National Children’s Science Congress UNDERSTANDING ECOSYSTEM
NCSC 2022 – 2023 FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Focal Theme and Sub-themes Ecosystems are the planet's life-
National Children’s Science support systems not only for humans
Congress (NCSC), a flagship but also for all other life-forms. Human
programme of National Council for survival has fundamental needs for
Science and Technology food, water, clean air, shelter and
Communication (NCSTC), Department regulated climatic condition. Other
of Science & Technology (DST), benefits derived from an ecosystem
Government of India, was launched include full complement of species,
nationwide in 1993, for children of 10- intact watersheds, climate regulation
17 years age which includes both regular and genetic diversity. Stress of any
school-goers, dropouts, children of slum form on ecological balance,
or street dwellers. The programme also biodiversity, freshwater sources, food-
provides platform for specially-abled producing systems and climate
children (Divyangjan). It acts as a regulation cause major adverse
platform for the children to be rational impacts on health and well-being.
and apply scientific methods to Therefore, understanding ecosystem as
understand, research and seek solutions life-support-system in terms of its
for solving local problems in their components, interrelationships among
neighbourhoods. the components, role and functions of
abiotic and biotic factors, significance
This inquiry-based learning
of food chain, energy dynamics,
programme is held every year on a
ecological services, biodiversity
specific focal theme which is continued
(genetic and species varieties) are very
consecutively for two years, and is
important to develop ecological
decided upon the basic principle of
literacy. Moreover, understanding
‘Local for Global’. Under the ‘new
human impacts on ecosystems
normal’ situation following Covid
affecting health and well-being are
pandemic the UNO has declared 2021-
also quite important. It is essential to
2030 as the UN Decade on ‘Ecosystem
know how our activities disturb the
Restoration’ within existing structures
ecosystem functions leading to various
and available resources considering its
negative impacts on health and overall
commitment to human well-being,
well-being. Hence, our daily activities
biodiversity conservation and achieving
at all levels need rectification and re-
Sustainable Development Goals.
designing to reduce the negative
Keeping this declaration as well as
impacts on ecosystem and thereby
consequences in view, the focal theme
achieving ecosystem sustainability,
of NCSC 2022 & 2023 has been decided
health safety and security as well as
as-
well-being for all.
The focal theme will focus on the Sub-theme I: Know your ecosystem
major following aspects by engaging Broadly, this sub-theme will
children for inquiry-based learning encourage the children to explore,
applying methods of science in their identify and carry out studies on the
own local contexts: ecosystem(s) in their neighbourhoods to
know about its different components
● Exploring and understanding (abiotic and biotic), their inter-
ecosystem(s) in their relationship, functions, role of certain
neighborhoods and taking species in the ecosystems, association of
initiatives for ecosystem biodiversity with the ecosystems,
conservation and restoration; ecological services, human dependency
● Making inquiry into the on the ecosystem(s) and impact of
interlinkages of ecosystem with human activities on the ecosystem(s).
health, nutrition and well- being
along with their implications; Sub-theme II: Fostering health,
● Taking initiatives for nutrition and well-being
experimentation, based on This sub-theme will inspire the
ecosystem approach, for local children to make scientific inquiry, in
level natural resource their own localities, about situation of
management, farm and non-farm- health (both human and animal),
based production, and finding out nutrition and well-being and will also
ways for food, nutrition and encourage them to make efforts to
livelihood security, health safety, identify ways and means to fortify and
and developing resilience and foster the situation ensuring health
adaptation towards climate safety and security, nutritional security
change and disaster risk and well-being at individual, family and
reduction. community levels.
● Looking into innovative S&T
solutions for ecosystem Sub-theme III: Social and cultural
conservation and restoration, practices for ecosystem and health
nutrition and health safety. Under this sub-theme children will
be inspired to identify, document and
Keeping these major focuses in validate local socio-cultural practices in
view, the focal theme has been divided their local contexts evolved over a
into the following five sub-themes: period of time for the protection of
ecosystems and their associated
services, sustainability, conservative
nature way and means such knowledge
systems got transferred from one
generation to another.
Sub-theme IV: Ecosystem based
approach (EBA) for self-reliance
Children, under this sub-theme,
will get scope to identify the prospects
and study / explore how integrated
management of land, water and living
resources promotes conservation and
sustainable use in an equitable way.
Children can also study the wide range
of ecosystem management activities that
increase the resilience and reduce the
vulnerability of people and the
environment to climate change. Various
approaches based on different
ecosystems can be studied and explored
by children under this sub-theme.
Sub-theme V: Technological
innovation for ecosystem and health
This sub-theme will encourage
children to find local-level problems
and take initiatives for developing local
technological solutions from the
perspectives of green technology,
appropriate technology, information and
communication technology or improvising
traditional technology based on the
principles of frugal innovation.
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