[Assam] State needs plan on global warming : Dr Pachauri

[muktikam phukan]

Guwahati, Wednesday, March 05, 2008 
State needs plan on global warming : Dr Pachauri
By A Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, March 4 – The State of Assam should have a thorough strategy to understand the implications of climate change so that well formulated measures could be taken for its people to adapt to its effects. The strategy should have necessary policy support at the Government level and have its basis on scientific facts and evidences. 

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Dr Rajendra Pachauri said this during a programme to felicitate him at Rabindra Bhawan.

The noted environmental scientist who received the Nobel Peace prize on behalf of his organisation along with former American Vice-president Al Gore last year said the need for Assam to have a sound strategy was important primarily because of its geographical location and climatic regime. 

With climatic change increasing glacial melt, and global rainfall pattern showing erratic patterns, the region needed access to better data and analysis. In this context he mentioned the importance of having sophisticated simulation models that could estimate future weather patterns.

He said that his organisation and others with linkages with it would be able to help the Assam Government in this regard. 

Referring to decline in rainfall in the higher latitudes of the globe and recent decline in the lower latitudes, he mentioned that more erratic rainfall and extreme climatic conditions could be expected. There was a real need for Assam to become aware of such possibilities happening in the State. 

Dr Pachauri was of the view that with Assam possessing rich biodiversity, the Government should seriously consider developing it’s economy on the basis of it’s natural resources. In this connection he referred to biofuel as one of the resources that could be exploited in a sustainable manner.

In the global context the senior scientist alluded to some of the challenges emanating from climate change mentioning the possible effects from sea-level rise, and changes in the atmospheric profile compared with previous records.

With changes in rainfall and ground water resource there was a real fear that agriculture would suffer. Already in India wheat production was witnessing a decline, which calls for serious attention.

Adapting to the changes would require infrastructure, technology and policy initiatives, he noted. Further, there existed a moral and ethical obligation to cut down on carbon emissions if the effects of climate change were to be reduced. 

He sounded an alert on speeding up efforts to curb the pace of climate change. It is now understood that the window of opportunity to do that would close after seven years, he asserted.

Earlier, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi honouring Dr Pachauri mentioned that Assam required environmental and ecological security, an area in which he solicited the support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and The Energy and Resources Institute, with which the scientist has long been associated.

Gogoi revealed his Government recognised the need for preparing for the effects of climate change and also wanted to find solutions to perennial problems such as floods, erosion and deforestation. Presenting a scroll to the scientist on behalf of the people of Assam, Gogoi hoped Dr Pachauri would continue to extend his support to the State in the future. 

Today’s felicitation programme was organised by the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council and the Assam Energy Development Agency. The organisers also presented Dr Pachauri with a range of traditional gifts. 

Meanwhile, Assam Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh today had a luncheon meeting with Dr Pachauri during which the two discussed issues relating to the conservation and preservation of flora and fauna of Assam, cultural preservation of Majuli, the management of slash and burn cultivation in the hill districts of the State, and micro-hydel projects in the Northeast. Singh also felicitated the senior scientist with a plaque and traditional Assamese gifts.

 
Muktikam Phukan 
Deputy Director (NR)
Petroleum Conservation Research Association
Sanrakshan Bhawan,10, Bhikaiji Cama Place,New Delhi 110066
Ph: +91 11 26198856 Ext 385, Mob: +91 9818598565
email: phukanm at pcra.org , muktikamp at yahoo.co.in 
                      


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