EIACP Hub, Punjab

Background

The Environmental Information System (ENVIS) came into existence as a plan programme in 1983 with support from Ministry of Environment and Forest GoI. ENVIS is a comprehensive network of environmental information centres located, across the country for environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination to different users, which includes decision makers, researchers, academicians, policy planners, research scientists and general public, etc. The network was expanded gradually with the involvement of thematic subject areas. The Centres are located in autonomous bodies under MoEFCC and in State Government Departments/ Organizations’; notable Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and institutions of excellence in higher education and research. The ENVIS Scheme which was previously under the umbrella scheme ‘Decision Support System for Environmental Awareness, Policy, Planning and Outcome Evaluation’ has been revamped under Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development. 

EIACP Hub PSCST

Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST), Chandigarh, established an Environment Information System (ENVIS) Node focused on "Water Resource Management." In January 2001, this initiative was part of the Sustainable Development Network Programme (SDNP), coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada. 

By 2002, this SDNP Node continued its work on "Water Resource Management" as an ENVIS Node under the World Bank-assisted Environment Management Capacity Building Technical Assistance Project (EMCBTAP). In December 2002, the Ministry established another EMCBTAP-ENVIS Node at PSCST, addressing 'State Environment Issues' to focus on local environmental challenges. Consequently, from 2002 to 2005, PSCST operated two Nodes, one on 'Water Resource Management' and the other on 'State Environment Issues.' In 2005, the Ministry reallocated the thematic Nodes to their respective departments, leading to the transfer of the "Water Resource Management" Node from PSCST.

In 2004-05, the 'State Environment Issues' Node was upgraded to an ENVIS Centre, with a new focus on 'Status of Environment & Related Issues,' as part of the 10th Five-Year Plan by the MoEF, GoI. The Centre was formally established on 1st February 2005, and its website (www.punenvis.nic.in) was launched on 15th February 2005. 

In 2005, the Punjab ENVIS Centre was selected by MoEF, GoI as one of 20 Centres (out of 78 at the time) to collaborate under the Sustainable Development Network Programme (SNDP) in partnership with the Indo-Canadian Environment Fund (ICEF) for a period of two years. This collaboration expanded the Centre's responsibilities to include the thematic area of "Agriculture & Water Harvesting", further strengthening the ENVIS network's contribution to sustainable development. 

In 2012, the MoEF re-launched ENVIS websites with a standardized template, and the Punjab ENVIS Centre updated its website accordingly to continue focusing on the 'Status of Environment & Related Issues' (www.punenvis.nic.in). The ENVIS scheme underwent a significant revamp in 2017, resulting in the Punjab ENVIS Centre being renamed as the "ENVIS Hub."

The ENVIS Scheme which was previously under the umbrella scheme ‘Decision Support System for Environmental Awareness, Policy, Planning and Outcome Evaluation’ has been subsumed within the revamped scheme of Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development in 2022.

In 2022, the ENVIS Scheme was subsumed under the revamped scheme of Environment Education, Awareness, Research and Skill Development. The revamped scheme has three components and one of the component is Environmental Information, Awareness Capacity Building and Livelihood Programme (EIACP).EIACP is currently implemented through 60 Centres, comprising 26 State-Specific Centres and 34 Resource Partner (RP) Thematic Centres. The aim of EIACP Hub, Punjab is to collect and collate information and upload the collected data on status of Environment and related issues pertaining to the state of Punjab through the dedicated web portal of Ministry. The hub also conducts capacity building initiatives and Green Skill Development Programs on Environment and related issues including Mission LiFE, which promotes sustainable living and environmental conservation.