Climate adaptation is a dynamic and complex process. This includes risk assessment, adaptation planning, implementation, and monitoring at different scales. Adaptation strategies vary according to specific types of climate hazards, geographical scales, and time frames. However, limited knowledge while dealing with several uncertainties is a major challenge. CSTEP's scientific strategies can help policymakers design and prioritise adaptation measures to meet our climate agenda.
Climate Change Could Disrupt Transition to Renewable Energy
The draft Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2021-2026, issued by the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited recently, targets developing 20 GW of renewable energy (RE) projects in the state with and without energy storage. The state plans to build RE parks and develop solar, wind, solar–wind hybrid, biomass, waste-to-energy, and mini and small hydro energy projects. Among various projects, the promotion of rooftop and floating solar projects is also planned.
Nature-based Solutions Towards Circular Economy
The concept of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and circular economy is seen as enablers for improving resource efficiency, sustainable use of resources, sustainable economic growth, and social benefits. Circular economy strategies are believed to hold the key to a resource-efficient, low-carbon, and inclusive future. Essentially, these strategies aim to improve the way we meet our current needs but through the use of lesser resources (particularly natural) and by reducing the environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
To Stay Afloat, India Needs to Adapt
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report (AR6) of working group 1 — ‘The Physical Science Basis’ has reinforced our worst fears about the state of climate. The signs of climate change have been visible for some time now. Extreme events in different parts of the world — heat waves in North America, floods in Europe and Asia, and droughts in Africa — have left a trail of destruction and death, challenging the disaster management systems in place.
Reclaim and Restore Our Lands
This year’s World Environment Day urges us to heal our ecosystems — geographic areas where organisms live in conjunction with the surrounding environment, interacting as a system (like marine-ecosystem, forests, grasslands, and wetlands) — through a pledge to “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” It also kicks off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030).
Connecting People and Nature
The theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2021 is “We’re part of the solution”. This carries forward the momentum generated last year with the theme “Our solutions are in nature”. Nature-based solutions, comprising blue infrastructure such as wetlands, floodplains, rivers, canals, ponds, and water treatment facilities and green infrastructure such as forests, trees, lawns, parks, and fields have gained attention in recent years.
Climate-Resilient Rainfed Agriculture
Changes in the timing and magnitude of rainfall can put a severe strain on agriculture. Additionally, an increase in extreme climate events such as heavy rainfall and dry spells can also affect agriculture. In Karnataka, agriculture is the key contributor to the state’s economy. However, agricultural productivity in the state is hampered by the availability of irrigation (only 31.2% of the land is irrigated) and variability in rainfall distribution.
Mitigation co-benefits of carbon sequestration from MGNREGS in India
Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme a large social security programme being implemented in India, with an average annual investment of US$ 7 billion. The bulk of the activities under this programme are focused on natural resources such as land, water and trees, which provide adaptation benefits. In this study an attempt is made to estimate the carbon sequestration achieved and future potential, as a co-benefit, from MGNREGS.