Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies

Fieldwork

The students of the masters program have to do a mandatory two weeks of urban fieldwork and four weeks of rural fieldwork in their first year. The field work is directed at achieving the twin goals of being able to apply the methods of research in understanding real world problems as well as understanding society in the context of the issues being studied.
Urban Fieldwork

The urban field work is intended as a pedagogic tool for orienting students to the ground realities of cities with reference to climate change, environment and the development sector as well as enabling them to explore the linkages between them. Students are required to do a situational analysis of the concerns centred around the challenges of urbanisation with an emphasis on its implications for climate change and environment. The field work is also linked to some of the courses in the first semester and will provide a base for comprehending themes that emerge in future courses.

Objectives

• To provide opportunities for students to learn some of the critical dimensions of ground realities in environment and development issues at the city level
• To enable students to use these experiences to develop a perspective for approaching issues in their future course and research work

Pedagogy

Students are given opportunities to observe, participate, interact and experience the ground realities of cities which are broadly connected to the themes of climate change, environment and development. These field experiences are at the individual level; and if group based exercise is carried out, then the group would be a small one. The field work is chosen in such a manner as to allow the students to engage with issues extensively as well as intensely. The focus is to understand the prevailing situation rather than devising possible interventions. Each of these experiences is followed by a debriefing on the basis of a written report and its presentation. The faculty members would then give an in-depth feedback to the students.

Issues to be Focused During Field work:

• To understand the major problems of cities
• Linkage between urbanisation and environment
• Climate change, vulnerability, adaptation
• Livelihood and development

Role of Centre Faculty Members in the Visits

Each visit is planned, anchored and debriefed by faculty members of the centre. The faculty members are responsible for identifying the nature of the experiences corresponding to a theme, making arrangements for the same, organizing other logistical support and facilitating the debrief. All the visits are coordinated by faculty members to enable smooth conduct of the exercise and achievement of objectives outlined.

Rural Fieldwork

Students of the M.A/M.Sc. Program in Climate Change and Sustainability Studies are expected to do four weeks of compulsory rural fieldwork. This is meant to serve the dual purpose of i) practical application of methodological tools taught to students during the semester in terms of survey based, data collection, sampling, focus group discussions, interviews, etc. and ii) understanding the diverse aspects and issues concerning environment and development in rural areas. Students are required to study various aspects of the society-environment linkage and prepare a detailed report that shows an integrated understanding of the village at the end of four weeks.

Objectives

• To enable students to understand the various dimensions of the human-nature inter linkage as well as the challenges in achieving the twin goals of development and sustainability in the context of the rural India
• To enable students to study the practical application of methodological tools used for research

Students are expected to use a variety of tools to conduct a detailed study of of the village in question. The core issues that will be the focus of study will be energy, water and agriculture. Topics such as forests, fisheries or other relevant issues will be included wherever applicable. Students will work in groups in each area, but will periodically rotate so that everyone gets an exposure to all the aspects being studied.

The rural fieldwork is held at the end of the second semester (Summer- month of April). The field visits are organized and arranged by the faculty in charge from the Centre. Each subject under study is identified in advance and all activity pertaining to that area is facilitated by the faculty members (questionnaire preparation, data collection, report writing).