Digest - Grassroots Chronicles
December 2023
EVENTS
Development Alternatives in COP28 - 2023 in Dubai
Development Alternatives along with partner organisations from India and across the globe, hosted and participated in a series of side events and exhibits at the 28th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28), which was held from 30 November 2023 to 12 December 2023 in UAE, at Expo City, Dubai. The objective of DA@COP was to create enough synergies that would nudge the sustainability conversation and help in creating a pathway for the Net Zero goal.
#COP28
MoU Signing and Workshop with Odisha State Housing Board
Development Alternatives under the project ‘Ashraye (Odisha Chapter)- Transforming the Built Environment through Sustainable Materials’ signed an MoU with Odisha State Housing Board, which was followed by a consultation with Market and Finance Working Group.
#BuildingBreakthrough
Report Launch: GeoAI for Brick Kilns in Bihar: Learnings and Recommendations
In a collaborative effort led by Development Alternatives (DA) with the UNDP, BSPCB and the University of Nottingham, reports on a successful demonstration conducted in Bihar through GeoAI Platform to mitigate pollution was released. To tackle the menace of air pollution, Geo AI, is used for diverse applications, such as Segmentation, Object Detection, Feature Extraction, Image Classification, change detection and many more analyses that can be applied. A user-friendly mobile and web application supports government agencies in Bihar to conduct field inspection and regulate brick kilns.
#ArtificialIntelligence
Report Launch - Comprehensive GHG Inventory and Low Carbon Development Pathway for the Sugar Mills and Rolling Mills in Bihar
In a collaborative effort led by Development Alternatives with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), two significant reports were unveiled in Patna on November 29, 2023. Under the umbrella of the 'Climate Resilient and Low Carbon Development Pathway for Bihar' initiative, the report focuses on the Greenhouse Gas Incentivisation and low-carbon pathways for Sugar Mills and Re-Rolling Mills in the State.
#carbonneutral
udyaME Mela (Enterprise Fair) in Mirzapur
DA along with its partners conducted an ‘udyaME Mela’ (Enterprise Fair) to provide a platform for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs. This platform aimed to provide ‘One Stop Solutions’ such as access to finance, technology integration, marketing needs and capacity building.
#samudyam
A one-day consultation on scaling inclusive entrepreneurship
A consultation on ‘Exploring Pathways to Scale Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Uttar Pradesh’ was hosted by Development Alternatives (DA) along with the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) on 29th November 2023 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
#InclusiveEntrepreneurship
2023 General Assembly Meet of Vikalp Sangam Concludes in Kerala
Development Alternatives joined fellow network members of Vikalp Sangam to discuss alternatives for development in the 2023 General Assembly Meet from November 03-06 at Farmer’s Share in Shoranur, Kerala. The meeting concluded with a field visit and interaction with the tribal community in the Vazhachal forest division in the Thrissur district. The community was the first in the state to receive Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights.
#SustainableLivelihoods
Third edition of Aarya Manch held
The Aarya Manch, a platform where women e-rickshaw entrepreneurs actively engage in dialogues with local system stakeholders, recently held its third edition with a focus on e-mobility ancillary services.
#AaryaManch
Fostering Entrepreneurship: Highlights from the District Entrepreneurship Coalition in Jhansi
The District Entrepreneurship Coalition is a networking platform initiated by Development Alternatives for gathering, bringing together visionary entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers under one roof. The event provides an incredible platform for networking, fostering meaningful connections among stakeholders of entrepreneurship ecosystem and entrepreneurs.
#DistrictEntrepreneurshipCoalition
STORY OF CHANGE
Munni Devi’s Story: From Under the Veil to Behind the Wheel
Munni Devi, a resident of Bathua village, Mirzapur, is a lady with immense strength, one who fought the shackles of patriarchy and poverty for her family, especially her specially-abled daughter and is now a successful e-rickshaw entrepreneur.
PUBLICATIONS
National Circular Economy Roadmap for Reducing Plastic Waste in India
This plastic waste-busting roadmap is the culmination of 3 years of research by TERI, CSIR-NEERI, CSIRO, DA and UTS, Sydney. It tackles plastic pollution from all angles, offering a blueprint for a circular economy revolution!
GeoAI for Brick Kilns in Bihar: Learnings & Recommendations
Bihar tackles air pollution with GeoAI! A collaborative effort led by UNDP & DA uses satellite data to pinpoint non-compliant brick kilns, driving informed regulation and cleaner air for the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
ShubhKal ...building resilience for a brighter tomorrow
Development Alternatives started working in Bundelkhand more than three decades ago. In an attempt to transform the economy and ecology of Bundelkhand we worked here to build massive programmes for restoring and rebuilding the social and natural processes which resulted in measurable improvement in the lives and livelihoods of the people and in the productivity of their land, water and biological resources. This book, thus, is a tribute to AVM Sahni for his contribution in guiding the sustainable development initiatives. This resulted in community transformation, environmental regeneration and economic sustainability.
PERSPECTIVES (Blog)
Bridging the Divide: Digital Infrastructure Paving the Way for Rural Entrepreneurship-led Job Creation
India needs to generate 10 million jobs yearly, more so in rural India, where over 70% of the population resides. In this blog, Kanika Verma highlights the various pioneering work done by Development Alternatives in promoting entrepreneurship in rural India. It also discusses the transformative power of ‘Digital Infrastructure’ as a driver of entrepreneurship-led job creation.
VIDEO
TARAgram Yatra Journey | 2022 | Agra | Bundelkhand | Mirzapur | Development Alternatives Group
Watch the journey of our annual event 'TARAgram Yatra' held in three geographies, i.e., Agra, Bundelkhand, and Mirzapur, organised by Development Alternatives Group from 22 November to 23 November, 2022.