CM urged to look south for a solution to fighting climate change
- December 13, 2022
- Updated: 12:47 am
DW BUREAU / Chandigarh
With Punjab's high vulnerability to the severe effects of climate change, several state-based environmentalists have urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take key learnings and also develop a dedicated plan along the lines of Tamil Nadu's Climate Resilience model.
Known to spear-head many path-breaking initiatives to build climate resilience, the Tamil Nadu government which has set up a Special Purpose Vehicle- the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC) to effectively carry out the Climate Action Plan, launched the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission on Friday. With this, Tamil Nadu has become a pioneer among the Indian States in launching this Climate Change Mission.
The key goals of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission are to formulate plans to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in Tamil Nadu, increase public transport use, develop strategies to reduce emissions through green energy and renewable energy, increase forest cover in Tamil Nadu, manage waste effectively, develop ways to mitigate impacts of climate change, access financial resources for adaptation, initiating climate education in educational institutions, priority focus on climate action for women and children, and adopting (One Health) approach that includes human health, animal health, and ecological health to understand health disruptions caused by climate change.
"Punjab's climate is changing erratically over the years. The annual and seasonal temperatures, rainfall, groundwater outflow, and agriculture clearly show severe consequences of climate change. The State government should consider learnings from states like Tamil Nadu and others to build a climate-resilient Punjab," said Avijit Singh, a member of Clean Air Punjab., which is well-known for its rapid growth in the agricultural sector, is highly sensitive to climate change because of the need for massive water extraction, its lack of forest cover, and its excessive use of fossil fuels. Over the past fifty years, inefficient agricultural techniques and unplanned urbanisation have ultimately led to an unending use of resources. This has significantly impacted Punjab's climate.
Indu Aurora from Voice of Amritsar stated that unusual rainfall patterns have had a tremendous impact on agricultural productivity and farmer revenue.
(editor@dailyworld.in)