The month’s newsletter celebrated India’s 77th Independence Day and G20 presidency. The August issue highlights the nature-based solutions adopted by different segments and ordinary people to save the ecology and the environment. In the editorial, we discuss the steps India needs to follow to make Mahatma Gandhi’s vision a reality. The ongoing effects of climate change have made the urgency to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural ecosystems evident. Know the unique model being followed by the Natural Dyed Handloom Cluster to create a sustainable business with responsible production practices. Read how sustainable natural resource management can help India respond to poverty, climate change, and natural resource depletion. Learn about the nature-based solutions that can aid cities in embarking on a transformative journey towards resilience and sustainability in the face of an evolving climate crisis. Last but not least, Radio Bundelkhand has inspired and motivated communities to adopt sustainable approaches over the years. Read the transformative changes the various programmes are bringing at the ground level.

From unprecedented heatwaves to raging floods, the evidence of the disruption in the balance of nature is here. In the past months, we have seen how the effects of climate change are playing havoc across the world. Our July issue discusses the different ways governments and other stakeholders are working to build climate resilience.

Know about the efforts being made by the DA to resolve the fluoride issue in Sonbhadra and conserve water in Bundelkhand. Learn about Bihar government’s efforts to promote a clean and green environment in its state. Agriculture waste is a huge problem. Read how its management can help create a greener economy. This month’s editorial reminds us that all is not lost as it talks abouts the various efforts being made by organisations to curtail the adverse effects of climate change.

India has one of the youngest populations in the world and as its working-age population grows, it has been a victim of jobless growth, high migration rates, and low female labour force participation rate, among other factors. This month’s issue is on social and solidarity economy (SSE), a unifying theme.

We explain why SSE can be an excellent opportunity to recognise social enterprises that are more rooted in India’s cultural ethos. Know how SSE and its three critical pillars of inclusive economic growth, job creation, and social cohesion and empowerment prioritises social well-being over profit maximisation. Learn about Mithun’s diligence to achieve economic independence and the role played by the Work4Progress programme to fulfil this. Get a glimpse of the Soligas’ journey of becoming empowered and self-reliant and preserving their ancestral livelihood by employing modern technologies. This month’s editorial dwells on the many ways India can benefit from the UN resolution on ‘Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development’.

Plastic waste management is a critical issue in the modern world as plastic has become an indispensable part of human life. Read our May newsletter to understand the impact behavioural change can bring in resolving the environmental issues caused by plastic waste management and encouraging sustainable consumption.

This newsletter presents the various programmes and initiatives being implemented at the ground level in Hardiwar and Bundelkhand to bring changes in the ecology and people’s perspective. We also discuss how behavioural change in stakeholders can address the challenges faced by society in managing plastic waste effectively. Read about adaptive pathways that can adequately respond to evolving external environments. This month’s editorial discusses the concentrated effort required to adopt circular economy principles for plastic waste management.

In 1982, a small group of concerned individuals came together to form this organisation called Development Alternatives. In this April issue, read about Development Alternatives’ long journey and various initiatives it has implemented in the last 40 years to make a sustainable impact on the people and the ecosystem. Know about the organisation’s engagement in Bundelkhand and why it calls the region its karmabhoomi. The issue also tells how it is different from other CSOs and the way it has succeeded in creating thoughtful, active leaders who have reoriented the development pathways needed for a better future.

India is still a long way from enabling access to ‘choice’ to women in some pockets of the country. Empowering women is a key factor to achieve Sustainable Development. In this March issue of our newsletter on 'Empowering Rural Women', read an article on STEP programme that is helping adolescent girls to develop soft skills. Development Alternatives has started initiatives that are building an entrepreneurial culture in the hinterlands of the country. Know about Brave Space, a tool created to build solidarity among women to enable them to overcome socio-economic barriers. Women have been always closely associated with sustainable livelihoods. The editorial discusses the role of gender balance and the need to equip women everywhere to fight the harmful effects of climate change.

As the world suffers from the detrimental effects of climate change, we realise that communication has a very important role to play in provoking a response to climate change. Communication is used to demystify climate change at various levels, create awareness among people in their language and urge them to act upon. The recent Development Alternatives Newsletter issue on 'Communication for Climate Action' discusses this in detail. Read the issue, wherein various communication tools, training programmes, and a community-owned radio station, among others that have become more important than ever in sensitising people about their resources and helping them develop solutions to their problems are discussed.

Across India, people are showing more inclination towards entrepreneurial instincts. In rural India too, aspirations are changing and many young women and men now look to entrepreneurship as an alternative to employment. Read this newsletter on building an enabling environment for youth, where we discuss various programmes to champion local enterprises to drive economic growth. Know more about our interventions that are helping people to pursue their dreams and create job opportunities for others as well.