With the State Government taking an inclusive approach on implementation of the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), it is expected that net emission reduction potential by 2020 will be about 510 million tonnes CO2 equivalent.
This offset calculation is based on the activities taken in agriculture, watershed management, plantations, mangrove management, urban development and renewable energy sectors till date and to be continued till 2020.
As the first stock taking report on SAPCC is being prepared, such a positive and revealing outcome is expected with the mitigation actions are in full swing, revealed a senior official, who is engaged in the exercise.
While experts recently held discussion on preparation of report with Raj Kumar Sharma, Principal Secretary of the Department of Forest and Environment (DoFE), which is the nodal organization for implementation of SAPCC, they feel that several policy interventions have borne fruits.
If one goes by the latest effort at cyclone Hudhud management, it speaks volumes as mainstreaming of disaster management and early warning system have helped the State in limiting death toll to 03.
This was also found during last year, when severe cyclone storm Phailin hit the State and the State Administration was able in limiting death toll to less than 50 as compared to 1999 Super Cyclone, which had claimed 10,000 lives. Phailin management, which received kudos worldwide, was one of the finest examples of the largest coordinated evacuation efforts in recent history of the calamity region, which is part of the SAPCC, said the officer.
Odisha is one of the first States that formulated SAPCC way back in 2010-11, through comprehensive consultation process and is being implemented in 11 sectors, said the officer.
These sectors are Agriculture, Coastal and Disaster Management, Energy, Fishery and ARD, Forest and Environment, Health and Family Welfare, Housing and Urban Development, Industry, Steel and Mines, Transport and Water Resources.
Most important is resources allocation for implementation of SAPCC by various departments in the State Budget, which is on rise, said the officer. It all started with the provision in State Budget in 2012-13, when Rs1,407.04 crore was allocated, which went up to Rs1,769.51 crore in 2013-14 and in 2014-15 climate financing went up to Rs 4,285.46 crore.
large emitting sectors have managed to put higher allocations in their existing Budget. While departments like Water Resources and Revenue and Disaster Management lead in adaptation related allocation, Forest and Environment, Coastal and Disaster Management and Agriculture contribute to both sides (adaptation and mitigation).
Allocation in the department of Energy shows higher allocation in climate change related actions, partly because of the massive transmission and distribution (T&D) loss reduction initiative funded by both the Government and Discoms.