South Asian countries have many common characteristics in agricultural practices, food systems and therefore there is a great opportunity to share experiences towards effective adaptation to climate change. SAARC countries have a unique opportunity to shape and strengthen the process as well as global attention and action to support climate resilient agricultural systems and dependent communities.
Shri Shailendra Kumar Joshi, Chief Secretary of Telangana inaugurated regional consultation on “Climate Smart Agricultural Policies, Strategies and Agricultural Development Programmes towards Climate Change Adaptation”at-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad. The regional consultation was jointly organized by SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), Bangladesh, Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), Japan, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), India and ICAR-NAARM.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shri Joshi said that ‟SAARC countries have a unique opportunity to shape and strengthen the process as well as global attention and action to support climate resilient agricultural systems and dependent communities. South Asian countries have many common characteristics in agricultural practices, food systems and therefore there is a great opportunity to share experiences towards effective adaptation to climate change, he added.
Dr P. Appa Rao, VC, University of Hyderabad was the Guest of Honour on the occasion, and said workable models to predict and adapt the climate resilient systems need to be developed.
Dr K.J. Ramesh, DG, Indian Meteorology Department, who was guest of honour, said weather-based agro-advisory services to be expanded which is needed among SAARC countries.
Dr Ajay Raghava, Deputy Director, Climate Change, Ministry of Environment explained about the background of initiating such consultation among SAARC countries.
Dr. JR. Bhatt, Advisor, MoEF and CC presented the UNFCCC and COP recommendations.
Dr. Kirit Parikh, Former Member, Planning Commission emphasised on the need to undertake district level analysis to develop climate resilient agrarian solutions
Earlier, Dr Ch. Srinivasa Rao, Director NAARM welcomed the gathering. Dr. Rao indicated that climate change affects all the sectors and entire humanity. A synergistic strategies need to be evolved to cope climate change impacts particularly in South Asian Countries.
During the three-days regional consultation, the SAARC countries will present a position paper on their ways and means of addressing impact of climate change on agriculture while discussing adaptation measures for climate resilient agrarian systems. This consultation meeting would see a concrete and practical roadmap of SAARC countries to implement Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture”.
This consultation takes forward the decision on “Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture” taken by the 23rd Conference of Parties (CoP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) last year. A key feature of this decision was that there would be a greater focus on implementing climate actions in agriculture sector as opposed to negotiations focused on scientific and technical aspects only. Thus, expanding the scope of the recommendations that countries can make to CoP. SAARC countries see it as a long delayed but a positive beginning of a journey linking science to implementation by UNFCCC.
The workshop was attended by senior officers and agricultural experts from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Scientists from ICAR institutions, MOEF and CC, NABARD, NRSA also participated in the meeting.
Dr WART Wickramaarachchi, from SAARC thanked the participants.
Chander Mohan
Krishi Jagran/New Delhi
