How does a state like Bihar tackle climate change?

At a national symposium held by Asian Development Research Institute (Adri) on Tuesday, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi stated figures of losses caused by six floods in the past 12 years.

'There have been more than 4,000 deaths, 42,000 animals have died and around 14 lakh houses have either collapsed or have been damaged because of the floods. In 2017 alone we have transferred Rs 1,788 crore to 30 lakh flood-hit families,' Modi said at the symposium, stressing that the state was vulnerable to natural calamity caused by climate change.

Experts like senior adviser on climate and environment to Department for International Development (DFID), UK, have said the future of Bihar will depend on the glaciers and rivers emerging out of the Himalayas predicting that climate change would bring fiscal distress to the state and the poor would be the worst hit.

The tone of the meeting was set by the member secretary of Adri, Shaibal Gupta, pointing out that a 2-degree-Celsius increase in temperature had resulted in a fall of 20 per cent in agriculture production and the situation may aggravate in the future.

He called for an action plan to lessen the impact of climate change. 'The agriculture road map is a move towards this direction,' he said.

A handbook released by the government of Bihar in August suggested that between 1971 and 2000 there has been an increase of 0.6 degrees Celsius to 1.5 degrees Celsius in temperature in several parts of Bihar and the rainfall pattern is becoming erratic. According to estimates, by 2050 the temperature is expected to rise by 4 degrees and it would result in a 30 per cent drop in agriculture production.

At the event, a book titled State Action Plan for Climate Change was brought out jointly by the government of Bihar and Adri, which was described by Sushil Kumar as the first document on which the future action will be taken to combat climate change.

The execution of the plans will mean that the state will have to spend over Rs 1,500 crore in the next five years.

The activities include forestation, strengthening of disaster management by setting up emergency operation centres and purchasing motorboats in flood-prone areas, stress on renewable energy, identification of diseases because of climate change and change in cropping pattern among other such activities.

During the symposium Aanandi Subramanian, a senior economic adviser to the ministry of environment, forest and climate change , spoke on the need for community involvement, particularly among youths, in fighting climate change.

Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio of the DFID spoke on the support given by her organisation for events, which would have long-term effect in lessening the impact of climate change.

Modi said everybody have to pitch in to overcome the crisis. 'It means changing lifestyles which would mean using less energy, water and changing food habits,' he said.