in recent decades. From the coastal regions and the backwaters to the Western Ghats, its impact has been tragic to many families, as loss of property to loss of lives itself. These issues have to be studied both as an environmental problem as well as a human rights issue, to provide better living conditions to the people who are most affected at such risk, through innovative and rights-based public policy frameworks.

The students of the School of International Relations and Politics have identified the most affected areas in the three geographically distinct regions (Coastal region, Backwaters, Hilly region) and have conducted direct field investigations to understand the extent of the problems faced by the people living there, since June 2021, hearing from their own experiences.

A workshop at the Bodhigram Institute for Sustainable Development and Governance helped in understanding how to link such experiences to policy frameworks. The continued activities of further field visits and the workshop with local administrative officials and affected people, has to complete the mission and bring out a detailed report on Human Rights Interventions needed at Such Climate Change Induced Disasters.

Mission

This program is a summation of several activities on the theme Inclusive Public Policy Initiatives in the context of Climate Change Induced Natural Disasters. The activity started in June 2021 is conceived as a social lab experiment, as a unique collaborative long-term learning and advocacy program. Social Learning, Participatory Research, Reporting and Advocacy on the issues of Livelihood Security and dignified survival of Climate Change affected populations, are key aspects of this initiative.

Objectives

• Data Collection and analysis at various panchayats in the jurisdiction of the university. Climate induced disaster affected areas are focal points
• Applications of the concepts of inclusive public policy in the frameworks of disaster reduction

and reconciliation

• Training students to involve in matters of policy making at the level of local administration.
• Give a platform for the marginalized and affected people at sites of continued natural hazards to ensure credible solution to their livelihood concerns.
• Create a detailed report on the situations of affected people at such sites, and publish it for specific policy interventions
• Deliver findings and suggestions to the state planning bodies for policy making