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Noble work Work climate Building awareness about the environment is serious business, as it affects our very existence. Over the last 50 years, we have learnt with dismay that much of the development we need for human progress, mainly in industry and agriculture, takes a major toll of nature and the environment. Climate change, acid deposition and hazardous waste disposal has forced the world to take a closer look at how we interact with our environment. This requires the creation of a large pool of professionals who possess the skill sets to limit the damage of industrialisation and development on the world’s endangered and increasingly fragile environment and to clean up the litter. It has spurred the demand for researchers, educators, engineers and policy makers with a firm grounding in theoretical and practical aspects of environmental studies and who understand the issues at hand and can help manage them. So, if you want to make a difference to the world we live in, you can also join the growing number of professionals committed to ‘sustainable development’. Environmental problems are so complex and far reaching that many different occupations are involved in finding solutions. The range of jobs has grown, too. These careers are generally multidisciplinary, encompassing diverse fields such as geography, biology, agriculture, engineering, geology, management, and also policy and planning and awareness building, as the Nobel Peace Prize has strongly indicated. Environment protection has opened up job opportunities for lawyers, engineers, social workers and communicators.
Green avenue Environmental careers cover a broad range of occupations, all connecting work practices with environmental processes---at the local or global levels. As our society becomes more aware of the economic importance of a sustainable environment, the demand for expertise in fields involving the management and protection of environment, monitoring the impact of human activity upon the environment, and rehabilitation or restoration of the environment, are growing. An environmental scientist's job is to utilise the knowledge of various principles and concepts of science and engineering disciplines, in order to protect and preserve the environment. Environmental scientists also conduct research studies in order to develop theories or methods of abating and controlling the sources of environmental pollution. Most of these disciplines require a background in science. However, studying how people interact with the environment and how this influences the environment requires not only an understanding of science and technology, but also economics and even sociology. Many environmentalists, therefore, work with NGOs, government and private organizations and international agencies, in social, political, legal, health, and educational arenas to protect the environment. Whether it is researching on water, air pollution, livelihood and industry related issues, or reporting on the environment, or disseminating information through film or print, the field of the environment requires skills in writing, speaking, research, analysis, teaching, training, negotiating and persuading.
Eco eligibility Those interested in the scientific research aspect of work in this field can take up environmental science as an M.Sc programme after a bachelor's degree in any discipline of science. There are very few undergraduate courses in environment sciences, but at the postgraduate level there are a number of degree and diploma environment related courses, either within differing disciplines or in separate faculties, at universities such as Pune, Bangalore and the JNU, New Delhi. The Indian Institute of Sciences at Bangalore has postgraduate and doctoral studies in ecology; the Salim Ali School of Ecology, affiliated to the Pondicherry University, offers a similar master’s course; the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi has master’s and doctoral courses at the Centre for Environmental Studies; the Wildlife Institute of India at Dehra Dun has courses on habitat and wildlife protection; Anna University at Chennai has courses in environmental engineering. The National Institute of Environment, Lucknow and the Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, New Delhi offer PG diplomas in environmental management, pollution management and in ecology and environment by correspondence. The Indian
Institute of Forestry Management, Bhopal offers a one-year post-graduate diploma in forest management.
Skill set TERI University set up by Dr Pachauri offers a number of courses in environment management including MSc in Environmental Studies, M.Sc in Natural Resources Management and an MA in Public Policy and Sustainable Development. Environmental law has also gained tremendous importance of late. Anyone involved in environmentalism must have a sound knowledge of environmental law and policy. Law schools are incorporating environment education as part of their curriculum and, at the same time, offering several short-term courses too. The National Law School (NLS) in Bangalore has started courses in environmental law. Moreover, those with the right aptitude and the interest can join environment-related jobs through courses in social work, social marketing, development studies, rural management or mass communication.
Volunteer vistas But for many who wish to join this field and without the requisite academic background, volunteer work can help to get a foot in the door. The duration and amount of work can be as diverse as the work itself. There are many organisations that will take on volunteers, so it does help to be proactive and approach an employer. Non-government organisations (NGOs) are frequently looking for volunteer help, and the experience will not only prepare you for the career ahead, but stand you in good stead with prospective employers.
Placement prospects However, any career in the environment field requires a passion and a willingness to work hard, patiently and consistently. Effective communication skills — both written and verbal and an active interest in outdoor activities is also a huge advantage in this field. There are four kinds of organisations offering environment-related jobs: NGOs, corporates and industries, government agencies and research institutions. NGOs like the the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi (CSE) and Mumbai-based Centre for Environment Research and Education (CERE) are doing a great deal to create awareness while researching and monitoring the various aspects of environmental damage. Corporates are also becoming increasingly conscious of their social responsibilities and public image, and so there is a rising demand for qualified personnel in environment research, education and management. Currently, most companies have set up environmental monitoring cells (EMCs) to conduct assessments on a number of fronts, ranging from town, water, sound, displacement of people to damage done by blasting, construction etc, and so require a team of qualified environment scientists, engineers, social scientists, environmental lawyers etc, to safeguard their interests and promote business activities. This apart, EMCs also play an important part in helping corporates to acquire international certification which is required by a growing number of importer nations. Moreover, it is now mandatory for newly promoted and/ or proposed projects to submit an environmental impact assessment certificate to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, prior to initiating any major project or manufacturing unit. Government organisations are also hiring specialists for pollution control, air monitoring and wastewater treatment, and enforcement agencies like the Pollution Control Board are always looking for professionals in the related areas. Universities and the Ministry of Environment, under the Central Government, and institutes such as the Bombay Natural History Society, the Hakine Institute, the Cancer Research Institute, the National Institute of Oceanography, the National Institute of Virology, Botanical Surveys of India and so on also offer opportunities to environmentalists, particularly in the area of research and study programmes focusing on industrial pollution, waste management and alternatives to chemical technology. With so many different organisations operating in this sector, the salary spectrum is pretty wide. In some activist organizations and NGOs, salary is perhaps limited, but there are also several high-paying jobs in the corporate sector, as well as multinational and multilateral organisations. Some international and Indian NGOs also offer high-paying job opportunities. While freshers may start at Rs 5,000-6,000 per month, anybody with five years experience in this field can expect to take home about Rs 25,000 per month. So, if you are a nature lover and feel strongly about protecting the environment, a career in the field of environment management is a high-potential career option that offers the prospect of combining passion with a much-respected profession.
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Global warming and climate change are heating up debate forums, not only because they are critical issues of the day, but also because the Nobel Prize committee has awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to those espousing environmental awareness, i.e former US vice-president Al Gore , who shares the prize with the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change headed by Indian scientists Dr Rajendra Pachauri. Recognising the importance of protecting our environment, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised both “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change.”
