The main focus of the environmental research group at JSLH is to merge environmental sciences with social studies, economics, policy, politics, climate, food, air, water, sanitation and several others to come up with ideas about the (a) governing factors, natural and anthropic, affecting human sustainable development, (b) spatio-temporal dimensions of the factors over varied scales and (c) potential pathways to address the challenges. A major thrust of our research is to devise and test latest geospatial modeling tools and techniques to map ‘hotspots’ of environment-induced socioeconomic changes, characterize temporal trends, identify main driving factors and develop strategic interventions.
The above ideas aptly lay the foundation of the Center for Environment, Sustainability and Human Development (CESH) – a transdisciplinary environmental research center established at JLSH that actively engages students from across the camps. Recently the center has received a university grant to test the applicability of recycled food-waste and crop-residues, alongside vermi-compost, to address growing concerns over air pollution in the NCR. The project will open up a variety of applied research opportunities for students in addition to help them earn paid-internship credits towards fulfillment of their BA degree program. This also sits at the very core of the entire liberal arts pedagogy at JSLH that strives to foster experiential learning and critical/creative thinking abilities among students.
A major focus in this regard has been to train students with advanced statistical analysis and report writing. Following are some selected articles published by our students at different times:
Sriroop Chaudhuri and Harnoor Kaur. Targeted reforms need to tackle drought. The Statesman. May 8, 2017.
Sriroop Chaudhuri and Harnoor Kaur. Delhi is on verge of a groundwater crises – and it’s time we stopped it. The Wire. April 21, 2017.
Mimi Roy and Ashoka Rathnam. Vertical forests must for urban spaces. Deccan Herald, April 4, 2017.
Sriroop Chaudhuri and Adithyalakshmanan K. Water vs. energy. Millennium Post. March 16, 2017.
Sriroop Chaudhuri and Dhriti Viswanath. Worthless waste that we produce. The Statesman. March 10, 2017.
Sriroop Chaudhuri, Mimi Roy and Shreya Monga. How NRDWP is faring in West Bengal. Millennium Post. July 25, 2016.