Spotlighting the lives of communities in coal economy

New Delhi: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) organised a photo exhibition titled ‘Coal Dependence: Lives in an Extractive Economy’ at its headquarters at the Indian Habitat Centre on July 25 and 26.

The two-day exhibition was part of a project ‘Just Transition: Understanding and the Implications of Moving Away from Coal’, supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

The exhibition strove to illuminate the lives of communities that are intricately connected to the coal economy, which is at the heart of the just energy transition debate.

Through a series of compelling photographs, the exhibition examined the everyday realities of individuals engaged in selling, extracting, and transporting coal which happens in the absence of alternate lucrative means of income. These images highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by these communities as we aspire to transition towards cleaner energy sources.

The photo exhibition was inaugurated by Vibha Dhawan, Director-General, TERI, and attended by Ajay Shankar and Jiwesh Nandan, Distinguished Fellows at TERI. The inauguration also involved the release of ‘Voices from the Ground: A Travelogue’ documenting stories of people living in India's coal belt and the perspectives of various stakeholders.

Sharing her thoughts on the exhibition, Vibha said, “This exhibition makes us reflect how privileged we are. It has beautifully captured the challenges which the people face in this region, especially, women are inconceivable.  I think through this project we have a done a commendable job in making a difference to the lives of these communities.”

AK Saxena, Senior Director, TERI, said, “As we face the heat of climate change, there is an increased focus on switching to a sustainable future.  However, this transition needs to be just. A just transition has the power to lift communities, as has been shown through the work of TERI researchers through this project and this photo exhibition.”

Jayanta Mita, Senior Fellow at TERI, said, “We went through five villages with coal reserves and closely examined the lives of people in these areas. Through this exhibition, we have tried to show the degree of vulnerability of the people in coal regions of India, the need to widen their economic choices, and restore the smiles back on their faces, with an urgent call for women empowerment.  We wished to instill a sense of urgency in all the researchers and actors to come together and think in a programmatic fashion for a wider impact.”

A video documentary ‘As She Changes: Seeding People-Centric Transitions in India's Coal Belt’ which details the work done among women in Giridih, Jharkhand -- a major coal producing district -- to capacitate them towards entrepreneurship, culminating in the creation of self-run businesses equipped with market linkages to ensure sustainability, was also released during the exhibition.

The event underscored the critical need for a people-centric approach in the just energy transition. It served as a poignant reminder of the human dimension in our collective pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, stressing the importance of supporting those most affected by this inevitable change.

Tags : TERI, Energy, Coal