INNOVATIONS
South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) has the role in combating climate change at science society interface through technology cooperation and empowerment of the marginal commons. SAFE envisages the freedom from fear of failure through several innovative interventions those are based on scientific paradigm. These innovations do not need rocket technologies but comply with environmental standards and therefore they are low investment high efficiency modules that can be easily adopted by the marginal communities. Most of these innovations are climate adaptive low emission interventions. Some of which are as here under
Circular design in WASH
The new energy solution for providing WASH facility to the economic and social bottom line, is circular design has been developed by SAFE to make the facility minimum energy intensive and carbon neutral. This facility runs a RO system with solar power wherein the refusal water from the RO system flushes bio sanitations, affluence of bio sanitation feeds a bio gas unit and the slurry from the bio gas unit is converted into bio manures. A detailed report is here.
Bio-Rights of commons
This is a fiscal formula for compensating the opportunity costs of poor communities in undertaking conservation efforts by payments from ecosystem services. This neo-economic conservation paradigm has been accredited as a best practice innovation by UNEP in the fourth TEEB report.
Sloped farming in flood resilient agriculture
This is an advanced hydroponic method for growing horticultural plants on floating rafts in flood waters to increase primary productivity in inundated areas and thereby support the life and livelihood of marginal and climate vulnerable communities.
Blue Carbon
Coastal conservation by using carbon neutral agro technology like aqua farming, alga culture, crab fattening and mangrove plantation is a new field of innovation for SAFE towards Blue Carbon intervention. In Sunderbans of West Bengal and Bhittarkanika of Orissa, SAFE has successfully deployed integrated aqua farming as a Blue Carbon intervention.
GIES-RS in forest conservation
In collaboration with NASA and ICIMOD, SAFE has used geo spatial scenario planning framework for mitigating forest fire disasters in Eastern Himalayan terrain. The usage of satellite imagery predictions for developing a mobile based early alert system in preventing forest fire damages is a first of its kind in Asia Pacific that has been developed by SAFE.
Water Banks
Water Banks are simple water harvesting systems for arresting surface run off in draught prone areas of Eastern India that has been propounded by SAFE as a community collective farming protocol for draught resilience. Water Banks work on the water rights of commons that can be used for irrigating the second cropping season or even the right can be sold in appropriation. This innovation has recently been awarded by the Asia Pacific Network for Global Change Research and accredited by UN Environment.
Such innovations are the keys to success in achieving sustainable development goals for SAFE.