Although environmental education as a branch of study in India dates back a few decades, in recent years it has truly diversified. Several new postgraduate specialisations are now in the offing. Here is a look at a few of them.
Environmental economics
Often, in their quest to become economic powerhouses, nations have been accused of neglecting and even violating environmental well-being.
Environmental economics examines this seemingly uneasy relationship between economic development and the environment, to determine ways in which policies can be developed to achieve a balance between safeguarding the environment while growing the economy of a country. For example, looking at how a country can utilise its natural resources such as forests and waterways to benefit the economy, while curbing potential fallouts such as loss in biodiversity and pollution.
Eligibility: Graduates in related disciplines such as economics, commerce and environmental science.
Employment avenues: Mainly in policy and research roles within government as well as non-governmental organisations, think tanks and global institutions such as the World Bank.
Places to study: Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu; Madras School of Economics, Chennai; and TERI University, New Delhi.
Environmental law
Every nation has a set of laws that seek to protect the environment from the adverse effects of human activity. For example, laws protecting forests and wildlife and laws against pollution and waste.
Environmental law examines how such laws are made, ways in which they protect the environment and how they are enforced in society.
Eligibility: Preferably, graduates in law. However, many institutes also accept other relevant qualifications such as environmental science.
Employment avenues: Mainly in legal firms dealing with environmental cases. Interestingly, there are a growing number of niche organisations that deal almost entirely with environmental law, for example the Environment Law and Development Foundation (ELDF), the MC Mehta Environmental Foundation, and the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE).
Apart from this, with growing emphasis on environmental-legal due diligence, many companies hire their own environmental law experts.
Places to study: Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Bharati Vidyapeeth University in Maharashtra, Bangalore University and University of Mumbai.
Environmental management
A multidisciplinary specialisation, environmental management studies the various measures companies as well as industries can take to regulate and protect the health of the natural environment, even as they go about conducting their business. Impact assessment forms the crux of environmental management. It is used to determine the environmental effect of any project undertaken by the organisation and comes into play at all levels — from conceptualisation to design and implementation.
Eligibility: Graduates in related disciplines such as civil, chemical and environmental engineering or environmental science.
Employment avenues: Mainly at consultancies and companies working within the environmental field such as those involved in businesses built around energy, waste management and biotech.
Places to study: Bharathidasan University, Tiruchi: MBA in Environmental Management; Forest Research Institute (FRI) University, Dehradun: MSc in Environmental Management; National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai: PG Diploma in Industrial Safety and Environmental Management; SIES Indian Institute of Environment Management, Mumbai: PG Diploma in Environmental Management, and University of Pune: PG Diploma in Environmental Management.
Climate science
Climate science studies the climate of a place over long durations of time and takes an overarching view of what causes a particular climate and how this affects the environment.
The course covers ways of observing, computing and analysing data to explain existing climatic conditions and also predict future climates.
It also studies phenomena such as floods, windstorms and wildfires that are becoming increasingly common.
Eligibility: Graduates in science and engineering.
Employment avenues: Mainly research and academic roles in public and private sector entities such as the Meteorological Department, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, TERI and Skymet.
Places to study: Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru: M.Tech. in Climate Science; Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, Kochi: M.Sc. Climate Science, and TERI University, New Delhi: M.Sc. Climate Science and Policy.
The writer has recently compiled a book outlining careers and courses in the environmental field in India.
