Page 62 - Shelter - April 2025

CASE STUDY

BRICKS AND BEYOND- CREATING SAFE AND

RESILIENT SCHOOLS

DR. BARSHA PORICHA The Resilient School Initiative practices among students and
staff.
(CURE Project ) aims to create
interactive
Through
1
MANASMITA PATTNAIK environmentally sustainable and workshops, participatory
SOURABH NAMLE disaster-resilient educational learning methods, and awareness
institutions by integrating campaigns, the initiative fosters
water resilience and zero-waste responsible water usage, waste
management strategies. The management, and hygiene
project is structured around two practices. By integrating physical
key components: infrastructure infrastructure enhancements
improvement and Behavioural with behavioural transformation,
Change and Communication the project not only improves
(BCC). school environment but
also empowers students as
The infrastructure component “sustainability advocates”
focuses on water resilience within their communities.
through the implementation
of Decentralised Wastewater This holistic approach ensures
Treatment Systems (DEWATs) that schools become self-
with rainwater harvesting and sufficient, provides for eco-
recharging systems, ensuring friendly spaces, contributing
efficient water management, to climate resilience and
and reducing dependence on environmental sustainability in
external sources. The initiative urban and rural settings alike.
promotes zero-waste schools by
introducing compost pits for wet 1. Introduction
waste and disposal of solid waste Children spend an average
in landfill sites with advance of seven hours per day in
Dr. Barsha Poricha, Technical Head, level of source segregation, school. Access to safe water,
Centre for Urban and Regional fostering a circular economy sanitation, and hygiene
Excellence, barsha@cureindia.org within the school environment. (WASH) facilities, along with
Manasmita Pattnaik, Project Upgrading WASH (Water, a well-maintained school
Associate, Centre for Urban Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure, is fundamental
and Regional Excellence, facilities further strengthen to creating a healthy
manasmitapattnaik95@gmail.com resource efficiency and resilience. and conducive learning
Sourabh Namle, Project Associate, The BCC component aims to environment (Unicef, n.d.)
Centre for Urban and Regional instil long-term sustainable (Carmencita Tonelini Pereira,
Excellence, sourabhnalme@gmail.
com 1 An ongoing project of CURE in Gurugram with 7 Government Schools supported by OakNorth
Foundation

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