JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, in collaboration with Nature Conservancy and TERI School of Advanced Studies, today organised a one-day knowledge & training programme for promoting Natural Climate Solutions in India.
The Round Table Conference was held in the Government Convection Centre in Jammu. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF Roshan Jaggi, attended the function as the Chief Guest and Prof. Dr. Deep Narayan Panday (Former PCCF/HoFF, Rajasthan) was the Guest of Honour.
During the Round Table Conference Natural Climate Solutions which involves – the ecosystem services approach, challenges of climate change vulnerability, land degradation and ways to mitigate climate change through natural solutions were deliberated upon.
The Round Table at Jammu was one of the series of such conferences organised by TERI School of Advanced Studies in the last few months, with the support of “The Nature Conservancy” and in collaboration with MoEFCC and Forest Departments across different States and UTs to devise a strategy to put in place action plans to promote nature-based solutions to deal with the environmental emergency caused by the rise in earth’s temperature due to climate change.
The main focus was on promoting the capacities of Natural Climate Solutions to strengthen and promote the capacity of the policymakers for climate change mitigation. It also aimed to enhance the effectiveness of strategies for achieving climate goals and sustainable development at the local level.
Roshan Jaggi, Pr. Chief Conservator of Forests &HoFF, in his address, complimented TERI School of Advanced Studies for taking the lead in organising the program aiming at Carbon Neutrality. He spoke about the reality of climate change and the extreme events being experienced as a result of climate change. The PCCF (HoFF) also highlighted the report on climate change issued by UNEP titled “Making Peace with Nature” which stresses on the reconstruction of the planet Earth.
He laid special focus on the implementation of specific plans at the UT Level and the promotion of a lifestyle in which all the activities which are detrimental to the environment are reduced.
He highlighted the series of mitigation measures taken by the Forest Department through massive plantation drives, soil & water conservation works, restoration of water bodies, creation of Nagar Vans, catchment area treatment plans, and prevention of forest fires and securing of forest boundaries.
He advised all the officers to put in extra effort to combat the effects of climate change and frame the mitigation plans in a way so that people can connect to it and contribute significantly to achieving the targets.
Prof. Dr. Deep Narayan Panday (Former PCCF &HoFF, Rajasthan) who was the expert on the subject spoke in detail about the “Natural Climate Change Solutions” and gave a background of the climate changes taking place in the present times which has led to degradation of Air quality and other extreme events in the world we live in.
He expressed concern on the unprecedented glacial retreats, rise in Sea level, frequent Forest fires, increase in intensity of heatwave as well as the acidification of the oceans.
During the Round Table discussion with the participants, the various reasons resulting in increased concentration of Co2 in the atmosphere were deliberated upon. He highlighted the appropriation of Net Primary production and the increased intensity of pressure on the natural resources and stressed on natural solutions like Forest Management, Fire Management, Restoration of wetlands, rainwater harvesting, protection of grasslands and restoration of other ecosystems which would enable India to live upto the Commitments made to reduce the carbon footprints.
Panday advised the Forest Department to improve the quality of forests by emphasising the plantation of indigenous plant species, rainwater conservation, preventing the growth of alien invasive species and improving the quality of degraded forests.
