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Dr. Dipayan Dey
A biotechnologist by profession, Dr Dipayan started his academic career with University of Delhi as a faculty. He has delegated his academic distinctions for nearly fifteen years in India and abroad including Chicago de Paul University in USA. He is still a resource person in department of sustainable environment development of United Nation University, Tokyo Japan. He has been the recipient of International
Awards and fellowships from UNEP, UNFPA, FAO(UN), International Lake Environment Committee (Japan), British Ecological Society (UK), International Association for Impact Assessment (USA) and International Society for Restoration Ecology (USA) for excellence in environmental conservation. He is the pioneer environmentalist in India to successfully install the BIORIGHTS of commons.
Presently he is leading the South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE), a non-profit NGO working towards conservation of nature and poverty alleviation through community partnership, participation and equity in the Indian eco-region. He is also Member in Advisory Council for CEM program of IUCN in South Asia and National Natural Resource Management Council of NABARD in India.
Dr Dipayan was the Lead India Finalist from Kolkata, a Times of India initiative and a recipient of the Idea Excellence Award in 2007.
| Chair's Note |
Dear all,
Green Greetings!
Environment is a happening thing today! Starting from court trial rooms and cyclone hit coasts one can see it. The only thing is it's not happening with us, its happening on us. The awareness, one should definitely say has increased and have sensitized the society in almost all sectors. Even then I do not find many on their toes, for a green step. Shall we care this year or wait for many more years to come? Initiative is still lacking. We are enough panicky about Climate Change, but still believe that, “My car has no carbon footprint”. Don't you think this system dependent assurance of social security should go now? Let's be proactive, while we worry about global warming, let's not try to escape from our day to day environment.
Environmentally yours.
Dr. Dipayan Dey
Dear all,
Green Greetings!
Environment is something we always see but when we want to show to others it becomes difficult. Reasons are not so tough to explain. It's almost like never being able to see ones own face - unless you have a mirror. Awareness has this role to play in seeing environment through sustainable development. Its time to understand that environment is now integral to economic development, poverty alleviation and assuring sustainability. It has to be now a part of our polity, lifestyle and religion even. This year's dry monsoon air will dictate the economy more than investment or disinvestment, but we only see the compulsion in it when struck by hazard. I feel that awareness is a cumulative continual process of evolving as a better species for survival
.
Environmentally yours.
Dr. Dipayan Dey
Dear all,
Green Greetings!
“Please show me what you have done. What are your exact plans?”... I really fumble before those questions which I have been facing quite often. Truly speaking if I am to answer these, I should say I have a plan to turn the earth the other way round and I haven't done anything yet, or else I feel like showing the huge solid waste hill and say “See what you have done...and I plan to turn all your grey eyes green”... but I cant say that. So, I fumble. Sustainable Environment Development is like conquering the wildest waves with the tiniest yatch. It's just not cleaning up the garbage or distributing relief to people, It's not just preaching It's practicing wise use of natural resources with the commons who survives on it. It's a question of survival, a struggle with one's own self for existence. There cannot be reforms in little bits; one has to root-and-branch reform in corners where it can be replicated by all years to come. Environmental concerns do not necessarily need to adopt the method of making an issue; it shall be that of construction. I believe in growth, I do not dare to put myself in the position of a great reformer; I simply want to be like the little drop of rain, which embarks in happiness to put on its small contribution eventually making a difference to the lives of millions. Let us develop the partnership with people to add feed to the living Creations rightly, and observe the growth of its own. What little work has been done by me has not been any inherent power that resides in me, but from the cheers, the blessings that came from thousands of you.
Lets evolve to make a difference.
Environmentally yours.
Dr. Dipayan Dey
Dear all,
Green Greetings!
Our accomplishments are challenged by resource constraints and often delimit the scope to render welfare services to the larger vulnerable section of the society. Over the years we have evolved through our success and failure and could rise to the occasion where we could save the environment and its people, we could fire-spread awareness about the precious environment from local stakeholders to school and college campuses. Now, to lead this fervent task further and make it an exemplary partnership, we request an assenting hand of help from your end towards our common green mission. Let us not borrow the Earth from our children, let's gift a green horizon to them....Come, Together Let's Evolve!
Environmentally yours.
Dr. Dipayan Dey
Dear all,
Green Greetings!
