Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura MESSAGE
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MESSAGE State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura MESSAGE State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura FOREWORD... State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura PREFACE Tripura has, as its approach towards development planning, always aspired for and promoted low carbon inclusive growth in consonance with the philosophy of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, the universe as a family. The state is always committed towards protecting its natural resources which acts as an insurance cover against the catastrophic disruption of life due to the impacts of climate change. In the light of risk and impact assessment highlighted in the research conducted by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their 4th assessment report, the risks of climate change phenomenon is looming large and posing a threat to the human civilization in terms of adverse natural conditions like drought, heat waves, cloud bursts, unusually heavy rainfall, accelerated glacier retreat and depletion of natural resources viz. water, food and ecosystem. The history has chronicled the destruction and decimation of civilization in the past on account of depletion of natural resources right from the Maya civilization to Khmer Empire in south-east Asia including our very own Indus Valley civilization. It is now estimated that the impacts of climate change, which is a very dynamic process, could this time be grave and catastrophic because of over exploitation of natural resources and manipulation of environment. The assessment of ecological footprints tells us how the nature has been ravaged for following the path of developmental economy resulting in climate change effects becoming a reality. It would, as a consequence, bring along dramatic migration of population, decline in economic condition, loss of livelihoods and predictions of rivalry amongst the nations for possessing the natural resources as well as realignment of power structure could become a reality. Tripura, in line with the objective of reducing the green-house gas emission and strategizing adaptation measures has formulated its own State Action Plan for Climate Change (SAPCC) conforming to the national State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura priorities though the state is locally a carbon negative state. It has taken into consideration its unique climatic and locality factors, its objective is to strategize and strengthen the institutional capacity of its executing agencies and to integrate environment and climate change issues in development planning, policy and sectoral programmes and move towards a low carbon growth path. The Action Plan is prepared with an aim to execute it in a span of fi ve years from 2012-17 with a midway review at the beginning of 3rd year, if necessary. It is expected that the adaptation and mitigation efforts as envisaged shall usher in a new beginning and would not only reduce the ill-effects of climate change factors but shall also produce multiple benefi ts at the local level in terms of economic development, poverty alleviation, employment generation, energy security and environmental sustainability. I would like to thank my colleagues in the department of Science, Technology & Environment and other line departments, experts of the sub- committees for their contribution and their considered opinion in fi nalizing the document. I would place on record the contribution of GIZ and CTRAN Consulting for their help in putting together the different chapters and in drafting the report. Agartala P. Biswas, IFS 01-11-2011 (Director) State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura CONTENTS Abbreviations and Acronyms Executive Summary i Chapter 1 : Background 1 Chapter 2 : Introduction 5 Chapter 3 : National Action Plan on Climate Change 9 Chapter 4 : Vulnerability Analysis 13 Chapter 5 : Solar Mission & Non-conventional Energy 29 Chapter 6 : Energy Effi ciency 47 Chapter 7 : Sustainable Habitat 69 Chapter 8 : Water 83 Chapter 9 : Sustainable Himalayan Ecosystem 95 Chapter 10 :Green Tripura Mission 113 Chapter 11 : Sustainable Agriculture 131 Chapter 12 : Strategic Knowledge Mission 149 Chapter 13 : Health 173 Chapter 14 : Cross Cutting 191 Chapter 15 : Analysis and Synthesis 201 State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura Chapter 16 : Conclusions 205 Chapter 17 : Annexure of key priorities and comprehensive activities 211 Chapter 18 : Minutes of Stakeholders Consultation 268 State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura ACKNOWLEDGEMENT State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura Executive Summary The Tripura State Planning Board GIZ appointed CTRAN Consulting constituted an Expert Committee to assist the State Government on 31-05-2010 to prepare the State in the preparation of the Tripura Action Plan on Climate Change. Climate Change Action Plan. The This Expert Committee met twice on report of the State Action Plan on 21-07-2010 and 13-09-2010. The Climate Change has been presented Expert Committee chose to function in the two stakeholder workshops through four Sub Committees.: Sub where Nodal Offi cers and subject Committee-1: Solar Mission, Energy experts from concerned research Effi ciency and Sustainable Habitat; institutes, line departments and in Sub Committee-2: Water Mission; NGOs expressed their views. After in Sub Committee-3: Himalayan stake holder deliberations the Ecosystem, Green Tripura and report was fi nalized and submitted Sustainable Agriculture; and in Sub to the Expert Committee for fi nal Committee-4: Strategic Knowledge approval. for Climate Change.The task of report preparation in these subjects Special and preferential was coordinated by the expert treatment for the State of members of the committee with the Tripura help of the offi cials co-opted from In preparing this report for the the government departments and fi nalization of the State Action Plan academic organisations on the Sub on Climate Change for Tripura, the Committees. expert committee has kept in mind The Climate Change Division the effi cacy of the National Action of Ministry of Environment & Plan on Climate Change in India; Forest (MoEF), Nodal agency is and achievement of the voluntary coordinating the National Action mitigation target will depend on Plan on Climate Change in how it gets translated into policy collaboration with GIZ (German actions at the individual state level. Technical Cooperation). Accordingly In line with the Government of i State Action Plan on Climate Change : Tripura India decision, the State of Tripura Tripura is known to be prone (though a carbon negative state to various natural and human locally) has decided to formulate a induced disasters both in recurrent state action plan on climate change and non-recurrent features. The that integrates the mitigation entire geographic area is prone to and adaptation agenda with the Earthquake which is situated on plans underway for the purpose of Seismic zone V. Because the State poverty alleviation and sustainable is surrounded by Bangladesh and development of the state. The aerial distance to Bay of Bengal issues of vulnerability of the state is less than 100 KM, the entire of Tripura to climate change are landmass of the State is also prone intimately related to its location and to high wind and cyclone zone-A indigenous population. The people which is very high risk zone. The of Tripura depend primarily on State faces recurrent fl oods during forests and other natural resources monsoon and fl ash fl oods in hilly for their livelihoods. The state is areas. The rivers which have come yet to be locked into pathways from hills, their river beds are rising of development which have been due to continuous siltation. Due to termed as unsustainable by the this, the fl oods become furious and scientifi c community. The State of causing wide disruption to lives and Tripura has the potential of earning property. Better part of the State is for the country’s maximum carbon having hills and hill ranges which credit for mitigation of climate are prone to landslides. During change through afforestation on summer season, there are high account of close to 76.95% percent risks of forest fi re which affects both of her land area being still under lives and property. Jhum cultivation forests. With a view to ensure that is also badly affecting the forest the mitigation potential of Tripura fi re and some times, the fi re goes forest gets fully realized; eventually beyond control and affects the the State of Tripura seeks special habitations nearby the forests. In and preferential treatment from the the State, drought is not a common government of India. This treatment disaster, but there are incidents of would have to be accorded by the dry spells during summer season. Government of India in the form of In Agartala, the state capital liberal fi nancial support for not only insuffi cient sewage systems, old the proposed plans of mitigation buildings, roads which are now and adaptation but also the people seeming to be narrow and the friendly development agenda of the congestion of poorly built houses, state without which it would be etc. exacerbate the vulnerability of diffi cult to maintain and develop the city. The main causes of fl ood in coping capacity of the poor people Agartala city and other towns are of Tripura. intense precipitation