The 26-year plan: Arunachal Pradesh gears to minimise & mitigate climate change impact

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No one can deny the fact that climate change is the crisis of our time and our contribution has led to the situation where the global crisis has become unprecedented and irreversible. Today, the Earth is one degree Celsius or 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the pre-industrial time period. This statement implies that what used to be a rare hot day or high-temperature record day, is now the new normal for our summers.

Therefore, in a bid to fight against the ever-expedited impact of climate change, the Arunachal Pradesh government has announced ‘Climate Change Management Mission-2047’, a 26-year comprehensive roadmap for the state to minimise and mitigate the impact of climate change. The state environment and forest environment department have planned and prepared the 26-year plan that set goals for water conservation, management of habitat, agriculture, forest, energy, health, transport, waste and disasters in the next two decades.

‘Climate Change Management Mission-2047’

A release from the Arunachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister office stated that the 26-year plan envisions attaining the following goals regarding the environment:

– Climate regulation
– Increased carbon sinks
– Reduced CO2 emissions
– Increased green cover
– Ecosystem restoration
– Germplasm conservation
– Improved livelihood & opportunities
– Improved health sector
– Water security
– Better exposure of climate change to local communities
– Eco-tourism and revenue generation

The mission was announced during the 7th e-Pragati meeting which was held virtually on 17th August 2021. Announcing the mission during the 7th e-Pragati meeting here virtually on Tuesday, Chief Minister Pema Khandu opined that since Arunachal Pradesh is a part of the Himalayas and the range has one of the largest forest covers among all states, it has a big role to play in dealing with climate change and global warming.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu stated in the session, “Human activities have increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, driving up temperatures. Extreme weather and melting glaciers are being witnessed, which are a threat to all forms of life on earth. We can’t sit idle on it.”

What is the need for the action plan?

Arunachal Pradesh, over a period of time, has experienced a rise in the mean temperature of 0.05 degrees Celsius per year in the past 40 years. Hence, to date, the total increase in the temperature is around 0.59 degrees Celsius. Further, from 1980 to 2019, a significant decreasing trend in southwest monsoon has been witnessed in the state as well a decline in annual rainfall has been observed during the above mentioned time period. The state has also observed an increase in the number of dry spells and a decrease in rainy days. Hence, the Chief Minister along with state departments are taking swift actions on climate change, with the view to control the accelerated environment disturbances.