Our Work
YCAN works extensively to improve air quality through its youth-driven programs. We have conducted several events and activities wherein youth from around the country have participated to find creative solutions geared towards improving air quality.
Code For Clean Air Hackathon
The Code for Clean Air Hackathon was an effort to bring together technological solutions with the air quality discussion in India. With the support of Clean Air Asia, YCAN worked for two days on a range of air quality mobile app ideas for Indian cities.
Earth Day
Ycan took to the streets of New Delhi on Earth Day, 22nd April to assess the city’s Air quality. We launched a drive to understand people’s perception on air quality and monitor PM 2.5 in multiple locations.This initiative, called ‘Better Air, Better Earth’, involved young people across north south, central, east and west Delhi assessing PM 2.5 levels with mobile sensors.
Solution Search
Ycan meets twice a month at Clean Air Asia’s India Office in New Delhi for discussing the air quality issues. Skype discussions across cities are also held by the YCAN to bring young people together on the issue of air pollution, share experiences and best practices. Solution search include brainstorming sessions, interactions with our mentors and other air quality experts and a range of interesting air quality learning sessions.
YCAN Video Challenge
Clean Air Asia India has taken an initiative to actively engage youth in exploring solutions and innovative ideas to improve air quality through Youth Clean Air Network (YCAN) by introducing Clean Air Video Challenge, a project implemented from October 2017 to September 2018 in partnership with the North India Office, US Embassy, New Delhi.
PERCEPTION SURVEY
An Air Quality Perception Survey with 1500 respondents from different socio-economic backgrounds and in various areas of New Delhi was completed by the India Team in April 2017. The survey was conducted by Clean Air Asia’s Youth Clean Air Network (YCAN), which has been launched to involve young people in air quality discussions and to increase public awareness and action on air quality. The analysis and subsequent report for the network is currently underway.
Train for clean air youth
Youth Workshop for Ideas, Impact and Innovation, on 26th September, 2019 at India International Centre, New Delhi with the objectives to enhance the understanding of the health impacts of poor air quality especially within vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and engage them in contributing towards advancing better air quality. The event was aimed at: i) Generating interest amongst youth for engaging in clean air action ii) Motivating youth to ideate on innovations and solutions for addressing air pollution iii) Sensitising youth on the avenues for engagement and mainstreaming clean air action.
Human Chain Formation
With children as a tool to bring change in the society in aspects of cleanliness, waste management, and pollution, NMC launched a week-long series of campaigns " Mummy Papa You Too" in all the schools of Nagpur. To create awareness, one of the campaigns was a human chain formation on the streets of Nagpur. YCAN volunteers collaborated with Vivekananda Nagar NMC school to form a human chain and create awareness on air pollution. In total around 200 Students, teachers and YCAN volunteers made a human chain at Khamla sq. ring road and campaigned on Cleanliness and Air Pollution.
HAWAI ADDA
Hawai Adda is a new public engagement activity led by Ycan. It is an initiative that aims to propagate the awareness about air pollution amongst the youngsters of the city. The goal of this activity is to increase consciousness of youngsters towards the environment and air pollution and how their everyday actions contribute to the air pollution. The activity focuses to seek the perception of our Indian youth about- what air pollution is to them?
SECOND CHANCE CHALLENGE
The outbreak of COVID -19 due to the novel coronavirus has forced governments to lockdown localities, cities, and seal borders as some stringent measures to prevent its spread. Businesses have stopped, transportation has been cut short, industries have shut down. This has led to the AQI levels coming down significantly in many cities across the country and the world. The lockdown period seems to have given nature the time to heal. Post lockdown, as we to return to normalcy, there is a threat that the air quality will degrade again.
TURN IT OFF CAMPAIGN
YCAN Nagpur collaborated with Fridays for Future Nagpur volunteers to create awareness against idling at traffic signals and vehicular pollution. Aakashwani Chowk, Nagpur & Law college sq., a prominent sq. in Nagpur was selected for this awareness, as it has heavy traffic during office closing hours. We created awareness holding posters on idling & vehicular pollution and wearing pollution masks from 6 –7 PM.
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2018
Clean Air Asia’s Youth Clean Air Network (YCAN) celebrated world Environment Day on June 5, 2018, in Central Park, New Delhi. YCAN members and youth from different colleges participated in this fruitful discussion. The main agenda of organizing the event in open was to go beyond traditional boundaries and discuss the issues that affect people on a daily basis.
INTERVIEWS OF YOUTH AND KEY OFFICIALS ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2019
Youth of our YCAN group conducted a regional vox pop (voice of
the people) activity in which volunteer interviewers approached
people on the street and ask their opinions on air pollution
through some key questions on World Environment Day, 2019.
TEACHERS FOR CLEAN AIR
The event “Teachers for Clean Air”, held on the occasion of World Earth Day on 22nd April, 2021 was an effort by Clean Air Asia India to engage more youth and teachers in its Youth Clean Air Network’ (YCAN) for Indian cities to work towards betterment of air quality
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021
The event began with the welcome address of Ms. Prarthana Borah, India Director, Clean Air Asia. She highlighted the need for Youth Participation in Clean Air dialogues and howtheir involvement is crucial. She also added it will be interesting and intriguing to see how the youth reimagines