The Kerala government will develop a Climate Change Knowledge Resource Platform to provide data on historic and future climate, vulnerabilities and impacts. The proposed mechanism is also envisaged to monitor changes in greenhouse gas emission, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s policy address has emphasised.
The policy address presented in the Assembly on Thursday also credits the government with forming the Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission (KSCCAM), the first-of-its-kind in the country. KSCCAM, which has been driving the State’s Carbon Neutral Mission, aims to be a separate administrative entity for streamlining and administering climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.
An integrated wetland web portal and mobile application has been developed to ensure the contribution of citizen scientists, who have registered as ‘Wetland Mitras’ to bolster the management of Ramsar wetlands. The portal, which will be made available to the public, is bound to become a model in the field of wetland management in the country, the address stated.
A Kerala Traditional Knowledge Digital Library is also in the works to facilitate the sustainable use of State’s bio-resources. Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has also initiated a policy for the management of invasive alien species.
Yet another initiative of KSBB, the preparation of the proposed Marine Biodiversity Register will provide information regarding overfishing, depletion of marine bio-resources etc. to the neighbouring Biodiversity Management Committees for developing management plans aimed at protecting marine biodiversity.
Eco-Sensitive Zones
The policy address has also claimed that the government has successfully addressed long-standing concerns related to Eco-Sensitive Zones by obtaining a favourable Supreme Court verdict. The outcome has excluded residential areas from such zones.
The Forest Department has also facilitated the relocation of 780 non-tribal families from forest areas and has disbursed ₹93.6 crores for the purpose under the Navakiranam Project.
For the first time in the country, the government has appointed 500 forest-dependent tribal youth through Kerala Public Service Commission by special recruitment as Beat Forest Officers. The government also conducted the Vana Souhruda Sadassu outreach programme, during which it received 4797 complaints, out of which 4311 were redressed. Compensations were also disbursed to the victims of man-animal conflicts.
The government has also planned other ambitious schemes including the eco-restoration of monoculture plantations, mitigation of human-wildlife interaction, Geo-spatial Forest Information Management System, ‘One Panchayat-One Forestry Club’, Urban Forestry and Biodiversity Parks.
