| Description | Methane emissions from coal exploration have been referred to in the most recent IPCC Methodology Report. However, there are no rigorous emission factors available to estimate such emissions. As part of this project, the student will help in data processing of gas content from exploratory borehole cores to estimate emission factors. The student will also aid in digitization and development of coalfield level resource augmentation from the inventory reports. The outcome can formulate useful inputs for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), IPCC, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Coal, etc. through the supervisor and the collaborators' engagements. |
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| Number of students | 3 |
| Year of study | Students in their 1st year (Semester 1), Students in their 2nd year (Semester 3), Students in their 3rd year (Semester 5), Students in their 4th/5th year (Semester 7/9) |
| CPI | 7 and above |
| Prerequisites | Interest in compilation and analysis of data from multiple sources - to be made available by the supervisor |
| Duration | 2 months |
| Learning outcome | The results will be instrumental in developing a first-of-its-kind inventory for coal exploration. If successful, the students may be listed as a co-author in the reports/papers coming out of this analysis. The student may develop tools using AI/ML for quick assessment of data in this sector. |
| Weekly time commitment | 30 hours |
| General expectations | May include travel to few sites for data gathering (can be discussed) |
| Assignment |
1. Singh AK, Singh U, Panigrahi DC, Singh J. Updated greenhouse gas inventory estimates for Indian underground coal mining based on the 2019 IPCC refinements. Iscience. 2022;25(9):104946.
2. US EPA. India Coal Mine Methane Market Study.; 2019. Accessed June 3, 2023 https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/india_cmm_market_study_may2019.pdf 3. Kholod N, Evans M, Pilcher RC, et al. Global methane emissions from coal mining to continue growing even with declining coal production. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020;256:120489. 4. UNFCCC. Technical analysis of the second biennial update report of India submitted on 31 December 2018. Summary report by the team of technical experts | UNFCCC. Published 2019. Accessed June 3, 2023. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2019-05/documents/india_cmm_market_study_may2019.pdf 5. IPCC. Fugitive Emissions. In: 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. Vol 2: Energy. IPCC TFI; 2019. Accessed June 3, 2023. https://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2019rf/pdf/2_Volume2/19R_V2_4_Ch04_Fugitive_Emissions.pdf 6. Singh AK, Kumar J. Fugitive methane emissions from Indian coal mining and handling activities: estimates, mitigation and opportunities for its utilization to generate clean energy. Energy Procedia. 2016;90:336-348. |
| Instructions for assignment | Write a one-page summary on your understanding |
| Description | Climate change is the largest issue that humanity is facing in this century. Researchers are working on various ideas to mitigate it. Nations have announced net-zero emissions goals, and organisations are also looking to step up and help in achieving those goals. Some organisations have also gone so far as to offset all historical emissions too! Carbon credits is a concept that was introduced in the 1990s, but India has passed a bill defining the policies only in 2022. The idea of incentivizing the reduction of GHG emissions in the form of tradeable carbon credits has led to a rise in demand for nature-based carbon credits. Agriculture in India can be made more sustainable while also generating carbon credits and uplifting the Indian farmers. The project aims to build a solution for both, farmers who are unaware of sustainable farming methods and organisations looking for high-quality carbon credits. It involves understanding global research and applying it to the Indian context, and developing data-based algorithms to transition to sustainable farming in a scientific manner. This needs to be packaged in the form of a software application/web tool later on for a large-scale deployment across India. |
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| Number of students | 1-2. Can extend up to 3 |
| Year of study | Students in their 1st year (Semester 1), Students in their 2nd year (Semester 3), Students in their 3rd year (Semester 5), Students in their 4th/5th year (Semester 7/9) |
| CPI | 7.5 and above |
| Prerequisites | No prerequisites, except motivation, of course! Everything can be learned as the project progresses. Awareness or previous experience in carbon management is a bonus. Some experience with coding in Python for applying ML algorithms on data will be helpful but can always be learned along the way. Software application development will be a valuable skill for the spring semester phase. |
| Duration | Winter break will be the primary learning curve. The spring semester will focus more on converting the algorithms used in the prototype and the research into a polished product that the farmers/government/organisations could use to meet sustainable goals. You can choose to continue to work even after that as the space is continuously evolving, and carbon credit mechanisms are still to be well set in India. Continuous modifications will be required as the objective keeps progressing from one step to the next. |
| Learning outcome | Understanding of the carbon credits space and the importance of agricultural space for the net zero goals of India Robust ML applications on datasets that have to be expanded with the help of research Entrepreneurial experience in the form of product development Improved time management as a result of tight deadlines A better grasp of the methods of scientific communication You’ll hopefully know whether sustainability as a field excites you |
| Weekly time commitment | 25+ hours during winter, 10-20 hours during the spring semester and the time commitment after that can be decided on the basis of mutual understanding |
| General expectations | Enthusiasm to learn concepts which are defining the pressing global issues. Developing a sense of ownership in the project is also vital for a better exchange of ideas and more efficient working. |
| Assignment |
Review document for agricultural carbon sequestration
(Europe):
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/258976/IPOL_STU(2022)699655_EN.pdf
Data analysis to understand the difference between the methods: Follow this link |
| Instructions for assignment | Spend some time and read the review document first to develop a broad contextual understanding. This will also give you a better understanding of your goals and might help you refine the SoP. A deeper understanding of these concepts can also be developed through reading from other sources available on the internet, including YouTube videos. The data analysis paper will help you to generate more ideas of your own and be better prepared for the discussion. |
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