STATE LEVEL WORKSHOP ON CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD ON 16th May, 2015
A.0 Prelude
Climate change is a global problem and a common concern to mankind. GHG emissions contribute to climate change irrespective of their origin and hence all countries will be affected if no action is taken.
A.1 Climate change impacts in India
For their survival and livelihoods, 700 million Indians living in rural areas directly depend on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, forests and fisheries and natural resources such as water, biodiversity, mangroves, coastal zones, and grasslands. Furthermore, the adaptive capacity of dryland farmers, forest dwellers, fisher folk and nomadic shepherds is very low. Climate change is likely to impact all natural ecosystems as well as socio-economic systems in India.
In addition, poverty is a critical factor that limits the adaptive capacity of rural people in India (GoI 2008). The Indian Government's National Communications (NATCOM) report of 2004 identifies the following as the impacts of climate change most likely to affect India between now and 2100:
• Decreased snow cover will affect snow-fed and glacial systems such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra. 70 % of the summer flow of the Ganges comes from melt water.
• Erratic monsoons will affect India’s rainfed agriculture, peninsular rivers, water and power supply
• Wheat production will drop by 4-5 million tonnes, even with a rise of only 1 ºC.
• Rising sea levels will cause displacement along one of the most densely populated coastlines in the world, also threatening freshwater sources and mangrove ecosystems.
• Floods will increase in frequency and intensity. This will heighten the vulnerability of people in the country's coastal, arid and semi-arid zones.
• Over 50 % of India’s forests are likely to experience shift in forest types, adversely impacting associated biodiversity, regional climate dynamics and livelihoods based on forest products.
The Ecological Footprint measures human demand on the biosphere in terms of the land and sea area required to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste we generate. Humanity’s Footprint first grew larger than global bio-capacity, the total amount of productive area available, in the mid-1980s. This “ecological overshoot” has been increasing every year since. With demand exceeding supply by about 25 per cent in 2003, it took the Earth approximately a year and three months to regenerate the ecological resources humanity used that year.
According to “India’s Ecological Footprint – a business perspectives” published by Ecological Footprint Network and CII, India’s Ecological Footprint in 2003 was on average 0.8 global hectares per person, ranking it 125th of 152 nations measured. Most people in India consumed less than this average. Despite this low average consumption per person, because others consumed far more and also of its large population, India has the third largest total Footprint, exceeded only by the United States and China. The United Nations projects that India’s population will reach 1.7 billion by 2050; if this is the case, India will require increased imports from other countries as it cannot support a population that size on domestic bio-capacity alone.
A.2 National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
Government of India released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programs addressing climate mitigation and adaptation on June 30, 2008. The plan identifies eight core “national missions” running through 2017 emphasizing the overriding priority of maintaining high economic growth rates to raise living standards, the plan “identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively.” It says these national measures would be more successful with assistance from developed countries, and pledges that India’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions “will at no point exceed that of developed countries even as we pursue our development objectives.”
These National Missions are (1) National Solar Mission (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (4) National Water Mission (5) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (6) National Mission for a “Green India” (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change with other programmes.
Accordingly, the state governments also prepared their own climate change adaptation programmes in various states including West Bengal.
B.0 Why this seminar
On 5th June, 2014 Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra - Kolkata Campus, and Self help Group Promotional Forum (a state level network of CSOs and CBOs; www.shgpromotionalforum.org), jointly observed World Environment Day “WED”, in tune with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at Kolkata Campus of Birla Institute of Technology Mesra. From that seminar future programme of action that had been declared are as follows: (1) formal declaration of “friends of environment from academia and society” @ feas (2) opening one interactive blog on climate change issues with special emphasis on most vulnerable regions of eastern and north-eastern India (3) sensitization programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (4) capacity building programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (5) micro-level scientific study and research programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (6) endorsing knowledge development, social mobilisation and network building, ground-truthing on livelihood issues, enabling policy and governance on climate change adaptation in regional basis.
C.0 About this Seminar
C.1 Purpose of this seminar
The proposed seminar is envisaged to inform and be informed on the issues of GHG emission, climate change adaptation programmes focussing on the eastern India, along with adjoining areas like north-eastern India and Bangladesh.
