CLIMATES - Who Bears the Burden? Climate Change, Rural Agriculture, and Energy Transitions in India

What does climate change look like through the eyes of rural farming communities in India, and can agricultural waste become part of the solution? Join Abhinaya Polaka (MESc ’27), a Three Cairns Climate Scholar at the Yale School of the Environment, as she shares insights from her fieldwork in South India. Drawing on conversations with farming households and women in rural communities, this talk explores how the physical impacts of climate change are affecting rural livelihoods. Abhinaya will also share insights into the potential of crop waste and biomass-based energy systems to provide cleaner cooking alternatives, reduce energy burdens, and create economic opportunities for rural communities.