Rigorous approach needed to study climate change

Consequences of not investing enough will be greater than the 2006 Mumbai floods

Climate change and science experts have said that Mumbai, and Maharashtra, could face the consequences of not pursuing climate change rigorously in terms of research and studies.

Speaking at a multi-stakeholder forum on climate change at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Friday, Professor D. Parthasarathy, convenor, Climate Studies Integrated Development Programme, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, said the State’s action plan comes from a single source and needed to be aware of the ground realities.

“The State government needs to focus more on specifics, that is for each region and sector, such as forestry, fisheries, agriculture, energy and transport, beyond what is attempted now. Climate impact assessment for the energy sector in the State Action Plan Climate Change, for example, is described very briefly and cursorily. It does not even address the basic issue of how energy contributes to climate change, but there are around two pages on recommendations and actions,” he said.

Prof. Pathasarthy said that most States in India are lagging in terms of comprehensive and scientific assessments of climate change and that a trans-disciplinary approach, that comprises of people belonging to various streams of research, is necessary from a strategic perspective.

While climate has always been changing, the experts observed that that anthropogenic climate change (due to the human-induced activities) needs much more strategic focus.

Both Dr. Parthasarthy and Unmesh Patnaik, a TISS professor associated with the School of Habitat Studies, said that commissioning more research studies, evidence-based strategies, integrating climate mitigation strategy and allowing lower levels to assess change are some ways of dealing with climate change.

“We need to commission more research studies in the State. Environmentalists are also saying that more power should be given to municipal wards, panchayats, zilla parishads and other local bodies to identify and address problems wherever feasible. For this, capacity building at local levels is essential too,” Mr. Patnaik said.

Mr. Parthasarthy informed that the integration of climate mitigation strategy was included in the 12th Five Year Plan as the co-benefits approach, but the present government dissolved the Planning Commission.

The experts indicated that the consequences of not investing enough in studying climate change could be massive, much greater than the floods that Mumbai witnessed in 2006. “There was an approximate loss of $2 billion, if we take the informal sector into account. If proper studying and mitigation is not done, the consequences could be worse,” Mr. Patnaik noted.