Community-Based Environmental Monitoring in Tamil Nadu
Communities in ecologically distinct landscapes like Aracode in the Nilgiris have contributed generational knowledge to shape indicators, monitoring protocols, and digital tools for Tamil Nadu's community-based environmental monitoring, reporting, and verification (CbMRV) initiative.
Global Context and India’s Alignment
- Global MRV Systems: Central to climate transparency under the Paris Agreement, these systems track emissions, adaptation progress, and climate finance.
- India’s Emphasis: India stresses the need for stronger domestic MRV for transparency and unlocking climate finance, highlighting the necessity for financial and technical support for developing countries.
- Role of Communities: Indigenous and local communities should lead monitoring efforts as they are frontline observers of climate change impacts.
CbMRV Initiative in Tamil Nadu
- Purpose: To incorporate community-generated environmental intelligence into climate governance.
- Implementation: Began in 2023 under the UK PACT programme with collaboration from Keystone Foundation.
- Pilot Sites: Aracode, Vellode, and Killai were selected for their distinct ecological characteristics.
- Activities: Integrates traditional knowledge with field monitoring of environmental parameters, creating data for a digital dashboard.
Achievements and Impact
- Knowledge Hubs: Pilot villages have become functional environmental knowledge centers.
- Key Community Stakeholders: 35 stakeholders now serve as climate stewards, collecting and interpreting data.
- Governance Reshaping: Enhances decision-making at various governmental levels, supporting plans like the Tamil Nadu Climate Tracker.
- Long-term Goals: Institutionalization and creation of a permanent green workforce, with training modules being integrated into various educational and training institutions.
Ultimately, the CbMRV initiative aims to democratize climate action by grounding it in local knowledge and participation, making it both more democratic and resilient.
