Amrita has actively contributed to advancing best practices for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its collaboration with the International Network for Sustainable Innovation and Resilient Futures (SustIN). This initiative emphasizes international research and comparative analysis to establish global best practices for addressing the SDGs.
The network’s inauguration, held on December 11-12, 2023, brought together thought leaders, UNESCO Chairs, institutional partners, and organizations worldwide. It served as a dynamic platform to outline SustIN’s objectives, spotlight key focus areas, plan future events, and strengthen collaborations and partnerships.
The SustIN Network is a global platform connecting higher education institutions (HEIs) and organizations to share knowledge, tools, and best practices in sustainable innovation and community resilience. It fosters inclusive knowledge societies across geographies, empowering all, including remote indigenous communities, by enhancing access to shared information and resources.
Members
Countries
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), Netherlands have established the center to foster research in three areas of water sustainability that includes water systems, water treatment and technology adoption. With the wealth of expertise that both institutes have in the area of water and sanitation, this collaboration hopes to make further strides in the area by giving the academic and research community various opportunities in the areas of research, joint academic programs as well as exchange programs.
The collaboration comes as an extension of the joint centre on water sustainability established between TU Delft and Amrita.
The objective of this initiative, established in collaboration with TU Delft, is to develop a multilingual digital platform with mobile and web interface to support farmers. Makara is a predictive model based application that integrates climate and price movements, allowing farmers to reduce their financial risk and ensuring they have a sustainable livelihood.
Explore more:http://www.makarainit.com
Amrita University and Durham University, have collaborated on several impactful projects aimed at addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Through international collaboration, research, and the adoption of comparative approaches, the institutions have worked together to develop best practices for tackling water sustainability challenges in rural India. These projects focus on automating rural water purification, monitoring water quality variations, and creating a water sustainability index, fostering innovative solutions and empowering communities with sustainable practices.
Project 1: Automating the operation and maintenance of rural water purification system to enable sustained utilisation of water
Varapuzha panchayat (Ernakulam district), Kerala
A group of students led by staff conducted field visits to understand the diverse challenges faced by the community. They used Participatory Rural Appraisal, semi structured interviews and Human Centered Design tools to understand the community’s socio-economic background, and the water usage patterns. The existing water filter was evaluated in terms of its functionality and operation. There were some drawbacks discovered. An automated water purifier system was proposed as a result of this. It employs an IoT architecture and protocol, as well as an upgraded process flow, to monitor the exact status of the water. This system architecture will then be developed by including sensors that monitor various water quality level indicators.
Project 2: Design and development of an IoT based system for monitoring spatio-temporal variations in drinking water quality across multiple villages
Alappad and Kulasekharapuram panchayaths (Kollam district), Kerala
Seasonal changes in water quality require that different types of water filtration techniques be used to ensure that the output water is of potable quality. This may result in utilization of inappropriate filtration techniques. Real time monitoring of water quality at source will help in identifying appropriate filtration techniques, thereby ensuring optimal usage of water and filtration systems. The entire system can be monitored through IoT.
First, the team visited the communities to identify various drinking water sources, assess the spatial variation of water quality and identify major contaminants. Bacterial presence was observed in all sources which makes it unsuitable for drinking. Comparatively pipeline water has least pollutants and Borewell has all parameters above the permissible limits. Based on that, an IoT based system will be developed in future research.
First, the team visited the communities to identify various drinking water sources, assess the spatial variation of water quality and identify major contaminants. Bacterial presence was observed in all sources which makes it unsuitable for drinking. Comparatively pipeline water has least pollutants and Borewell has all parameters above the permissible limits. Based on that, an IoT based system will be developed in future research.
The Chair has been actively collaborating with UNESCO on the translation of Climate Science Literacy Posters into various Indian regional languages. This initiative aligns with Amrita’s commitment to fostering international collaboration and research aimed at addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action). By translating the posters into languages such as Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, and Kannada, the project has enabled wider accessibility and understanding of climate science among diverse communities in India.
Through this collaboration, Amrita has contributed to reviewing comparative approaches and developing international best practices for promoting climate literacy. The effort not only strengthens localized education and awareness but also demonstrates how global partnerships can effectively tackle complex challenges like climate change, bridging gaps between science and society.
The entire set of posters are available in- https://knowledge.unasiapacific.org/our-work/knowledge-resources/climate-science-literacy-asia-and-pacific
The C20 India 2023 Working Group on Sustainable and Resilient Communities showcased 20 exemplary projects led by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), including NGOs and foundations. These projects were featured as part of the official documents produced by the C20 for the G20 Summit held in India in 2023, reflecting the global significance of their impact.
By presenting these high-impact projects as models of success, the Civil 20 not only recognized their contributions to themes such as Climate, Environment, and Net Zero Targets but also created opportunities for replication of these practices on a global scale.
Below are some of the key best practices that were showcased to G20 as a part of C20 India 2023:
Research:
Leverage AI, machine learning, and emerging technologies to foster international partnerships, advance interdisciplinary projects
Policy Development:
Drive global policies on sustainability and innovation, bridge academia-industry gaps, and utilize the SREE platform to implement impactful initiatives addressing SDGs
Academics and Networking:
Develop specialized sustainable programs, facilitate international exchanges, and offer collaborative platforms.
| Some of the Key Members |
| UNESCO Chair on Mathematics, Science and Technology Teacher Education for Sustainable Development |
| UNESCO Chair on Seismic and Tsunami Hazards Studies – Earthquakes |
| UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Development, Early Childhood, Inclusive Education and Gender |
| UNESCO Chair in Environmental History |
| UNESCO Chair on Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-Hydrological Hazards |
| UNESCO Chair on Restoration and Conservation in Heritage Structures |
| UNESCO Chair on Gender, Wellbeing, and a Culture of Peace |
| UNESCO Chair on Mountain Water Sustainability |
| UNESCO Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean. |
| European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology |
| University of Missouri |
| Politecnico di Milano |
| University of Texas at Dallas |
| Toronto Metropolitan University |
| Northern Illinois University |
| University of Arizona |
| Arizona State University |
| University of Wyoming |
| Western Sydney University; Stanford University |
| University of L’Aquila |
| Tribhuvan University, Nepal; Biosphere Reserves Institute |
| Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development |
| Planet Green Force |