In the heart of the bustling city of Calcutta, where the streets pulsed with life and energy, a silent observer stood amidst the chaos, watching the ebb and flow of humanity.
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This observer was not a person, but the street itself, an entity as alive and dynamic as the city it inhabited.
The street had witnessed the city's transformation over the 20th century, from the days of British colonialism to the throes of independence and beyond.

It had seen the rise and fall of clans, the struggles and triumphs of communal identities, and the ever-changing landscape of urban life.  The street was a stage where the drama of life unfolded, where stories of love and loss, of ambition and despair, played out in the open. It was a place where the city's diverse communities came together, their lives intertwined like the threads of a lavish tapestry.

From the hawkers selling their wares to the students rushing to their classes, from the politicians addressing their rallies to the lovers stealing a moment's embrace, the street was a silent witness to their dreams, their fears, and their aspirations.

The street was not just a passive observer, but an active participant in the city's life. It shaped the city's character, influenced its politics, and molded its people. 

The street was the city's lifeline, its beating heart, its very soul.

As the sun set on another day, the street stood bathed in the warm glow of the streetlights, its work done, its stories told. But as the city slept, the street remained awake, its eyes wide open, ready to embrace the new day and the new stories it would bring.

The street was a living, breathing entity, forever bound to the city it called home.
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'Streets in Motion' is a sensory feast, a dynamic tapestry of urban life where the past lingers in the shadows, the present explodes with color, and the future beckons from the next bustling intersection.

You will discover hidden stories etched in the asphalt, and see Calcutta in a whole new light. 
Your journey will take you through the social tectonics of a city in constant flux.

Nope, this is not yet another dreary and dismal read; it's a key to understanding how cities move, how they breathe, and how they shape us all. 

The future is yours to discover!

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Happy Reading!
(Woven from code, sparked by insight: this article is a dance between artificial intelligence and the human spirit.)
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It is a given fact that in the 21st century, the human aspiration for dignified and sustainable living has to happen in a warmer world.

Download the Presentation using the link:
21st Century Economic Development and Climate Strategies: The Maritime Role


The state of the climate system will determine the economic outcome.
However, it is not just one-way relation!
The economic development model that each country adopts will also determine the state of the climate system.

The crucial role of the state of the climate system is becoming clear from various observations and scientific understanding derived from them.

IPCC’s special report on Global Warming of 1.5 Degree C attribute s~1 degree rise in temperature due to human-induced climate change resulting in many adverse impacts on multiple aspects of human life and nature e.g., soil, water forest, and so on.

Severe climate impacts are projected for urban areas, some rural regions in sub-Saharan Africa and South, South-east Asia. In this altered system every bit of change in warming matters.
Adaptation to higher and higher temperatures is impossible both for the human and non-human ecosystem.

It is becoming extremely important the kind of economic development model each country adopts. That will determine the state of the climate system.


It is no longer a question of small incremental contributions/experiments at our own will that matters. Rather, collective, measurable changes at every scale is the call of the day.


Every choice matters. Every choice we make in our various roles as individuals, citizens, corporates, investors, policymakers, professionals are to be questioned and evaluated.

Every year matters: the question is can 2020 be the decisive turning point when global emissions start declining sharply, to make the 2050 goal of net-zero GHG emission world a possibility?

All this needs to happen simultaneously with multiple other unfinished economic development agendas in the context of Sustainable Development.

Emission reduction by shutting down all economic activities is also not a desirable solution. Fast-growing developing countries of the 21st century are in a deep dilemma. Keep growing? Or stop growing?

How to grow differently?  
Frequently asked question is climate first or development first?

The answer is both are inextricably related and need to happen together.
Pandemic has yet again proved the need to design a triple bottom line development: Survive, Revive and Thrive.

We need economy, society, and environment to reinforce each other for a sustainable living


Pandemic taught us disastrous impacts are experienced when action is delayed on any of these domains — the actions which environmental economists and ecological economists have been writing and suggesting for a very long time.

The adverse impact of agricultural practices on soil quality and water table levels are misrepresentations of the environmental concerns —they result from a lack of investment in natural capital i.e., the management of the environmental resources.

Human sufferings are related to the unfinished agenda of sustainable development. The suggestion is each nation and world in aggregate need to formally account for and report all human actions ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in evaluating humanity’s ‘true’ progress.

Every corporate keeps inventory of their physical capital stock and sets aside a sum of money for their upkeep and replacement at the end of their lifetime. Likewise, businesses and educational institutions need to devote their capital to building and up-keeping human capital. Above all, resources need to be allocated in reducing the digital divide.


We need to invest in ecosystem-based/nature-based solutions.

All our studies in the ocean sector and urban system confirm that adaptation activities not only create jobs but also contribute positively to wider sustainable development benefits.
Preventive measures which help in avoiding emissions are indeed more productive.

