1. NCSC National Orientation Workshop for Preparation of the Activity Guidebook for NCSC 2014 & 2015 KUSAM MALHOTRA PRINCIPAL KV No.1 AMRITSAR CANTT Focal Theme: Understanding Weather & Climate

2. NCSC Flagship Programme of DST, Govt. of India.- NCSTC Network, State S&T Councils, Department of Education …etc. A programme where the whole country is engaged – from Universities, Technical Institutions - Colleges, Schools, Line Departments – Central to State, District, Block to the village.

3. NCSC More than Two decades, 22 nd year. Crores of children, Guide teachers, Evaluators, Mentors, Scientists, Experts. One of the most innovative, historical Programme ever carried out at such large scales An academic exercise which cuts across institutions of higher learning, down to the school level, syllabus, curriculum., pedagogy, learning outcomes, teacher education/capacity building.

4. Why are we here? NCSC – Theme changes every 2 years – We are in the process of formulating the theme for 2015 & 2016 -“Understanding Weather & Climate” National Brainstorming Workshop – May 2014 – Focal Theme & Sub themes – Brief Introduction – already communicated to all states/UTs. We are here to Prepare & Finalize the Activity Guidebook – A collective & Joint exercise by the entire Academic Backbone of the NCSC First time, the academic coordinators are being involved for improving the quality of NCSC at each & every level.

5. State Academic Team Key movers of the NCSC – State Academic Team – Academic Coordinators, State/District level experts, Evaluators, Mentors etc. Success of the NCSC lies in the quality of the academic work done at the State/District/ and lower levels. Good projects flow out of good guidance given to the children and also to Guide teachers. India having a wide variety of eco systems, the inputs from the states is crucial for the comprehensive formation of the Act. Guide Book.

6. Focal Theme Understanding Weather & Climate Weather ◦ Instantaneous state of the atmosphere, or sequence of states of the atmosphere with time, which can be defined as the condition of the atmosphere at any given time and place. Climate ◦ average as well as variability of weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period of time

7. Important elements (of weather & climate) ◦ Precipitation, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, Wind etc. It is the result of the interaction of four basic physical elements - the Sun, the Earth's atmosphere, the Earth itself, and natural landforms on the Earth's surface.

8. Natural factors influencing weather and climatic conditions of a location The geographical situation of any locality/area/region in relation to its latitudinal and longitudinal position Altitude Distribution of land and water Relative location from water bodies Surface cover (viz. vegetation/ snow/ rocks, sand, etc.)

9. Weather & Climate are among the key factors that determine the nature, condition, and pattern of natural resources (e.g. water, soil, flora, and fauna).

10. State of temperature, humidity, and precipitation in temporal context in a year determine season and climatic condition in long temporal context. These are responsible for determining the forms of water, soil-forming processes and creating support systems for floral growth; which again determine the faunal composition.

11. These natural resource bases along with weather and climate determine our way of life (viz. occupation, housing, food habits, dress style, transportation, etc.).

12. In totality, weather and climate form the base of the economy and culture of that area. Any significant change in weather and climatic condition creates serious impact not only on natural resources but also on the biosphere as a whole, including human life.

13. Global climate change patterns - attributed largely to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by uses of fossil fuels and other green house gases. Averaged over all land and ocean surfaces, temperature has increased by roughly 1.53°F (0.85ºC) from 1880 to 2012, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

15. This climate change is considered as one of the most important global environmental challenges being faced by humanity today, with its implication on natural ecosystem, food production systems, fresh water supply, health and weather related calamities.

16. India’s weather and climatic conditions are naturally controlled by her geographical location (i.e. its latitudinal and longitudinal extents) and the conditions along her boundaries. (Himalayan ranges, Western Ghats, etc.) (Wide variation: very little rainfall to 6000 mm annually)

17. The country also encompass Western Ghats the which is one of the 34 Biodiversity hot- spots of the world; extending along the West coast of India from the Vindya Satpura ranges in the North to the Southern tip of the peninsula to a stretch of 1,600 km, receiving an average of nearly 6000 mm of rainfall every year.

18. The latitudinal and longitudinal extension within the country ◦ implication on variation of solar days or sunshine hours from east to west, - fundamental factors regulating weather and climatic variations in the country. ◦ variations in distribution of land and water, altitudinal differences, vegetation type and coverage. 6 Climatic zones & 12 Agro-climatic zones.

19. Indian scenario as global phenomenon. climatic and agro-climatic zones ◦ facing serious problems of various kinds due to the impact of climatic/ weather changes. ◦ For more than a decade, weather and climatic anomalies are taking place in all the agro-climatic regions ◦ Since winds during monsoon mainly control Indian climate; highly influenced by the summer monsoon, in the last few decades, onset of monsoon over India is changing resulting in variations in the amount and distribution of rainfall.

20. Understanding Weather & Climate Need to have proper understanding of weather and climate and its changes, mainly oriented towards different aspects, factors, and attributes of weather and climate along with their implications on the natural ecosystem and on the way of life of living beings. At the same time, focus on climate change aspects, including mitigation and adaptation are also to be studied.

21. SUB THEMES 1. Understanding Weather (& Climate) around You. 2. Impact of Human Activities on Weather and Climate 3. Weather, Climate and Ecosystems 4. Weather, Climate - Society and Culture 5. Weather, Climate and Agriculture 6. Weather, Climate and Health

22. Sub theme presentations will follow.