The document outlines the impact of COVID-19 on the Punjab region and RCE Chandigarh, highlighting challenges such as food supply, medical issues, and the disruption of education. It emphasizes the need for sustainable solutions for vulnerable groups, particularly migrant workers and farmers, while detailing RCE Chandigarh’s digital response, including online training and community outreach. Future actions include climate adaptation projects, training for pandemic preparedness, and enhancing education for local needs.

1. ESD Response to COVID-19
Ravleen
RCE Chandigarh
India
Lead Agency : Punjab State Council for Science & Technology

2. COVID-19 Impact to the Community
Issues & Problems
• Social Acceptance to the fact of existence of pandemic and to follow precautions for it.
• Food availability/supply to all
• Medical challenges
• Disruptive education system.
Vulnerable group
• Migrant workers , Patients with chroinc diseases, Small business & Small &marginal farmers.
Issues/ problems linking to local sustainability
• Major challenge for farmers
• Taking care of 90,000 NRIs arriving into the state from the West.
• Major contributors to GDP of state i.e. manufacturing, agriculture, investment & trade got
adversely affected.
• Restoration of livelihood due to shutting down or crunching down of businesses and solutions for
migrant labour.

3. COVID-19 Impact on RCE Chandigarh
• Activities have become more digital & has given opportunities to
collaborate, communicate and learn more options to contact partners in
RCE network and outside.
• Major issues are reaching out community at grass root level due to less
availability of resources in rural areas, to conduct onsite visits for
authenticating & collection data/information for development of
knowledge products.

4. RCE Chandigarh’s Response to COVID-19
• Opportunity to promote digital communication/interaction within its
network.
• Online training programs for online training program for brick kiln
owners & firemen for energy efficiency.
• Organized webinars & online competitions on imp environment
days.
• Development of E-awareness resource material
• Sensitized Rural Community reg. information about Govt advisories
for rural development by creating a Whats app Group.
• Strengthen health, safety & livelihood in rural areas by providing raw
material support to make Home-made Masks.
• Inter-RCE communication through webinars and more opportunity
to learn from each other experiences.

5. Supporting mechanism to enhance ESD during/after the
pandemic
RCE Chandigarh Future Actions
• State Action Plan on Climate Change 2.0.
• Facilitation of climate adaptation projects like Climate Resilient Livestock Production System, Climate Resilience Building among Farmers through
Crop Residue Management.
• Setting up of first of its kind briquetting unit for ex-situ management of paddy straw in the region.
• Information on Tech-innovations for COVID 19 in the region (being compiled).
• Green Skill Development Programmes.
Supporting Mechanism
• Role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to be strengthened.
• Due to severe economic impacts, rethink ESD as a pathway & a tool to generate employment & collaborate for new projects &
make available funds.
• Training & capacity-building to prepare for other pandemics in the near future.
• Tailor education to local needs and virtual learning to be an essential component.

6. Thank you