CARE
Communicating Action and Resilience for Environmental Health in India
teachers
First weavers of CARE
carers of community
carers of society
carers of public
carers of school children
Building Resilience at the Nexus of
Environment, Health, and Community.
doctors
mitanin
communicators
medical professionals
who cares?
The CARE Project (Communicating Action and Resilience for Environmental Health in India) seeks to advance pathways that link communities living with fragile or endangered environments, such as those facing pollution, heat stress and disaster risks with health professionals, educators, and regulatory institutions through participatory action research and community-led environmental monitoring. By integrating scientific inquiry with local knowledge, the project aims to strengthen environmental health literacy and build resilience in regions where pollution and climate stressors intersect with public health.
for whom?
CARE currently focuses on Chattisgarh in central India and Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats, where environmental degradation and rising heat pose significant risks to health and livelihoods.
The project engages medical and public health professionals, along with school teachers and other care workers, as critical actors in interpreting environmental data, understanding the implications of environmental impact assessments, and undertaking short-term studies that link ecological change to health outcomes.
These efforts are directed toward enhancing the capacity of care systems to respond more effectively to environmental health challenges while contributing evidence that can influence public health strategies and policy frameworks.
Chattisgarh
TEACHER CAPACITY BUILDING
In Chhattisgarh, CARE works with public health professionals, school teachers, and educators to strengthen understanding of how industrial pollution and heat stress affect communities.
The focus is on building capacity to interpret environmental health impacts and support informed interventions.
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• DRIVERS OF CARE•
School Teachers
Community Health Volunteers
State Government
Maharashtra
VOICE FELLOWSHIP
The project will support fellowships for communicators to attend a 3-day residential training at IISER Pune. Science communicators are vital in bridging complex climate-health research with the public, raising awareness, enabling informed decisions, and influencing policy. The Fellowship will engage communicators and creators from across India, strengthening their skills in climate-health content creation and deepening their understanding of the climate-health nexus.
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• DRIVERS OF CARE•
Scientists
Science Communicators
Media
Kerala & Karnataka
INFRASTRUCTURE & IMPACT
In this component, we aim to support state government agencies in Kerala in developing a robust state action plan on climate change, with a special emphasis on human health.
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The project will assess the vulnerability of public health facilities in Kerala’s coastal districts, pilot environmental sampling in district hospitals, and document good practices in building climate-resilient health infrastructure through case studies, while also working with community groups in Karnataka researching environmental health impacts in the western ghats.
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• DRIVERS OF CARE•
Health Professionals
Medical Officers
Community Organisations
State Government
ASHA Workers
with teachers in Chattisgarh
stay tuned for stories from the ground!
VOICE Fellowship 2025
40 Selected candidates from an impressive pool of 330 applicants have been informed over email on 9th November 2025.
We'll soon be bringing more updates on the fellowship!
CARE: Communicating Action and Resilience for Environmental Health in India
Hosted at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune, With support from Health Care Without Harm, Global.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Shalini Sharma, Associate Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IISER Pune
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune,
Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, Pune – 411008, Maharashtra, India
+91 20 25908000 | www.iiserpune.ac.in
© 2025 CARE Project | IISER Pune | All Rights Reserved