GUWAHATI, Feb 12 � Effective adaptation strategies to face the threats posed by climate change, need to be integrated into planning at national, state and community levels. At the same time, communities already suffering from the impacts of climate change need support to relieve themselves of the risks by diversifying their income options and also minimize their vulnerability by building their resilience.
Moreover, assisting the poorest communities to increase their income options will be critical in helping people to adapt to climate change.
These were the observations made by noted environmental scientist Prof Dulal Chandra Goswami while delivering the Ramesh Chandra Saharia Memorial Lecture here on climate change its impact on environment, economy and society of Assam recently. The lecture was organized jointly by the Ramesh Chandra Saharia Memorial Trust and the Ramesh Chandra Saharia Educational Trust.
Prof Goswami also called for urgent steps to undertake climate-related research and to build up indigenous scientific capacity to all aspects of climate change in the country.
Adaptation strategies need to strengthen people�s ability to manage the risks they face. Therefore, plans to develop and test risk transfer options, such as insurance schemes, aimed at enabling the poorest people to anticipate risks and recover more quickly may be introduced, Prof Goswami said.
On the vulnerable sections of the people in countries like India, Prof Goswami said that most of India�s poorest people live in rural areas, almost totally reliant on natural resources for their food, shelter and incomes. They are already experiencing the impacts of climate change, with few resources to cope.
He also suggested that the rural communities, especially women being the victims of climate change, should form the base for understanding and providing the perspective on its impacts to plan a new development paradigm to mitigate climate change. The national action plan should have this consideration at its core, said the noted environmental scientist.
Further, he said, the agriculture sector needs to be provided adequate safeguard against the damaging impact of climate change by taking proactive measures in regard to irrigation facilities, drought and flood resistant cropping, capacity building of farmers and use of improved farming practices.
The lecture was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof OK Medhi and the function was presided over by veteran journalist and president of the Ramesh Chandra Saharia Memorial Trust Radhika Mohan Bhagawati. Mridula Saharia of the Ramesh Chandra Saharia Educational Trust also spoke on the occasion.
It needs mention here that Ramesh Chandra Saharia was a renowned educationist of Darrang district and he was a minister in the Jogendra Nath Hazarika Ministry in 1979. He was appointed a minister for the second term in 1982.
