Designing a Social Media Profile for Wetland and Wildlife Appreciation
Community-led action for eco-restoration of urban wetlands in India
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
People in India reached by a social media awareness page:
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The Challenge
About 85% of the world‘s wetlands have been degraded or lost over the last 300 years, according to the UN. There is an urgent need to raise global awareness on wetlands to encourage restoration and conservation of these vital ecosystems.
Research shows that social media can generate both positive effects on environmental awareness and better overall understanding of sustainability. Design for Good began working with Vanashakti, a Mumbai-based nonprofit NGO committed to the cause of environmental conservation, to find a way to use social media to address the needs of both awareness and turning that into action.
The Innovation
The Design for Good team used the principles of life-centred design to create a social media profile to bring awareness to the importance of the wetland.
Working with local partners
Working together with project partner Vanashaki, the Instagram page runs campaigns to bring awareness to the local community and beyond. From promoting a tree planting drive, to introducing endangered species like the spoon-billed sandpiper, to explaining what to do when people see litter in wetlands, thousands of people have been reached over the past year.
Non-human personas
Through social media, the Chanakya wetland non-human persona raises awareness of what the wetland is and its importance. The use of a non-human persona allows for empathy and identification with the wetland as another living being, and encourages individuals to connect with the wetland further.
The Results
As a living profile, there has been growing engagement and reach of social media awareness efforts.
Help us make a difference
All our projects are open-source. Go ahead and use them to do good.