The day-long seminar will also explore research gap for short and long term perspectives, especially the areas where livelihood of poor people are affected.
B.2 Thematic areas
GHG emission and related issues will be discussed focussing on the growing urbanization rate and change in land use patterns and their impact on the ecosystems and communities. Similarly, adaptation will be discussed on anticipatory adaptation, i.e., taking action in preparation of climate change and reactive adaptation, taking action when climate change effects are experienced with community-based adaptation (CBA), ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) and development in a changing climate. The Key Sectors which have direct linkages are Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy, Fisheries, Food and Agriculture, Forestry, Health, Infrastructure, Nature & Ecosystem, Conservation, Spatial Planning, Tourism, Transport, Waste, and Water.
B.3 The Speakers and the Participants
The resource people and participants will be invited from policy makers, universities, Research Institutes, grass root Community based organisations, Industries, media, national and international civil society organisations, etc. The Chairman West Bengal Pollution Control Board has kindly agreed to inaugurate and take part in this seminar. We are expecting senior academia like Director IIEST, Jadavpur University, IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalay, etc. Community based leaders and practitioners are also invited to share their experience.
B.4 Date and Venue
Date: 16th May. 2015 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM
Venue: Centre for Distributed Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadavpur University
D.0 Organisers
While BITM and SHGPF are initiating the process, reputed institutions like All India Harijan Sevak Sangha (founded by Gandhiji), CARITAS and many national / state / local level organisations like Loka Kalyan Parishad, SPADE, SEED, BRWAS, CVGBK, BTS, CDHI, RDA, etc. are coming forward to work jointly for anchoring and supporting this seminar.
There are many organisations that are joining hands either as co-organisers or as supporters.
E.0 Contact
1. Mr. Saradindu Banerjee, 09830048725; bsaradindu@gmail.com - SHGPF
2. Prof. Abhijit Kundu, 09007060549; abhijitkundu47@gmail.com – BITM, Kolkata
3. Mr. Subhasish Debnath, 08582949275; subhadebnath@gmail.com - SPADE
A.0 Prelude
Climate change is a global problem and a common concern to mankind. GHG emissions contribute to climate change irrespective of their origin and hence all countries will be affected if no action is taken.
A.1 Climate change impacts in India
For their survival and livelihoods, 700 million Indians living in rural areas directly depend on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, forests and fisheries and natural resources such as water, biodiversity, mangroves, coastal zones, and grasslands. Furthermore, the adaptive capacity of dryland farmers, forest dwellers, fisher folk and nomadic shepherds is very low. Climate change is likely to impact all natural ecosystems as well as socio-economic systems in India.
In addition, poverty is a critical factor that limits the adaptive capacity of rural people in India (GoI 2008). The Indian Government's National Communications (NATCOM) report of 2004 identifies the following as the impacts of climate change most likely to affect India between now and 2100:
• Decreased snow cover will affect snow-fed and glacial systems such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra. 70 % of the summer flow of the Ganges comes from melt water.
• Erratic monsoons will affect India’s rainfed agriculture, peninsular rivers, water and power supply
• Wheat production will drop by 4-5 million tonnes, even with a rise of only 1 ºC.
• Rising sea levels will cause displacement along one of the most densely populated coastlines in the world, also threatening freshwater sources and mangrove ecosystems.
• Floods will increase in frequency and intensity. This will heighten the vulnerability of people in the country's coastal, arid and semi-arid zones.
• Over 50 % of India’s forests are likely to experience shift in forest types, adversely impacting associated biodiversity, regional climate dynamics and livelihoods based on forest products.
The Ecological Footprint measures human demand on the biosphere in terms of the land and sea area required to provide the resources we use and to absorb the waste we generate. Humanity’s Footprint first grew larger than global bio-capacity, the total amount of productive area available, in the mid-1980s. This “ecological overshoot” has been increasing every year since. With demand exceeding supply by about 25 per cent in 2003, it took the Earth approximately a year and three months to regenerate the ecological resources humanity used that year.