Our recent analysis report, (The Ocean as a Solution to Climate Change: Five Opportunities for Action)
from 2019, shows in the ocean sector, nature-based interventions (especially protection and restoration of mangroves, seagrass, and salt marsh) and onshore wind energy positively impacts the largest number of sustainable development dimensions.

Take home message is all these need to start now, in this decisive decade.
The world has seen fast mobilization of financial resources for recovery package during pandemic which totals today at ~12 trillion. Yet, ~10% of this money is needed to be invested for making the development process aligned with Paris aligned goal.

Strong national institutions, engagement of business and industry, community involvement, and international cooperation to ensure planned implementation of climate action can put humanity’s progress on a sustainable developmental path.

We call forth change architects to build new climate economy-driven sustainable developmental rules in the post-pandemic recovery period.  

Joyashree Roy

Sensitive Intervention Points:  Triggering Systemic Change in this Decisive Decade

We are encountering investment shifts, technology breakthroughs and cost reductions, a deeper scientific understanding of ecosystem services, development of resilient business models and government leadership, as well as a staggering upsurge of citizen activism — all indicators of a growing momentum to tackle climate change.

This article is a snapshot from the elaborate report by Roy, J. et al. (2021). Critical Junctions on the Journey to 1.5°C: The Decisive Decade. London/The Hague: Climate Strategies. This report harnesses the spirit, energy and ideas already present in the field, attempting to synthesise the findings of the family of reports into a cohesive presentation. The key realization is, only an immediate and decisive effort in every part of our societies will trigger systemic change.

Sensitive Interventions Points or SIP identifies the common storyline underlying the emission reduction roadmap to 2030. The challenge is how we can best use this decade to set the world on a pathway to net-zero emissions.

Here we have explored the six Sensitive Intervention Points (SIPs)

1. Renewable Energy
2. Zero Emissions Transport
3. Naturebased Solutions
4. Change Demand and Food systems
5. Heavy Industry
6. Zero Carbon Human Settlements

This report aimed to consolidate knowledge from a family of ten influential reports, demonstrating why this decade will be decisive in combating climate change. These reports show we need resolve to deliver mutually reinforcing actions
that can drive exponential systemic change. The scale of change needed requires unprecedented political and financial support as well as climate leadership and global partnerships.

We will only succeed if all of us take part in this fundamental transition of our global economy.

Summarized by Sarmistha Tarafder

That thing called Survival...

‘Should I play dead?’, ‘Should I run?’, ‘Should I stay and fight?’, thought Early Human as they bumped into a Sabertooth tiger. Hormones flooded the bloodstream as emotional excitement followed. Pounding heart. Beads of sweat. Shortness of breath. Staring at each other, there stood the beast of prey and the human with its spear in an encounter challenging survival.

These neuro-behavioral defense responses to perceived threat stimuli have been classified as the system of Freeze, Flight, or Fight. In our modern day lives, although the chances of being chomped up by a tiger is rather slim for most of us, this survival mechanism of ‘Freeze, Flight, or Fight’ is still our bodies’ automatic reaction to a threat stressor. Meanwhile, the beast of prey has morphed into tight deadlines, death of a loved one, divorce, job loss, an injury or chronic illness, fear of missing out, demands to stay relevant, and so much more. It cannot be fully avoided. It will, as it has, continue to evolve. Infact, stress is very much a part of our everyday lives today.

Is the glass half-empty or half-full?

Coping with stress is a skill — a life skill. 

Stress is felt and lived differently by everyone. What maybe stressful for one person may not be stressful for another, and even if it is, the response to stress and the coping mechanisms could be vastly different between individuals. Although some cope with stress more effectively and recover from stressful events faster than others, coping mechanisms can be learnt and implemented. So, is the glass half-empty or half- full? Your perspective will help determine this response.

Awareness of symptoms helps with diagnosis and recognizing stressors is a crucial step toward developing tools to deal with stress. In my workshops, my participants shared some of their stressors specific to COVID-19 and the related lockdown. A common factor for these stressors was how the pandemic had changed the lives of the participants in different ways. Some of my participants had lost their jobs, some expressed concerns about sick family and friends, and yet others were left worried about elderly parents or children living alone at another location.

On the one hand, there was the frustration of students lacking sufficient support and the ambiguity of older school goers on the verge of preparing for their career-defining examinations. On the other hand, there were teachers dealing with the additional responsibility of adapting to newer technologies for teaching and evaluation, as well as pay cuts, in some cases. Most of these stressors fed into a sense of uncertainty. Meanwhile, there were a few participants who wanted to keep finding a brighter side as they talked of rediscovering their long-lost hobbies, nurturing skills such as baking, pottery, poetry writing, and gardening, finding time to exercise, eating healthier, reading more, and writing journals, to name a few.

During these sessions, the participants were encouraged to reflect on how the pandemic and the related lockdown had impacted their lives in terms of perceived differences between before and after the pandemic.

