FIN Divisions

OUR LIVING AND VIRTUAL LABS

FOR WASHE (Water, Waste Management, Sanitation, Hygiene behaviour and community Engagement) 

  • A Living Lab: FIN Kameswaram, our rural living lab in Kameswaram village (Tamil Nadu, India) experiments with sustainability education,grassroots innovation generation and diffusion, livelihood creation and community level initiatives.
FIN’s living lab seeks to motivate, support, facilitate, monitor and evaluate the introduction of innovations in the form of new structures, new technology, new management routines and new social norms, to attain environmental and socio-economic security in the marginalized zones of India.
Inadequate and inefficient sanitation and waste management systems are causing health problems in nearly every village in India. By studying and solving problems in one village, we aim to generate knowledge and practical models that can be replicated elsewhere in India and in the developing world. Our mission is to contribute to a cleaner and safer world and in the process empower women and semi-skilled masons employed in rural works.

 

  • A Virtual Lab: Centre for Circular Economy, our virtual lab of academics, professionals and students passionate about contributing to a cleaner and greener India and world through teaching, training and research. 

Till recently, economic policies for growth and development were aligned with the ‘linear economy model’, wherein ‘waste’ was accepted as a negative externality generated by production and consumption patterns. However, worldwide, the perspective is moving away from the ‘linear economy model’ and towards a ‘circular economy’ wherein production and consumption patterns minimise waste production without sacrificing the economic growth of countries. The circular economy aims to be regenerative by design, with minimum production of waste that cannot be recycled and maximal usage of products over time, along with optimal reuse, optimal refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling of products and materials. For all countries, and especially emerging economies like India, transitioning to a circular economy is challenging. In response the objective of this centre is to contribute to facilitating it through:  Evidence based Policy/Strategy research, Multi-stakeholder forums/workshops and Education/Training programs for students and professionals.