By IANS,
New Delhi: US President Barack Obama said Monday that as India’s farmers and rural areas face the effects of climate change and drought, both countries will work together to spark an “Evergreen Revolution”.
“Cooperation between Indian and American researchers and scientists sparked the Green Revolution. Today, India is a leader in using technology to empower farmers and both the countries can work together to spark an Evergreen Revolution,” Obama said in his address to parliamentarians here.
Both countries can pursue joint research and development to create green jobs, give Indians more access to cleaner, affordable energy, meet the commitments made at Copenhagen and show the possibilities of low-carbon growth, he maintained.
India and the US also signed an agreement on “Technical Cooperation for Study of Dynamical Seasonal Prediction of Indian Summer Monsoon Rainfall”.
“Together, we’re going to improve Indian weather forecasting systems before the next monsoon season. We aim to help millions of Indian farming households save water and increase productivity; improve food processing so crops don’t spoil on the way to market; and enhance climate and crop forecasting to avoid losses that cripple communities and drive up food prices,” he said.
The main objective of the agreement is to develop through dynamical weather prediction models a fuller understanding of the Indian monsoon and associated precipitation characteristics.
The nodal agencies for implementation are India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
A Monsoon Desk is being set up at NOAA’s National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) to focus on and coordinate all activities for India’s monsoon-related work including ‘Monsoon Mission’.
The desk will coordinate numerical model simulations and diagnostics between NCEP and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the India Meteorological Department.
During Monsoon 2011 Indian and US scientists will work jointly for its predictions utilising a global model.
The Indian government will provide Rs 2.4 crore over a period of five years for activities associated with the establishment and maintenance of the Monsoon Desk and the US government will provide $100,000 per annum to cover any deficits arising out of the Indian government’s funding.