These helped explain to a certain degree the levels of stress brought about by sudden changes such as death, illness, and unemployment and stress related to changes in routine such as the pressures of school, work, family, and other responsibilities. The very nature of the epidemic, the ever-evolving research, government guidelines and containment measures, death tolls, and related information—these all added to the atmosphere of dealing with an unknown future, the uncertainty of not knowing, or the inability to accurately predict some semblance of a known “normal.”

Well Living

For some, the glass is half-empty, while it is half-full for others. Coping is a conscious effort that you can still make to refill the glass whether you think it is half-full or half-empty. Coping skills allow you to tolerate, and in some cases, even minimize the negative impact from stressful situations. Coping skills place the power back into your hands by allowing you an opportunity to change the frame of how you perceive yourself and your environment in a moment of felt crisis. And yes, coping strategies can be learnt.

Mental health and well-being could be complicated and sometimes be a long journey. You cannot avoid stress but no one else can manage it for you either. Health and well-being is a commitment but it does not have to be a lonely journey. So, here I am, and I'd like to share with you what I do — empower well-living through creative expressions and conversations.

Presenting the Well Living Space — a safe space where we can all share, learn, grow, relax, and just be. I have in-store for you an exciting workshop where I will hold space for us, so we could explore resources to map our very own wellness growth on this journey. Come, be a part of my first workshop - a storytelling workshop to creatively engage with stress and well living. These workshops also come with special gifts, or free takeaways that you could continue to use as you develop in your well living.

Most importantly, I come to you with the hope that my workshops will empower you with exercises and creative methods to foster conversations because we want to listen to you and empower you to take charge and feel better.


See you soon…

Anindita Roy
Cognitive Story Teller

"Adapted from 'Stressors: Observations from a Series of Workshops on Stress and Wellbeing conducted in India during the COVID- 19 related Lockdown', https://www.sylff.org/news_voices/29241/".

As an economist by education and a data scientist by profession, I love to question existing theories and find connections and interpretability in problems using experiments and data intelligence. Today, I want to reflect on how to work on your social capital.

“How are you doing today?”

This is a question that has forever haunted me. Not only because I am an introvert and I feel awkward at social gatherings, but I honestly felt that I did not have a cool answer! It is so difficult to initiate a conversation with random people on calls, or conferences or at networking events. As a result of my lack of social skills, I have lost many opportunities to build relationships and fallen prey to miscommunication. However, over the years, I have found my own versions and have slowly adapted to such situations. I have read and gone through gazillions of articles and videos where experts have shown correct body language, eye contact and the exact right words to be used when you face this daunting question during a conversation. But something that I stumbled upon recently just blew my mind away!

Simple always works

It is important that you are aware of your own emotions and feelings. For starters, get comfortable with your own self to become socially comfortable. Keep it simple. Stay authentic. This was a revelation to me and I read lot of books, articles in order to understand further.  Finally, I attempted what I do best. I created an experiment to learn how I am really doing internally and measure the state of my mind.

A measurement question

So let me help you understand what I mean. I structured a measurement question for myself
“How are you doing today?”
This is how it works. Measure yourself on a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling today.
1 being extreme crisis and you have hit the panic button. 10 being you are awesome, there is nothing stopping you!

Track Results

The above scale above gives me clarity, direction and helps me identify my plan of action for the day. I have been a 1-2 and now I feel I am a 6-7. There is no need to panic if you find yourself on the lower end of the scale. I regularly try to stay connected, and seek feedback from my close network. Now, question is how do I rate myself? No, it is not based on guesses. Remember, humans are believers of logic and evidence.

The article I read summarizes the below questions to help you get to a rating for your “form” on a particular day.

• How motivated do I feel?
• What are my perceived energy levels?
• Do simple tasks and decisions bother me or they feel easy?
• How well has my sleep been recently (read past 2-3 days)?
• Have I exercised well lately (check for 2-3 weeks)?
• How has been my diet recently (skipped meals, junk food)?
• How purposeful and engaged at work do I feel?
• How connected to friends and family am I?
• How well am I able to manage stress recently? Do I get angry or frustrated easily?
• How relaxed about my finances am I?

Remember this is a guided scale and interpretations could be subjective. Note down results and monitor your patterns for a week to understand your “form”. Keep at it until it is internalized. This daily ritual has helped me stay true to myself and improved my authenticity.

Reflect and share

• Mental health is an integral part of our overall health. And, self-awareness is key to mental health. It is absolutely okay to not be okay all the time. I might not be in my best form today and I am aware of it. It means I have to keep working at it every day.
•  Social Capital is necessary for us to live in communities. No one lacks social skills per se. It is self-awareness that is essential to build as a discipline. Social skill is a projection of your state of mind.

 
Stay inspired. Say hello to the warrior within you!
Sanjana Das