Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, August 25 2021: A webinar on Climate Change Reporting-II for state level media fellow recipients was organised jointly by Media Working Group on Climate Change (MWGCC), Media Resource Center Manipur and Manipur State Climate Change Cell, Directorate of Environment and Climate Change on Wednesday.
Speaking as one of the experts, Ministry of Science and Technology senior advisor/scientist-H Dr Akhilesh Gupta highlighted that global warming has been a huge challenge with regard to food security, water, energy and health security.
If the level of global warming is not taken under control, the situation will further worsen within the next two decades.
As such, improvement of the human development index is vital in combating such challenges, he said.
Dr Akhilesh continued that climate change affects all sectors.
Manipur, being part of the Himalayan region, is also affected.
Thus, urban climate issue has emerged as one of the most challenging tasks and to combat this, climate resilience and climate adaptation is equally important.
The rising developmental works and increased human activities have contributed to the rising global temperature, not to mention of changes in aerosol and heat levels, he added.
The senior advisor then said the changes have also affected the ecosystem.
In Manipur's context, 80 percent of the state's population is involved in agriculture related activities.
However, the state has been experiencing low rainfall.
As much of it could be attributed to the deforestation activities, focus should be made towards smart agriculture considering the challenges faced by the agriculture sector due to climate change, he remarked.
Furthermore, the wetland ecosystem of the state has not been spared as well.
The climatic changes have also led to the rise in airborne and waterborne diseases, not to mention of the increasing pollution levels.
Thus, to tackle such issues, a national and state action plan on climate change is important, Dr Akhilesh contended, while stressing the need for climate adaptation initiatives.
The interaction programme was attended by Directorate of Environment and Climate Change joint director Dr T Brajakumar; Regional Centre of Expertise (Srinagar) on Education for Sustainable Development coordinator and Focal Point Abdhesh Kumar Gupta; DTS New Delhi official Dr Nisha Mandiratta; DM University VC and Climate Change Project Under HICAB, DST principal investigator Prof N Rajmuhon; CAU professor and Climate Change Project Under HICAB, DST principal investigator Prof L Nabachandra; NIT Manipur Associate Professor and Climate Change Project Under HICAB, DST principal investigator Dr Ng Rome, state senior experts and media fellows.