Forest & Environment department to also work on climate change in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The Government of Odisha on May 29, renamed its Forest & Environment Department to ‘Forest, Environment & Climate Change Department’. This department would now be the nodal agency of the state for climate change actions, for it would work and focus on climate change, along with forest, environment protection and conservation.

The department’s responsibilities will involve development of a State Action Plan on Climate Changes (SAPCC), projects on climate actions and implementation plan in line with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), along with other plans, policies and programmes, in close coordination with the line departments. It will also identify key vulnerabilities of the state in reversing climate change, assess the need for adoption to climate change, and scope for incorporating these in relevant programmes, for example, watershed management, coastal zone planning and regulation, forestry management, fisheries and animal resources development, etc.

The new state department would take a leading role for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through conservation and enhancement of energy efficiency, coordination with line departments and organisations in various sectors including energy, transport, urban development, etc. It will also work on formulation of policies for promotion of non- conventional alternative sources of power like solar and wind energy and publicity to encourage use of such resources. Mobilisation of finance from various national, international, multilateral, bilateral and other sources, including private partners, is expected to be its lookout.