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Climate Change Adaptation:
A Defining Factor for Sustainable Development
With
UN climate talks approaching closer to the much awaited Paris Summit
this December, the necessity for major emitters to cut down greenhouse
gas emissions have become an immediate requirement. However, with
climate already on the path of 2°C warming, mitigating GHG emissions is
not the answer to all problems. Adaptation to changing climatic
conditions has become a serious concern as a consequence of increasing
disasters, frequent agricultural losses and increasing vulnerabilities
of the poorest sections of the society.
With some of the damage already done, adaptation to
climate change is also a new sphere to the development paradigm and is
the defining factor for sustainable development. The ongoing discussions
on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have clearly stated in the 13th
Goal1
to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate related
hazards and natural disasters particularly through integrating climate
change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
Therefore, the onus of helping its communities adapt to climate change,
largely lies on the shoulders of the most vulnerable countries
themselves.
Consequently, for a developing and rapidly
progressing country such as India, climate change adaptation is an
increasing priority. Several national and state policies/ plans such as
12th
Five Year Plan, National Action Plan on Climate Change and State Action
Plans on Climate Change have also elaborated the co-beneficial role of
adaptation in some of the major sectors such as agriculture,
infrastructure, water, urban and rural development.
Promoting Effective Adaptation for All
With increased co-beneficial role in some of the most
important sectors in the country, identification of best practices,
technologies and locally suited measures have now become the pillar
point for the Indian Government2.
To make sure that the country is prepared to bear climate shocks and
risks, a geographically diverse country such as India requires
innovative thinking in its climate change adaptation and development
approach.
Development Alternatives experiences from community
based adaptation models on sustainable input agriculture, climate
resilient construction and clean technology solutions provide promising
examples for up-scaling climate change adaptation at scale.
Identification of best technologies and strategies for climate change
adaptation is only possible with the following:
Identification of modern and traditional adaptation
solutions: The country is thriving with successful examples of
climate adaptation and resilience strategies for disaster risk reduction
and management, water harvesting and management, sustainable and
low-input agriculture, joint forest management, natural resource
management and energy efficiency. These practices currently practiced by
communities and civil societies in fragments have a lot of potential for
scaling and replication. Traditional water storage tanks and structures
from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, experiences of organic farming from
Sikkim, use of traditional/hardy cropping varieties by tribal population
in different parts of the country and solar powered irrigation in
Gujarat answer some of the complex problems associated with climate
change risks and vulnerabilities.
Diversification in climate sensitive sectors:
Contributing largest to the pool of employment generation and job
creation, climate sensitive sectors such agriculture and allied services
can be diversified to minimise risks associated with climate change.
Balanced production of crops, viz. food-grains, pulses, oilseeds,
fruits, fibers, spices, sugarcane, medicinal plants, flowers,
agro-forestry plants etc. can play an important role in diversification
with appropriate pricing and trade. Similarly, the huge potential of
livestock, fisheries and NTFPs can be tapped through value addition and
market creation, processing and packaging.
Efficient utilisation of resources: There is a
need to identify ways to incentivise optimum use of water and power in
rural and urban development to control wastage of these crucial
resources and ensure their judicious use. This will ensure both
mitigation and adaptation in the sector.
Development Alternatives initiatives on Decentralised
Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions for integrated village electrification
and enterprise development simultaneously, provide promising examples of
increased resilience of communities through livelihood diversification
and village electrification through green technologies.
Disaster preparedness over management:
Preparedness for different types of slow onset and extreme disasters
with respect to infrastructure, safety nets, early monitoring and
warning systems, relief and emergency measures, swift evacuation
responses can reduce large amount of economic losses over late response
measures.
Local climate resilient development plans: It
has now become important to develop local level climate adaptive plans
so that the best suited technologies and risk mitigation measures are
identified accordingly. However, these plans should be made in
consultation with different sectoral departments. This will address the
local adaption needs of communities. This requires that Decision Support
Systems for smaller areas e.g. block and panchayats level may be
developed and communicated to the affected areas for quick response to
events like late or early and scanty/ heavy or sudden rainfalls/ extreme
events.
Strengthened structure of environmental governance
at micro, meso level and district level: In addition to development
of plans, adaptation is only possible when local systems are geared to
implement the plans. Development of disaster management committees,
technology extension divisions, local and cost effective technology
providers etc. are some of the locally available institutions which
contribute in large scale execution of adaptation strategies. These
systems and structures should be based on the fact that agro-climatic
based resilient strategies should be developed which are backed by
strong political influence and address livelihood challenges. For
example - creation of structure and functions at district and block
level for assisting in planning. |