Inaugural Workshop of ‘The Grass Roots’ - the NIAS Youth Network on Climate Change, Civil Society and Peace

As part of the NIAS Climate Change, Civil Society and Peace (C3SP) initiative in collaboration with GPPAC South Asia, the inaugural workshop of ‘The Grass Roots,’ the NIAS Youth Network on Climate Change, Civil Society and Peace, was held on 03–04 June 2026 at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru. The workshop brought together students, researchers, academics, and civil society practitioners to examine the role of civil society in addressing climate change through research, dialogue, and knowledge exchange. One of the key components of the workshop was a poster presentation exercise, where young scholars from institutions across India documented the work of civil society organisations engaged in climate adaptation, ecological restoration, environmental justice, disaster preparedness, sustainable livelihoods, and community resilience.

The poster workshop featured eighteen case studies highlighting grassroots initiatives from across the country, covering diverse themes such as waste management in Delhi, lake conservation in Bengaluru and Chennai, mangrove restoration in the Sundarbans, climate adaptation in Kerala, solar transitions in Kutch, disaster preparedness, environmental education, community forestry, sustainable agriculture, and citizen-led climate action. Together, the chronicles linked below highlight how communities and civil society organisations are strengthening climate resilience through locally grounded knowledge, collective action, and innovative environmental practices.

Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group
Tackling the effects of harmful emissions in the Delhi NCR region through Waste management initiatives
Aarav Bhaskar
Student, American Embassy School, New Delhi

Banking on Plates for a Clean World:
How Adamya Chethana, a Bengaluru based non-profit NGO helps address climate change and environmental sustainability with its Plate Bank Service
Acsah H
Postgraduate Student, Manipal Institute of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, MAHE

Lakeika: Breathing Life Back into Puttenahalli
Inside Usha Rajagopalan's commendable efforts in restoring the Puttenahalli Lake through community mobilisation, effective policy framing and conservation initiatives
Ada Khan
Undergraduate student, Department of Political Science, Public Policy, Media Studies, Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru.

The Forest She Built:
How Kollakkayil Devaki Amma transformed adversity into environmental action, creating a lush forest that supports wildlife, water conservation, and climate resilience
Aishal Hab Yousuf
Postgraduate Student, Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai

The Forests That Refused to Fall:
Inside Alok Shukla's decades-long fight to protect Hasdeo Aranya and the communities whose future is tied to its survival
Anshika Thakur
Undergraduate Student, Department of History, Economics, Political Science, Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru

Roots, Rain & Renewal:
Inside Thuvakkam's efforts to cool Chennai through urban forests, harvest water sustainably, power schools and communities with solar energy, and uplift the city's most vulnerable
Avaneesh S
Postgraduate Student, Department of History, School of Social Sciences, Pondicherry University

The Students Who Heal the Soil and Study the Land:
Behind SAICE’s community-driven push for land regeneration in Puducherry and what it means for ecological balance in integral education
Deb Dutta
Graduate, Department of Political Science, Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), Puducherry

The Seeds of Change:
Inside VOICE Trust's Sunday Agriculture School, where young people learn farming, seed conservation, and climate responsibility through hands-on experience
Glynnis Winona B
Undergraduate Student, Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru

The Climate Classroom:
Parikrma Oxygen is India's first outdoor nature-based school, for children from urban slums - providing an education that is rooted in the living world
Madhura Meenakshi Tanikella
Undergraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Alliance University, Bengaluru

Friends of Lakes:
How Madhuri Subbarao is building a citizen movement to protect Bengaluru’s lakes and secure the city’s water future
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Science, Bengaluru

Voices for a Changing Climate:
Inside Poovulagin Nanbargal’s journey of inspiring climate awareness, defending ecological systems, and empowering communities to respond to environmental challenges in Tamil Nadu
Nithin V
Postgraduate Student, Department of International Relations, Loyola College, Chennai

Guardians in Green:
How the women of Sundarbans are using ancient ecological knowledge to protect their communities from climate catastrophe
Priyanka Makhijani
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru

The Women Who Salt the Earth and Harness the Sun:
Inside SEWA's decade-long effort to replace diesel with solar in the Little Rann of Kutch and what it means for climate justice in India's informal economy
Radhika M Agarwal
Postgraduate Student, Department of Politics and International Relations, Pandit Deendayal Energy University, Gandhinagar

Every disaster predicted, Every community ready:
SEEDS has stood at the intersection of technology and humanity, equipping India’s most vulnerable with AI-powered early warnings, community training, and the unshakeable belief that no family should face a disaster unprepared
Rakshitha B
Graduate, Department of Political Science and Economics, Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru

Waatavaran and Climate Justice from the Ground Up:
Inside Waatavaran’s community-based climate action plan
Siddhi Halyur
Undergraduate Student, Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru

Hulimavu’s Blue Revolution:
How Hulimavu Kere Tharanga, a community-led initiative, overcame a possible encroachment of their beloved Lake
Sreemaya Nair
Graduate, Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru

From Vulnerability to Resilience, Climate Adaptation Journey:
How communities are adapting to increasing floods, changing rainfall patterns, and environmental uncertainties
Urja K
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru

Empowering Communities for a Zero-Waste Tomorrow:
A look at VISVA Sustainable Foundation's efforts to transform events, public spaces, and everyday habits through sustainable practices and grassroots engagement
Yesasvi Koganti
Undergraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai