With the aim of raising awareness about the challenges posed by ‘Global Warming’ and ‘climate change’ among the young generation, the Gujarat State Board of School Textbooks (GSBST) is considering introducing a separate subject on environment for secondary school students across the state.

The GSBST has already mooted a proposal to incorporate a comprehensive chapter on “Global Warming and Greening” in the Science and Technology textbook for Class VIII students in all the government and grant-in-aid schools across Gujarat. The chapter has been penned by Principal Secretary (Forest and Environment) S K Nanda. After thoroughly scanning the chapter, the GSBST is now forwarding it to the Education Department for final approval.

“We proposed to include this chapter in the Class VIII science and technology textbook from the next academic year. A chapter on the same topic will be included in the Class IX and X textbooks in successive years. We appreciate that the Forest and Environment Secretary has taken the initiative to write this valuable chapter,” said GSBST Director M A Patel.

The chapter on “Global Warming and Greening” explains how various factors, including the release of toxic gases and the increasing use of energy/fuel, contribute towards global warming. It also attempts to educate students on how Global Warming and climate change can have an adverse impact on the earth in the coming years, if not resolved. The chapter suggests two main options to deal with the problem, reduction in the release of green house gases and large-scale afforestation.

Nanda, an IAS officer of the 1978 batch, said: “I had been thinking about writing something for the students, so as to educate them on the challenges being posed by Global Warming and climate change. In fact, the idea struck me much before I took over the charge of Forest and Environment Department a couple of months ago.”

Patel told Newsline on Saturday that the human population across the world was facing the challenges posed by Global Warming and climate change, and “the need of the hour is to create awareness among the present generation against this threat.”