If winter has come can spring be far behind? I never find a reason to say ‘Yes it is'…. Most of us have given up. Be it global warming and climate change or water-war or pollution, as if nothing else can happen here on earth except we perish. We withdraw so easily. Never question ‘why?' Never think that ‘why can't we bring a change?' and never even allow others to do so. In one word – this involvement is participation. Right to participation is your right as a human being and none else other than you can establish it. SAFE is tirelessly working towards establishing the BIORIGHTS of commons. We advocate the right of participation of commons in decision support systems especially when it comes to clean environment. Even we appeal for assuring environmental justice in defining Special Economic Zones and designing multi stakeholder development projects through social and environmental impact assessment tools. However, that's not the end of the road. Everyone has to be proactive. Everyone has to understand that closing ones eyes would not stop the changing face of the earth. It's still not so late. Come let's live like humans, … those humans who have evolved through changes and challenges.
Environmentally yours.
Dr. Dipayan Dey
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JOIN US for a SOCIAL CHANGE...
Vote Amrita – our social change catalyst... |
Amrita Chatterjee from SAFE has been nominated for Changemakers® Maternal Health competition – an initiative of ASHOKA Foundation. Changemakers is a community of action where all Changemakers collaborate on solutions. They know they have the power to solve the world's most pressing social problems. They are doing it, one project...one idea at a time.
Look for Amrita's entry on Health awareness & micro-utility services through retail distribution of mineral drinking water by women joint liability.
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Vote Amrita for a social change... a cause for survival of mother in rural India.
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Our Mission
SAFE is working towards ecological restoration and environmental conservation to achieve sustainable environmental development and poverty alleviation through community participation, partnership and reciprocity in the Indian eco-region. |
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 Research & planning
SAFE undertakes environmental research through scientific designing, planning and operations integrating traditional ecological knowledge. Focal areas of activities relate to Ecological Restoration, Impact Assessment Studies, Habitat Evaluation, Biodiversity Indexing, GIS mapping and inventory preparation & ecological Modeling on Climate change. |
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Projects undertaken:
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Community
Working at the science society interface, SAFE initiates community services through alternate livelihood opportunities, micro-financing and adaptive management to create an win-win situation towards conservation and poverty alleviation. Social Impact Assessment, SIA and attitude scaling are important aspects of community program. SAFE have been conducts various awareness programs, workshops in the community, ensuring greater participation of women for their empowerment. |
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Community Projects undertaken
- First BIORIGHTS project launched in India at East Kolkata Wetlands.
- Eco- tourism & medicinal plant cultivation as alternative economic opportunities.
- Women Self Help Groups (SHG) formations, bank linkage, in partnership with NABARD.
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Clean potable water, green technology for rural South Asia, forming retail delivery chain in community, as a revenue generation model.
- Conservation and forming Gene Bank of Endemic fishes of East Kolkata Wetlands, under Rural Innovative Fund project, NABARD.
- Training Community on agro-environmental innovations, better livelihood opportunities, eco-friendly farming practices.
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Disaster Mitigation
One of the priority areas of SAFE is disaster mitigation and relief work especially for climate change refugees. Emergency services appended with rehabilitation and community preparedness has been the target maneuvering point for SAFE to procreate community resilience in disaster prone areas in the Indian eco-region.
- Landslide alert system and mitigation in Eastern Himalyas
- Flood mitigation and Disaster Management in Indo-Nepal Borders, Sunderbans
- Relief work & health camp during cyclone AAILA at Sunderbans, India
- Alternate communication as an early alert system in coastal areas
- Health awareness camps, emergency cases, micro-health insurances for community
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Outreach
SAFE constantly works for environmental awareness in cross sectoral population through outreach camps & workshops. SAFE provides hand on training experiences in environmental aspects to students through rural-urban confluence. SAFE feels it is important to share and exchange findings, in order to help decision support to shape policy designing and implementation are also a core responsibility of SAFE.
- Scientific Communication in International Seminar and Conferences
- Participation in international workshops and media programs.
- Organizing “Go-Green” activities in partnership with corporate sector.
- TREE, Teen Require Environmental Education, project for students across rural & urban areas.
- Penta C, Cross Country consortium for Climate Change Refugees.
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Publication:
- Quarterly Newsletter
- Special report Journals
- Community handouts, brochures etc.
- Special Publication: Book on Biorights (ISBN 978-81-908391-0-5)
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