According to “India’s Ecological Footprint – a business perspectives” published by Ecological Footprint Network and CII, India’s Ecological Footprint in 2003 was on average 0.8 global hectares per person, ranking it 125th of 152 nations measured. Most people in India consumed less than this average. Despite this low average consumption per person, because others consumed far more and also of its large population, India has the third largest total Footprint, exceeded only by the United States and China. The United Nations projects that India’s population will reach 1.7 billion by 2050; if this is the case, India will require increased imports from other countries as it cannot support a population that size on domestic bio-capacity alone.
A.2 National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
Government of India released India’s first National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) outlining existing and future policies and programs addressing climate mitigation and adaptation on June 30, 2008. The plan identifies eight core “national missions” running through 2017 emphasizing the overriding priority of maintaining high economic growth rates to raise living standards, the plan “identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively.” It says these national measures would be more successful with assistance from developed countries, and pledges that India’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions “will at no point exceed that of developed countries even as we pursue our development objectives.”
These National Missions are (1) National Solar Mission (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (4) National Water Mission (5) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (6) National Mission for a “Green India” (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change with other programmes.
Accordingly, the state governments also prepared their own climate change adaptation programmes in various states including West Bengal.
B.0 Why this seminar
On 5th June, 2014 Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra - Kolkata Campus, and Self help Group Promotional Forum (a state level network of CSOs and CBOs; www.shgpromotionalforum.org), jointly observed World Environment Day “WED”, in tune with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at Kolkata Campus of Birla Institute of Technology Mesra. From that seminar future programme of action that had been declared are as follows: (1) formal declaration of “friends of environment from academia and society” @ feas (2) opening one interactive blog on climate change issues with special emphasis on most vulnerable regions of eastern and north-eastern India (3) sensitization programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (4) capacity building programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (5) micro-level scientific study and research programmes on climate change adaptation in regional basis (6) endorsing knowledge development, social mobilisation and network building, ground-truthing on livelihood issues, enabling policy and governance on climate change adaptation in regional basis.
C.0 About this Seminar
C.1 Purpose of this seminar
The proposed seminar is envisaged to inform and be informed on the issues of GHG emission, climate change adaptation programmes focussing on the eastern India, along with adjoining areas like north-eastern India and Bangladesh.
The day-long seminar will also explore research gap for short and long term perspectives, especially the areas where livelihood of poor people are affected.
B.2 Thematic areas
GHG emission and related issues will be discussed focussing on the growing urbanization rate and change in land use patterns and their impact on the ecosystems and communities. Similarly, adaptation will be discussed on anticipatory adaptation, i.e., taking action in preparation of climate change and reactive adaptation, taking action when climate change effects are experienced with community-based adaptation (CBA), ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) and development in a changing climate. The Key Sectors which have direct linkages are Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy, Fisheries, Food and Agriculture, Forestry, Health, Infrastructure, Nature & Ecosystem, Conservation, Spatial Planning, Tourism, Transport, Waste, and Water.
B.3 The Speakers and the Participants
The resource people and participants will be invited from policy makers, universities, Research Institutes, grass root Community based organisations, Industries, media, national and international civil society organisations, etc. The Chairman West Bengal Pollution Control Board has kindly agreed to inaugurate and take part in this seminar. We are expecting senior academia like Director IIEST, Jadavpur University, IIT Kharagpur, IIM Calcutta, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalay, etc. Community based leaders and practitioners are also invited to share their experience.
B.4 Date and Venue
Date: 16th May. 2015 (Saturday)
Time: 10:00 AM
Venue: Centre for Distributed Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Jadavpur University
D.0 Organisers
While BITM and SHGPF are initiating the process, reputed institutions like All India Harijan Sevak Sangha (founded by Gandhiji), CARITAS and many national / state / local level organisations like Loka Kalyan Parishad, SPADE, SEED, BRWAS, CVGBK, BTS, CDHI, RDA, etc. are coming forward to work jointly for anchoring and supporting this seminar.
There are many organisations that are joining hands either as co-organisers or as supporters.
E.0 Contact
1. Mr. Saradindu Banerjee, 09830048725; bsaradindu@gmail.com - SHGPF
2. Prof. Abhijit Kundu, 09007060549; abhijitkundu47@gmail.com – BITM, Kolkata
3. Mr. Subhasish Debnath, 08582949275; subhadebnath@gmail.com - SPADE
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