Caritas India marked World Environment Day with rallying support to conserve the environment and care for our common home. The webinar was jointly organised by Caritas Institute for Development Action and Learning (CIDAL) and Caritas Asia on 5th June 2024.

The event has seen a convergence of like-minded people and organisations to take the resolution for corrective steps and make this world a better place to live. Ms. Mungreiphy Shimray, Regional Coordinator at Caritas Asia, opened the webinar by referencing Pope Francis’s encyclical ‘Laudato Si’, underscoring that the health of the planet is intertwined with social justice. “We are here not only to recognize the symptoms of our environmental crisis but to address its structural causes,” she stated, highlighting issues such as capitalism, globalization, and neo-liberal policies that prioritize profit over people and the planet. She urged support for grassroots movements led by young people, indigenous communities, women, and marginalized groups advocating for environmental justice.

Dr. Savitha Madhavi Singh, Joint Director of the National River Conservation Directorate, Ministry of Jal Shakti, reaffirmed the commitment to protecting Mother Earth. She outlined various policies and impactful programs introduced by the Government of India, such as the Swachh Bharat Mission and the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Dr. Singh emphasized adopting strategies like reducing, reusing, and recycling, conserving water, planting trees, promoting renewable energy, and raising awareness and advocacy for change.

“Nature-based solutions have the potential to perpetuate the same inequitable system that created the climate crisis in the first place. These false solutions often promote harmful corporate models and interest,” shared Ms. Clare Westwood, Regional Director, Episcopal Commission for Creations Justice for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. She was sharing her thoughts on land based climate solutions. Highlighting the key solutions proposed by the Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance, she mentioned a few solutions like increasing the forest area of secure indigenous and community lands across 64 countries which could save 1000 GtCO2eq; regeneration and expansion of natural forest cover can avoid 6.1 GtCO2eq per year and would sequester 8.7 GtCO2eq per year by 2050; shifting from industrial crop to livestock production towards agroecology, reducing global consumption of meat, dairy & calories, and cutting down food waste could avoid 7.2 GtCO2eq of emissions yearly by 2050, and agroforestry would sequester another 1.04 GtCO2eq annually by 2050. These steps can stop global warming from becoming worse.

Ms. Subha Kulkarni, Project Coordinator at Jeevitnadi, Pune, brought a perspective on a toxin-free lifestyle, focusing on the health of rivers. She discussed the cycle of water pollution and its impact on human health, noting that toxins from everyday products like toothpaste, shaving cream, and cleaners end up in rivers and, ultimately, our food. She advocated for the use of natural products and sustainable practices in daily life to reduce this pollution.

Ms. Sasmita Mohapatra, an environmentalist and sustainability influencer from Odisha, emphasized the need for sustainable practices in everyday life. She discussed the various types of waste we generate, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste, and organic waste. She encouraged participants to adopt the ‘5 R’s—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot (compost organic waste)—to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainability.

Mr. Prabal Sen, Thematic Manager at Caritas India, shared his experiences on agricultural resilience in the Northeast region. He highlighted traditional conservation agriculture practices such as bamboo drip irrigation, mixed cropping, the use of organic manures, and community-based resource management. He also showcased community-led interventions for resilience, including seed resource centers, integrated farming systems, food forests, bio-villages, fish cum paddy cultivation, biodiversity gardens, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), System of Millet Intensification (SMI), green belts, and beekeeping.

The Caritas India World Environment Day webinar demonstrated a strong commitment to environmental awareness and action. It highlighted the importance of collective efforts in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable practices. The event served as a reminder that through education, collaboration, and grassroot support, we can work towards a healthier and more sustainable future.

In addition to the webinar, Caritas India also celebrated World Environment Day through various other programs, such as the Samvaad, Farm Northeast Programme, Child Development Programme (Surokhit Shaishav), and the U3 Programme on Climate Adaptive Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. These initiatives engaged different sections of society, including children, elders, youth, and women, in fostering environmental consciousness and sustainable practices.

Together, these efforts underscore Caritas India’s dedication to creating environmental awareness and harmony, ensuring that future generations inherit a healthier planet.