Uttar Pradesh gears up to tackle climate change

The people I was listening to challenged all my prejudices about government officials' tendencies to bury their heads in the sand. On the contrary, these officials had studied the science of climate change, had witnessed (and been moved by) its impacts on subsistence farmers and urban dwellers alike, and had already put into motion steps to deal with these impacts.

They were speaking at a workshop organised by the Uttar Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (UP-SDMA) to discuss how the state could mainstream climate change preparation and reduce its vulnerability to climate-induced disasters. A brief report of the workshop and a short opinion piece on the deliberations are available online.

These deliberations, interesting as they were, are even more important because they have resulted in some practical actions that can be taken right now.

• The main obstacle in the path of government departments being able to address climate change concerns is dedicated personnel. Officials need to be highly skilled and trained and must be empathetic. 
• More attention needs to be paid to the monitoring and measuring of mainstreaming. This should include an assessment of  inclusion of gender issues and BPL families in climate change planning.
• Risk diversification in the context of unpredictable climate patterns is necessary. The options need to include effective programs of contingency crop planning, crop diversification including the use of hazard- resistant crops as well as promoting supplementary income generation from off-farm and non-farm activities.
• Detailed procedures that list the precise steps that are to be implemented in case of an emergency and by whom need to be put into place. This will ensure that systems work irrespective of the calibre of the individual official in position at that time.
• The funding gap which exists between NAPCC getting implemented and the present state is huge. Ability to access and leverage international climate change finance is important.
• Preparation for a disaster, as well as risk reduction should be incorporated into the school curricula. This will ensure that citizens who are usually the first on the scene of a disaster are well-equipped to deal with emergencies. This will also reduce dependence on the National Disaster Response Force.

These are all understandable, measurable, and implementable action points and the chances are high that Uttar Pradesh will implement them. Are the other states listening?