Odisha To Spend Rs 2.45 Lakh Cr For Climate Adaptation, Mitigation In 10 Yrs

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has worked out plans for spending a whopping Rs 2.45 lakh crore over a period of ten years for climate adaptation and mitigation activities in key sectors, reports said on Sunday.

The investment, outlined in the State Action Plan for Climate Change (SAPCC)-II, is to be made between 2021 and 2030. Odisha is perhaps the first state in the country to get its second-phase climate action plan approved by the National Steering Committee on Climate Change (NSCCC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The second phase of the action plan seeks to address the drivers of climate change, prepare for its likely impacts on the state and establish goals for implementation of a sound operational action plan for 10 years.

Heavy climate investments are expected in urban development, water and forestry sectors in the next 10 years and these are in line with the national priorities.

Both adaptation and mitigation activities are proposed in SAPCC-II to tackle climate change across sectors. Of the total investment outlined, 73 per cent are for adaptation, 11 per cent for mitigation and 16 per cent for both. At least 52 per cent of the adaptation strategy needs 73 per cent of the total investment.

A chunk of investment has been outlined for the water resources sector. The state government looks at an investment of Rs 1.02 lakh crore in activities that will help improve flood management and drainage system besides conservation of water resources and increase water use efficiency in irrigation, it says.

Conservation of water resources including expediting completion of major and medium reservoir projects, construction of check dams, de-silting of minor irrigation tanks, rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge will need expenditure of Rs 59,223 crore.

Emphasis is also on the urban development sector where the action plan seeks updates in building bylaws, and risk-sensitive land use planning in master plans of cities. Restoration of urban water bodies, integrated sewerage projects and green space creation as part of climate change mitigation strategy will require an investment of over Rs 1.04  lakh crore in 10 years.

In Forestry, another key sector, the action plan has planned an investment of over Rs 22,000 crore to reduce the pressure of climate change on green cover, enhance forest density, improve forest protection and conserve wildlife and their habitat.

Voicing concern over the highly uneven and erratic monsoon leading to regular flood and drought in parts of the state, the new action plan has proposed investment of around Rs 7,300 crore in agriculture and fisheries to take up activities including capacity building programme for farmers, adapt to best practices on climate change and promote crop diversification.

An amount of Rs 5,332 crore is outlined to improve energy efficiency, promote hydel plants and maximise solar energy generation under the climate change strategy on mitigation.  Around Rs 642 crore investment has also been planned in the health sector in this period. The state also seeks adequate investment to create climate-proof telecom and energy infrastructure and strengthen the alternative communication system.