The initiatives of RACE is mainly focused on water, indoor pollution, chemical safety, all addressing issues critical to the environmental health and well-being of community in rural and urban areas. These programmes focused on awareness raising, training and advocacy; prepare tools for identification of key environmental crisis and assessment of health impacts; and provide guidance to communities on “good practice” solutions.
RACE in Building Environmental Consciousness
Environment & Natural Resource Management
- Developed best practice models to maximize environment and health benefits.
- Emphasized on Information, Education and Communication to generate demand for safe environmental facilities.
- Addressed entire community to bring about the relevant behavioral changes for improved sanitation and hygiene practices.
- Work with women and children.
- Training and capacity building
- Community Involvement and ownership development
- Value Based Water and Sanitation Education
- Creating Sustainability involving Women
- IEC for behavioral changes
- Emphasis on Information, Education and Communication
- Creating awareness to generate demand for safe environmental facilities and satisfy felt need based on financial position.
- Encourage community Management Practices
RACE in Urban Environment
The goal is to create a “Clean and Green Urban Environment” and urges each citizen of to take responsibility and nurture it for long term sustainability. A clean and green urban development will meet all the challenges of climate change effectively and comprehensively for future generation.
The major sector of interventions
- To enhance the environmental quality by improving sanitation standards promotion of the culture of “litter free” and optimum utilization of sources.
- To re-organize and modernization of technologies in garbage management including segregation at sources and launching through concept of Re-Use and Re-Cycle.
- To create awareness and guidelines among urban communities to address climate change.
- To minimize the Green House Gas Emission by adopting proven technologies.
- To develop community and public partnership and participation of private entrepreneurs and local institutions to safeguards the environment of Kolkata.
- To enhance infrastructural services for secure clean water and sanitation facilities.
- To develop community led management system for monitoring the situation on a daily basis.
- To develop self reliance among urban poor including youth and women.
RACE in Rural Environment
Blending the Traditional Knowledge with Contemporary Technology for Safeguarding the Environment
Despite great efforts by various institutions to spread environmental awareness, it is felt that a large population especially in Tribal areas is still left out. The best way to reach out to them and make them aware of the environmental problems is through media, particularly the electronic media.”Mass Awareness” has therefore been identified as one of the trust areas of RACE, not only to intensify the efforts already being made in this direction but also to launch new initiatives.
To facilitate this goal, the RACE works closely with the poor and marginalized communities living in extreme poverty in West Bengal and Jharkhand; facilitating them to protect the environment while generating livelihood based on forest resources. RACE pays special attention to preserving present natural ecosystem by ensuring environmental and ecological balance is maintained by blending the traditional knowledge of local communities with contemporary technology.
Involving Local Community in Environmental Consciousness Bulding:
By helping to safeguard and develop the natural environment and creating a culture of sustainability among the local community, our volunteers make a constructive impact in the creation of mass awareness and promotion of environmental consciousness in rural and urban areas. Our Environmental Awareness activities provide plenty of responsibilities ranging from physical labor to research and education.
The major components of the programme are:
- Make community comprehend environment and environmental problems.
- Provide environmental learning opportunities for all section of the society including children and women.
- Exploit the unique position of school children as a driving force for awareness of the society at large.
- Facilitate community participation in decision making in areas related to environment & development.
- Bringing community into direct contact with the environmental problems facing the society they live in and make them think of solutions.
- Involve local community in action based programmes related to environment in their surroundings.
- Mobilizing communities to take action against environmentally unsafe practices.