NIRDPR organizes Symposium on Climate Change Mitigation for Asia Pacific Countries

INN/Hydrabad, @infodeaofficial

Climate Change is the defining issue of this time and the world is at a pivotal moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action now, adapting to these impacts in the future will be difficult and costly. 

There is need to share, discuss and expand networks on climate change and mitigation strategies, adoption including creating Green Jobs, Green Energy, reduction in consumption of fossil oil, creating awareness among people.

Considering these, the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) organized a Symposium on ‘Climate Change Mitigation in CIRDAP Member Countries’ and the 34th CIRDAP Technical Committee Meeting on 25th and 26th June 2019 in its campus in Hyderabad to discuss measures that can help reduce the global climatic variability and change.

This is the third time India is hosting the CIRDAP Technical Committee meeting and this is the first time it is being hosted by NIRDPR. The last Technical Committee meeting was held in Fiji.The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous organization with 15 member countries.

In a message shared for the occasion,which was read by Dr. W.R. Reddy, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR,Narendra Singh Tomar, Honorable Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture Farmers Welfare and Panchayati Raj, Government of India, said, “I am happy to note that the Technical Committee is meeting for the third time in India and that representatives of 14 other countries are taking part. The Symposium on ‘Climate Change Mitigation in CIRDAP Member Countries’ has come at the right time. We, the members of CIRDAP countries, with a combined population of 2,549 million, account for 34 per cent of global population. We, with our activities, will be impacting a combined rural population of 1,539 million in CIRDAP member countries. India, under the leadership of the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, is striving to create peaceful, friendly and mutually supportive relations with all countries. India has made an all-out effort to support activities of CIRDAP through technical and financial support.”

Addressing the Symposium, Tevita G.Boseiwaqa Taginavulau, Director-General, CIRDAP, Bangladesh, said,“India is a founding member of CIRDAP, which was established in 1979. Since then, India has been a major pillar in ensuring CIRDAP’s relevance and visibility amongst its member countries and outside its periphery. To date, it pays the highest membership contribution to the tune of USD 95,000.”

 

Further, Tevita G.Boseiwaqa Taginavulau said,“Govt. of India is sponsoring four fully funded international training programmes every year, which are jointly coordinated and implemented by CIRDAP and NIRDPR. One of these programmes is undertaken in any of 14 other member countries. India also provides funding and technical support on the establishment of CIRDAP Centre on Geospatial Applications in Rural Development at CIRDAP Headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh.”

The Objectives of the Symposium on ‘Climate Change Mitigation in CIRDAP Member Countries’ are:

Ø  To share and discuss climate change strategies, mitigation and adoption in CIRDAP Member Countries

Ø  To exchange knowledge on awareness creation of climate change and its Consequences among the communities

Ø  To build and expand networks on climate change mitigation among CIRDAP Member Countries

Ø  To discuss capacity building programmes on climate change and mitigation for CIRDAP Member Countries

Ø  Methodology: Sharing of knowledge and experiences through individual Country presentations

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. W.R. Reddy, IAS, Director General, NIRDPR, said, “I thank all the CIRDAP Member Countries and I am sure this is going to be a productive effort. NIRDPR is making a constant effort to innovate and reach out to a large number of functionaries. Innovative initiatives like operationalizing ‘A-VIEW’ will go a long way in reaching the large number of functionaries across the country. This four-day event has been possible because of the decision taken at the last Technical Committee meeting held at Fiji and the support of Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.”

Highlighting the learnings from this Symposium, Mr. Meleti Raimuria Bainimarama, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Rural Development, Fiji, said,“This dynamic network (CIRDAP) brings best practices from all member countries that can be implemented in our own home countries. It can never be stressed enough to member countries how imperative it is that we work together collaboratively to achieve the objectives of the establishment of CIRDAP. As member countries, we must not lose sight of CIRDAP’s vision of sustainable integrated rural development in Asia Pacific Region.”

Congratulating CIRDAP on holding a symposium on such an important topic, His Excellency Eng. Wassfi Hassan El-Sreihin, Secretary General of African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), said, “We look at CIRDAP and NIRDPR as Centres of Excellence. Our collaboration with NIRDPR and CIRDAP started long ago and we are indebted to the Govt of India and the Ministry for their collaboration with NIRDPR from which we have benefitted. Since 2009, we have started new collaborations including technical collaborations with NIRDPR through the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India.”

Guest of Honor Ravi Shankar Aisola, Retired IFS Officer and a former Ambassador to Lao People’s Democratic Republic, said, “Rural Development can have full meaning only when the concept of climate change, its causes and effects are well understood. Setting up the CIRDAP Regional Centre inside NIRDPR is very appropriate. NIRDPR, for many long years, has been involved in rural development and has vast experience. It has been sharing this experience with developing countries across the world through international training programmes. Integrated Rural Development is multi-faceted and a majority of the population in CIRDAP countries reside in rural areas. Other countries should benefit from India’s experience in Rural Development.”

Leena Johri IAS, Joint Secretary, Department of Rural Development, Govt of India, Smt. Radhika Rastogi IAS, Deputy Director General, NIRDPR, spoke on the occasion. Dr. P. Sivaram and Dr. R. Ramesh are the Chairpersons for the Symposium on ‘Climate Change Mitigation in CIRDAP Member Countries.’ The Participants for this symposium include delegates from 15 CIRDAP Member Countries, who are attending 34th CIRDAP Technical Committee Meeting, delegates from Ministry of Rural Development faculty members of NIRDPR.

The concentration of Greenhouse Gases in the atmosphere is directly linked to the average global temperature, which has steadily been rising since the time of the Industrial Revolution. As per the records of UN (2011), since 1880, the warmest decade was from 2001 to 2010 and the second warmest was from 1990 to 2000. It also showed that the temperature increased to 0.74 degree Celsius from 1906 to 2005.

Consequently, it has led to a rise in sea level, decreases in snow and ice cover and increased incidence of extreme weather events (IPCC 2007). Further, reports of Economics of Climate Change by Stern review (2006) indicated that nearly 200 million people may permanently be displaced because of rising sea levels, droughts and floods. It is estimated that, since the 1970s, climate change has been responsible for over 150,000 deaths each year (McMichael et al. 2004).

CIRDAP was established on 6 July 1979 at the initiative of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with support from several other UN bodies and donors. The member-countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh (Host State), Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

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