School to Foster Biodiversity and Green Spaces

United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the topmost priority of the nation.  The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 provides significant guidelines in merging sustainability and environmental education with the curriculum. All the above make biodiversity conservation more relevant. We need to develop schools into biodiversity hotspots to transform students into environmentally conscious individuals.

Biodiversity: Challenges and Consequences

India, being a country of continental dimensions, boasts of a diverse climate. This heterogeneity guarantees huge biodiversity. However, the increased industrialization, overexploitation of natural resources, urbanization, and extensive agriculture have led to deforestation. Consequently, the human activities have made habitat loss inevitable. It leads to increased risk of species extinction including ecosystem instability, disruption of food chains, increased vulnerability to natural disasters and economic losses from degraded ecosystems. Moreover, there has been considerable potential impact on human health through increased zoonotic disease transmission.

Change: Need of Hour

The scenario needs immediate intervention. Schools can emerge as a medium of change. As a short-term goal schools can immediately create a positive impact. Moreover, in long run they can create a roadmap for striking perfect equilibrium among the various factors impacting biodiversity and contributing in achieving our SDGs.  School can emerge as biodiversity hotspots. The way every cloud has a silver lining, same way, biodiversity challenges too contain several opportunities in them. While trying to resolve such challenges, we will also be able to solve many other problems to some extent.

The Action Plan

The plan is developing schools into biodiversity hotspots accommodating native vegetation and other life forms involving students and community. Rooftop Forestry in sync with Biodiversity can transform schools.  The rooftops and boundary walls can be used to grow native vegetation in line with India’s traditional knowledge system. Native varieties generally withstand harsh weather conditions, hence too much care won’t be needed. Even plant species which cannot withstand direct sunlight may get shelter under solar panels.  The varieties that grow into mighty trees, can be replanted in unused ground after one year of growth, guarantying plant’s survival.  Special provisions for squirrels, beehives, insects and birds will provide multidimensional dynamism to the project. The boundary walls on rooftops too can provide shelter to small plants using vertical farming methods. Latest high rise building walls can harbour creepers and vines.  Techniques such as Aeroponics can also be used on high walls.  The rooftops covered with vined walls will absorb less heat and consequently will lead to reduced need of air conditioning.

Preparing the roof for rooftop gardens requires more monetary investment.  Plastic pots or any other alternatives can prove to be cost effective. Normal soil can be replaced with high tech green root growing medium such as coconut fibre or cocopeat. Drip irrigation or smart sprinklers will ensure judicious use of water and will also result in less load on roofs. Special arrangements for butterflies and other insects such as installation of beehives will help to focus more on biodiversity. 

Implementation

The roof of a school with 15 rooms can accommodate more than 7000 plants by just utilizing the unused rooftops and boundary walls (without compromising even a bit with the playground). These sustainable practices will familiarize students with biodiversity conservation, ecological development, vertical gardening, and green walls. They will also get hands on practise in practical skills such as conducting feasibility study, planning, economic implementation, execution as per the plan and maintenance. An average town in India has more than 50 schools. Implementation of such projects in these schools will ensure at least 50 biodiversity points in a city and each of these hotspots can harbour hundreds of birds and countless insects.

Students will also develop interdisciplinary learning skills such as environmental education, mathematics and measurement, science and technology. Additionally, they will attain soft skills like teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving and critical thinking, communication, and documentation. Lastly, the community involvement, partnerships, and collaborations will transform them in green age student. It will produce a new generation of students, that will be agile in the art of coexistence with nature. Smart city technologies will be a great help. Such initiatives will benefit both the mankind and planet earth. It will also provide impetus to industry. This biodiversity sensitive urban forestry hotspots can serve as outdoor classrooms for environmental education.

The Change: That We Want to See

We must envision rooftops with countless plants harbouring insects and birds. Replenishing the planet and helping the overstressed lungs of the planet. These practices will foster new understanding among human beings and other species. Air quality will improve. We will possess ‘Green Schools, Clean Schools’.  Students will be equipped with better human values and will be well versed with nature. They will spread the sustainable practices learnt at schools. Overall, these practises will help us achieve the following Sustainable Development Goals such as Quality Education (SDG 4), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) , Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Life on Land (SDG 15) etc.  Moreover, the ESG ((Environmental, Social, and Governance) considerations of the project will ensure a more sustainable and responsible world to breathe in. Let’s work for green, humming and chirping future on our roofs.