By IANS,
New Delhi : Scientists and experts Thursday called for a targeted and region-specific approach to deal with the challenges posed by climate change in various areas across the country.
Speaking at a seminar “The Eastern Himalaya: Climate Change, Livelihoods and Poverty” organised by the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research of Jamia Millia Islamia, they emphasised on the need for increasing awareness among people about measures to check the impacts of climate change.
“We need to have region specific policies to tackle climate change. A lot of policies made in Delhi to tackle climate change gets awkward for northeast region,” said P.D. Rai, an MP from Sikkim.
He said MPs from northeast region pushed for a working group to include concerns of state during preparation of the 12th Plan document.
Jamia Vice Chancellor Najeeb Jung called initiatives like this an effort to bring focus on the region which is a treasure of varied flora and fauna.
R.R. Rashmi, joint secretary in the central environment ministry, listed out measures taken by the government to tackle climate change.
“India in 2010 came out with the first climate change assessment which looks at the impact of climate change on four sectors of the economy — agriculture, water, natural ecosystems & biodiversity and health in four climate sensitive regions — the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the Coastal Area and the North-East Region,” said Rashmi.
Calling India’s northeast as the northeast of southeast Asia, Kanak Mani Dixit, founder-editor, Himal Southasian, said: “The region is strategically important for the whole southeast Asia and any change in its climatic condition will have impact in the region.”