SOA To Host 3-Day International Conference On Climate Variability

Bhubaneswar: The Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University here will be organising a three-day international conference on climate change from July 18.

Experts representing academia, industry, research organisations and NGOs will brainstorm and discuss ways to address issues of climate variability.

The event, titled International Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Development with Climate Smart System (SADCSS), is being organised by SOA-run Centre for Climate Smart Agriculture (CCSA) in collaboration with Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), SOA’s faculty of agricultural sciences, and the local chapter of Indian Meteorological Society.

“We hope that the conference will provide a platform to the scientific community and other stakeholders on developing region-specific climate smart cropping systems with technological interventions like use of Artificial Intelligence, drones, automated disease detection and treatment to minimise the uncertainty, maximise production and reduce Green House gas emission,” said Prof. Rabindra Kumar Panda, Director of CCSA and Chairman of the event.

Prof. Panda said the earth’s ecological balance is upheld by the combined action of climate, water resources and environment. However, due to rapid urbanisation and anthropogenic activities, this balance has been shaken and its manifestation is observed in the form of changes in weather pattern, global warming, water scarcity and pollution of water, air and land.

“In the present scenario, climate variability is the major issue which needs to be addressed as it might cause irreversible effect on the environment,” Prof. Panda said.

With agriculture being dependent on water resources, any deviation in water supply could cause major problems in agricultural production and lead to devastating long-term and short-term droughts, as well as floods, he observed.

The conference will feature a panel discussion involving experts from India and the USA who have made a difference in this area, Prof, Panda informed.

Prof. Chittaranjan Ray, Professor and Director of Nebraska Water Centre, part of Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (USA) and international advisor of CCSA, will be on the panel.

Papatrao Bagulia Pawar of Hivre Bazar, Maharashtra — known for scripting reverse migration of labourers from cities back to villages many of whom have turned into millionaire farmers — will also be among the experts at the conference.

Senior Agricultural Specialist in World Bank Dr Ranjan Samantaray — who has significantly contributed to development of agriculture in India through sustainable management of water resources, adoption of technologies to enhance efficiency and to reduce environmental footprint — will be part of the deliberations.