PROJECT IDEAS ON

SUB-THEMES
Ecosystem and Ecosystem Services
Project Ideas
• Allergic problems due to pollen dispersal
• Alternative uses of weeds (e.g. water hyacinth, lantana,
Mesquite)
• Application of GPS tool in studying distribution of particular
plant or animal or group of species
• Application of Geographical Information System - Remote
Sensing (GIS-RS) techniques in studying ecosystem or species.
• Assessment of living and non-living components of an
intermediate zone (Ecotone) and its associated conservation
issues.
• Beach Erosion - causes, impacts and restoration
• Butterflies and host plants

Contd/..
• Carbon footprint studies
• Catchment treatment for water conservation
• Change in drainage pattern due to land use changes
and impact on ecosystem characteristics
• Comparison of soil biota in organic farms and other
kind of farms
• Coral Reef diversity and ecosystem services (livelihood)
• Crows -response to changes, including nest building
• Distribution pattern of flora & fauna in different
landscapes and their significance
• Diversity of aquatic plants in local water body / bodies
and their role in aquatic ecology
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of developmental
activities in the locality
• Grazing and spread of plant species through dung/excreta
• Heronries / rookeries in your village/town and their
significance
• Impacts of anthropogenic activities on coral reef ecosystem
productivity including coral bleaching.
• Impact of invasive alien plants on ecosystem services of
terrestrial native vegetation (groves / gardens / forest)
• Impact of sounds on animal behaviour (Zoo / domestic / stray
animals)
• Indicator species and ecosystem health
• Inland wetlands and the Livelihood
• Insect-Pests and natural enemies - dynamics
• Invasive alien fishes and their impact on the
aquatic ecosystem
• Invasive aquatic plants and their impacts
• Invasion of pine in non-glacial zones of the
Himalayas
• Is house sparrow disappearing from our houses
and markets? - a critical analysis.
• Mangroves and ecological services
Health, Hygiene and Sanitation
Project Ideas
• Metals / heavy metals in potable water and its management
• Water quality assessment
• Biofilteration / bioremediation processes to make water
available for recycling
• Hygiene at personal / familial / community level and its
impact on community health
• Assessment of hygiene maintained at regular basis
• Level of hygienic conditions during different seasons
• Occurrence of diseases due to breakdown in hygienic
conditions and its management
• Waste management (eg.Diapers)
• Diseases (microbial / parasitic) and their impact of social /
economical / environmental parameters
• Impact and management of zoonotic diseases
• Impact and management of conditions arising out of vital
nutrient deficiency / malnutrition
• Comparison of sanitation before and after Swachch Bharat
campaign, in terms of behavioral change
• Impact of cookware used to cook on health
• Effect of Indoor Air Pollution on health
• Maternal health and hygiene during pre and post-partum
stages
• Gender specific health and hygiene and its control /
management
• Safe use of anthropogenic waste in agriculture.
• Impact of use of public transport on community health.
• Improving occupational health.
• Promoting city health through sensing technologies
• Unobtrusive fall monitoring of the elderly.
Waste to Wealth
Project Ideas
Fuel from Animal excreta such as cow dung, bio fuels
Handling of E-Waste
Identification, documentation & classification of the amount of
electronic and electrical goods left unused in one’s locality & look
out for means for disposal and/or re-use.
Solid waste processing and disposal
Preparing Briquettes and checking efficient use for soil less
plantation
Minimizing wastage of irrigation water through improving water
retention in the soil using various wastes eg. wood shavings,
briquettes, paddy husk, coconut choir, etc.
Bio remediation of waste water
Hydroponics using grey and/or black water
Treatment of kitchen waste water for removal of Fat, Oil Grease
Preparing natural dyes from leaves, flowers, fruits of weeds
Conversion of discarded flowers into useful products
• Extracting oil from the seeds of weeds, to be used for illumination
• Retention of soil moisture using wood shavings, briquettes, paddy husk,
coconut husk, hyacinth in crop fields
• Using paddy straw as substrate for mushroom cultivation
• Use of Graphite from used batteries (dry cells)
• Enhancing fertility of land using various wastes
• Plastic decomposition by bacteria
• Investigating properties of sponge for water retention and growing plants
• Use of thrown away corrugated cardboard for making of tiles, panel boards,
etc.
• Preparing tiles and panel boards from tetra pack/ plastic bottles
• Preparing fertilizer & other useful products from the carcasses
• Innovative techniques for converting agriculture wastes into useful products
Survey based projects
• Finding out the average waste generated per day at
home. Extend the estimation to waste generated by
the block, village, district, etc.
• Study the packaging trend and estimate the associated
wastage
• Monitoring air quality around waste landfill and
garbage dump areas
• Diversity of organisms/ animals around land fill areas
and linkage to vector borne diseases.
• Impact of polluted water due to presence of waste
dumping sites on public health
Society, Culture and Livelihoods
Project ideas
• Society, culture and food system’ its relation to sustainable production
and consumption case study of a community/tribe;
• Natural Resource Management and Livelihood security – case study of
area/community
• “Natural Disaster and livelihood security” – case study of an area
• “Society, culture and food system” - its impact of cooking energy
consumption and management – case study of an area
• “Impact of social and cultural practices on sanitation and health” – case
study of an area
• “Disaster induced migration and its impact of social, cultural and
livelihood practices” – case study of a community
• Social system, cultural practices its contribution to biodiversity
conservation/ wild life conservation- case study of an area/ a community
• A study on menstrual hygiene related customs in your locality/community
and analyze the positive and/or negative impacts of the same.
 Identifying traditional customs in your locality that can be detrimental to health of the
women in the family.
• A study on changing livelihood structure, economic condition and associated impacts on
production and consumption patterns of your locality
• Study on impact of scientific intervention in optimizing the production of traditional
handlooms.
• Study on disappearing artisanal communities like blacksmiths with the advent of lathes
etc.
• Skill mapping and gap analysis in a particular community / area and correlation to local
demand, local resources.
• Local economy mapping with local natural resources and conducting a feasibility study
for local value addition through appropriate technologies.
• Eco-cultural mapping of a locality to develop eco-tourism operational plan.
• Study on local festivals /rituals and its relationship with mapping of agricultural/animal
husbandry practices and studying the underlying local knowledge base.
• Analysis of local superstitions / myths and its impact on human development in a
sociological perspective.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM
Project Ideas
Evaluation of nutritional values of traditional food
Documentation of food fermentation techniques and its relation to food
quality preservation
Study on biodiversity of a particular local community and developing
people’s biodiversity register
Different architectural structures and its importance in maintaining the
ecosystem (e.g housing, bridges, water distribution canals)
Resource conservation methods and its sustainability
Various agricultural farming systems and its importance with the future
scope
Traditional knowledge of various agricultural tools and its applicability in
organic farming
Sustainable knowledge of various agricultural practices
• Sustainable knowledge of various agricultural practices
• Traditional knowledge of fisherman and its links to sustainable
livelihoods
• Study on community seed bank and its relation to food security
• Traditional knowledge on Food Preservation Techniques and its
importance as source of livelihood
• Traditional knowledge on natural fiber and its uses in modern context
• Study on traditional knowledge on ecological restoration mechanism
its impact on ecosystem management
• Design and development of appropriate technology based on
traditional technological knowledge
• Experiment on water harvesting based on traditional knowledge to
verify its contemporary applicability