'The Grass Roots’ Poster Workshop Second Edition

As part of the NIAS Climate Change, Civil Society and Peace (C3SP) initiative, in collaboration with GPPAC South Asia, the second edition of the poster workshop under The Grass Roots, the NIAS Youth Network on Climate Change, Civil Society and Peace, was held on 08 August 2026. Titled “Climate Action from the Ground: Stories of Individuals and Organisations across the Indian Neighbourhood,” the workshop brought together young scholars from institutions across India to document and present grassroots initiatives addressing climate change. Through the poster presentations, participants explored how civil society organisations, community networks and local initiatives are responding to climate challenges through locally grounded approaches.

The workshop featured twelve case studies documenting initiatives across the Indian neighbourhood, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The stories cover diverse themes such as women’s leadership in climate adaptation, climate-resilient livelihoods, community-based water conservation, disaster preparedness, floating schools, citizen science, youth-led climate action, Indigenous knowledge, biodiversity conservation and marine protection. Together, these chronicles highlight the varied ways in which individuals, communities and civil society organisations are responding to environmental challenges, strengthening local capacities and building climate resilience across the region.

Women, Resilience and the Climate Challenge in Bangladesh:
How BRAC is empowering communities through climate adaptation, resilient livelihoods, women’s leadership and grassroots disaster preparedness
Sangamithra S
Undergraduate Student, B.Sc. Data Science, Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Learning Afloat:
Climate adaptation through floating Schools in Bangladesh
Deiphi Kurbah
Undergraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Political Science and Media Studies, Mount Carmel (Deemed to be) University, Bengaluru

Water Conservation, Climate-Resilient Agriculture and Sustainable Livelihoods:
How Tarayana Foundation empowers rural communities in Bhutan through community-based climate adaptation
Monica K
Student, Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science (KCLAS), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

The Heroes of Bhutan:
How the Himalayan Environmental Rhythms Observation and Evaluation System (HEROS) mediates discourse on biodiversity through data
Samraksha Mukund
Student, Department of International Studies, Political Science and History, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru

From Climate Vulnerability to Self-Reliance:
How ARCIO is strengthening climate awareness, early warning systems and community-led adaptation to build resilience in Afghanistan
Kumari Gargi
Undergraduate Student, Department of International Relations, Peace Studies and Public Policy, St. Joseph's University, Bengaluru

Restoring the Dry Zone:
How Janathakshan is building climate resilience in Sri Lanka’s dry zone through community-led water management
Adwaith Sankar
Final-year Undergraduate Student, Political Science and International Liberal Studies, NUS-Waseda Double Degree Programme

Climate Guardians:
Maldives’ Youth-Led Climate Action for a Resilient Future
Delna Rajesh
Postgraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai

Nepal’s H.E.L.P. Initiative:
Protecting the High Himalayas through Indigenous Knowledge and Nature-Based Solutions
Aparna A Nair
Postgraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai

The Pearl Protectors of Sri Lanka:
How ‘The Pearl Protectors’ is tackling marine pollution, protecting sea turtles and mobilising volunteers for coastal and marine conservation
Sreya KH
Postgraduate Student, Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai

Women Driving Climate Resilience in Bangladesh:
How communities in Khulna and Satkhira are strengthening climate adaptation
Urja Kudalkar
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru

Maldives Resilient Reefs:
How a marine conservation organisation is securing a blue future for the Maldives
Namrata L Ghanghatkar
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru

Nepal’s Thame After the 2024 Glacial Flood:
How Nepal’s Sherpa community is preserving Indigenous knowledge and living heritage to strengthen climate resilience and disaster preparedness
Priyanka Makhijani
Postgraduate Student, Department of Public Policy, Ramaiah University of Applied Science