2016 saw the lowest level of rainfall in 140 years in Tamil Nadu,
India. For the rural population of this southern Indian state, the resulting
impact on their capacity to meet their basic water needs has been catastrophic.
With reports surfacing that the knock-on impact of this drought has been an 80%
water deficit for the region and a 42% decline in suitable cropping area, local
people are naturally concerned about their future. Attempting to raise
awareness around this impending crisis, local environmental campaigners have
asserted that this drought is “predominantly man-made”, which has prompted
further fears. If this extreme drought is not simply a once in a 140-year occurrence,
but rather a result of man-made climate change and regional environmental
degradation, then similar events can be expected with increasing frequency and
severity. The 2017 monsoon season, while more fruitful than the previous year,
still saw below average rainfall.
As unfortunately seems to often be the case, it is the rural
populations in Tamil Nadu, who contribute the least to global climate change,
that must endure the brunt of its effects. The small village of Kanji, around 5
hours drive from the state capital of Chennai, is no exception. For many of the
local families the wells are running dry and the sustainability of their water
supply is a long-term concern. Steps must be taken to ensure that local people
know how to protect themselves against the drought and how to make the most of
their limited resources.
This is a concern that St Anthony’s Matriculation School, an
independent school that provides education for many of the poorest residents in
Kanji, is taking very seriously. In an effort to educate their students about
the importance of being environmentally conscious, the school has founded an Eco
Club consisting of a group of 120 students and 10 staff members to lead the way
in sustainability initiatives. Despite only being created this year, the club
has already run successful campaigns to limit the use of plastic bags and bottles
within the school, and to encourage healthy eating practices through a
vegetable patch grown on the school grounds. In addition to this, the club
arranged a trip to visit a recycling plant to learn more about how to tackle
the issue of excess waste.
Perhaps most impressive is the tree-planting efforts of the club,
who have designated the first Saturday of every month as “Tree Planting Day”
and have succeeded so far in planting over 1,000 trees on school grounds and
600 in the surrounding villages. Trees provide a strong defence against drought
and monsoon flooding by absorbing and storing water that may otherwise be lost
as run-off, and improve local air quality. Students are encouraged to take ownership
of the trees, and tree planting in the villages was suggested as a way to encourage
the students to teach their families and friends what they have been learning
through the Eco Club.
The club’s future plans are to attend a two-day long eco camp to
learn more about environmental conservation, and to organise regular speakers
to visit and inspire the students. St Anthony’s School has already achieved so
much with its limited resources, and now they are looking ahead to not just educating
their students, but to improving the lives of people in their local community
through leading the way in environmental conservation under particularly
challenging conditions. We could all stand to take notice of their efforts and think
about how we can change our habits to protect the only planet that we have.
These remarkable individuals, and this remarkable institution, are demonstrating
the amazing difference that small, community-led efforts can have on the lives
of people facing great uncertainty.
I am very fortunate to be
able to hear about the fantastic work of St Anthony’s staff and students
through my involvement with The Kanji Project, a UK-based charity that provides support to
the school, as well as other community-based institutions in Kanji. We are
hoping to help raise the funds required to send these passionate Eco Club
members to the eco camp mentioned above. If you would like to find out more, or
to help us to achieve this goal, please visit our website (https://thekanjiproject.org.uk/) where you can find ways to get involved and
to contact us.
Further reading:
A great article George> Thanks for highlighting this issue in a part of the world that would otherwise go unnoticed. They're an example for other schools in the developing world - & here in the UK to follow. Rod
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