bringing together ecosystem players
Through Our Bioregional Hubs
what is a sandbox?
A bio-regional hub is a real-world testing ground where innovative solutions are piloted in a controlled environment before scaling. It allows for experimentation, collaboration, and adaptation to hyper-local contexts.
The sandbox is a space for:
- Experimenting with solutions
- Inviting collaboration
- Building a response mechanism
Odisha Sandbox has been rolled out in collaboration with the Socratus Foundation.
The vision is based on ecosystems thinking where knowledge systems, network and narrative play crucial roles.
A Sandbox is a safe place to engage diverse ecosystem players including:
Government
CSOs
Media
Market actors
The Odisha Sandbox
The Odisha Sandbox is a dynamic ecosystem using a place-based approach to strengthen climate resilience. It brings together communities, collectives, market players, and institutions to co-create sustainable solutions. By integrating policy, grassroots action, convergence, and innovation, the sandbox accelerates the transition to a regenerative economy.
Categories of Impact
Individuals (Climate Champions)
Empowering grassroots leaders with skills, networks, and opportunities to drive climate solutions.
Collectives (FPOs + Climate Champions):
Strengthening producer organisations by embedding market linkages and climate-conscious practices.
Community:
Building resilience through participatory governance, sustainable livelihoods, and knowledge-sharing.
Government:
Enabling policy alignment, data-driven decision-making, and effective convergence of development programs.
Community Engagement
Supporting Community Leaders
Climate Champions are grassroots leaders who drive climate-resilient livelihoods and sustainable enterprises. Through capacity building, they gain skills in green entrepreneurship, disaster preparedness, and resource stewardship. By embedding climate action into local economies, they create replicable models for sustainable development while ensuring economic security for themselves and their communities.
enabling local institutions
Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) act as key vehicles for collective action, strengthening the bargaining power of small farmers and entrepreneurs. By integrating Climate Champions into these structures, FPOs are transformed into climate-smart collectives that adopt sustainable agricultural practices, enhance value chains, and access green financing. This fosters market resilience, ensures fair pricing, and promotes regenerative practices at scale.
Convergent Action Plan for Climate Resilience
Kendrapara Convergent Action Plan is a multi-level, multi-stakeholder action platform that brings together communities, collectives, grassroots organisations, and the district administration to drive coordinated efforts for climate resilience and build sustainable livelihoods.
The plan builds collaboration across sectors and departments such as agriculture, fisheries, panchayati raj and drinking water, and the state rural livelihood mission by integrating local knowledge with institutional support. It enables demand-driven solutions, leveraging existing government schemes and innovative models to strengthen climate action on the ground. Through participatory governance and capacity building, the initiative aims to create a replicable framework for climate-adaptive development to build a flourishing Kendrapara in the era of climate change.
increasing community's interface with the government
At the community level, the Sandbox fosters inclusive participation in decision-making and local governance. By promoting sustainable resource management, circular economy models, and climate-adaptive infrastructure, entire villages become more resilient. Strengthening traditional knowledge systems and integrating modern innovations ensures long-term environmental and economic stability.
creating an evidence base for government action
The sandbox approach aligns with government policies, offering convergence for program implementation. By demonstrating successful models, it supports evidence-based policymaking and cross-sectoral convergence. Through partnerships with district administrations, state agencies, and national missions, the framework accelerates systemic change, ensuring climate action is embedded within governance structures.