Forest Department hosts One Day Round Table Conference on Natural Climate Solutions

Initiatives afoot to deal with challenges posed by climate change: PCCF

JAMMU, February 15: The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department, in collaboration with Nature Conservancy and TERI School of Advanced Studies, today organised a One day Knowledge & Training programme for promoting Natural Climate Solutions in India.

The Round Table Conference was held in the Government Convection Centre Jammu. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF Roshan Jaggi, attended the function as the Chief Guest and Prof. Dr. Deep Narayan Panday (Former PCCF/HoFF, Rajasthan) was the Guest of Honour.

During the Round Table Conference Natural Climate Solutions which involves – ecosystem services approach, challenges of climate change vulnerability, land degradation and ways to mitigate climate change through natural solutions were deliberated upon.

The Round Table at Jammu was one of the series of such conferences organised by TERI School of Advanced Studies in last few months, with the support of “The Nature Conservancy” and in collaboration with MoEFCC and Forest Departments across different States and UTs to devise strategy to put in place action plans to promote nature based solutions to deal with the environmental emergency caused by the rise in earth’s temperature due to climate change.

The main focus was on promoting capacities of Natural Climate Solutions to strengthen and promote capacity of the policy makers for climate change mitigation. It also aimed to enhance the effectiveness of strategies for achieving climate goals and sustainable development at local level.

Roshan Jaggi, Pr. Chief Conservator of Forests &HoFF, in his address complimented TERI School of Advanced Studies for taking lead for organising the program aiming at Carbon Neutrality. He spoke about the reality of climate change and the extreme events being experienced as a result of climate change. The PCCF (HoFF) also highlighted the report on climate change issued by UNEP titled “Making Peace with Nature” which stresses on the reconstruction of the planet earth.

He laid special focus on implementation of specific plans  at the UT Level and promotion of a lifestyle in which all the activities which are detrimental to the environment are reduced. He highlighted the series of mitigation measures taken by the Forest Department through massive plantation drives, soil & water conservation works, restoration of water bodies, creation of Nagar Vans, catchment area treatment plans, and prevention of forest fires and securing of forest boundaries. He advised all the officers to put in extra efforts to combat effects of climate change and frame the mitigation plans in a way so that peoples can connect to it and contribute significantly for achieving the targets.

Prof. Dr. Deep Narayan Panday (Former PCCF &HoFF, Rajasthan) who was the expert on the subject spoke in detail about the “Natural Climate Change Solutions” and gave a background of the climate changes taking places in the present times which has lead to degradation of Air quality and other extreme events in world we live in. He expressed concern on the unprecedented glacial retreats, rise in Sea level, frequent Forest fires, increase in intensity of heatwave as well as the acidification of the oceans. During the Round Table discussion with the participants the various reasons resulting in increased concentration of Co2 in the atmosphere were deliberated upon. He highlighted the appropriation of Net Primary production and the increased intensity of pressure on the natural resources and stressed on the Natural solutions like Forest Management, Fire Management, Restoration of wetland, rain water harvesting, protection of grasslands and restoration other ecosystems which would enable India to live upto the Commitments made to reduce the carbon footprints. Mr.Panday advised the Forest Department to improve the quality of forests by laying emphasis on plantation of indigenous plant species, rain water conservation, preventing growth of alien invasive species and improving quality of degraded forests.

The Conference was attended by Seniors Officers of the Forest and other allied wings besides prominent retired Senior Forest officers especially. Ravi Kesar, former PCCF & HoFF, Sh. O.P Sharma, former PCCF besides Asaf Mehmood Sagar, IFS Pr. CCF / CEO CAMPA / Director Soil & Water Conservation, Sanjay Kumar Sinha, IFS Pr. CCF Central, Director Forest Research Institute J&K, S, Senthil Kumar, IFS APCCF Nodal Officer FCA, Ramesh Kumar, IFS CCF, Jammu, M.Kumar, IFS Conservator of Forests, East Circle, Jammu and  the Divisional level officers of Jammu Representatives from Environment Department, Jammu University, eco-clubs, Paryaran Mitras & other stakeholders were also present. Participants from Kashmir valley attended in virtual mode.