Building Climate Resilience and Mainstreaming DRR in the State of Odisha Concept Note

Building Climate Resilience and Mainstreaming DRR in the State of Odisha Consultation to Facilitate Design of SAPCC Implementation Roadmap

Context of State Consultation

Odisha counts as one of the poorest states of India as well as one of the most vulnerable geographical regions.

From the experience of 1999 Super Cyclone to the recent cyclones Phailin and HudHud in 2013 and 2104,

respectively, there is one or the other climate impact every year alternating between flood, drought, heat

wave, cyclone or a combination. With 480 km of cyclonic storm surge prone coastline and nearly 10% high

erosion-prone zone, the state has a long list of disasters. The population is largely rural and its occupation is

agrarian and/or fishing with high climate sensitivity. Slow onset disasters such as soil salinity and

degradation, water quality degradation, etc are also increasingly becoming prominent.

Odisha has completed first phase of its State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in 2015 and second

phase draft SAPCC for 2015-2020 is awaiting approval. The draft plan outlines 56 specific actions that are

likely to enhance climate resilience and 34 greenhouse gas emission reduction strategies. It also indicates 10

actions that are aimed both at enhancing climate resilience and greenhouse gas emission. With Paris

Agreement bringing in new climate regime, there is emphasis on integration of these climate action strategies

in existing schemes and policies at sub-national level. The priority for the state has been to build resilient and

low emissions society. Though SAPCC is first step towards identifying vulnerability and an adaptation agenda,

much more is to be done on implementation of SAPCC. The state needs to develop an institutional mechanism

that can build capacity within the concerned departments through increased awareness and enhanced skills

towards mainstreaming resilience in development planning.

In October 2014, UNICEF released a study report titled ‘Status of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change

Adaptation in Climate Change Action Plans: A Review of the State Climate Change Action Plans of Andhra

Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand’ to review some

of the state plans of India in the context of integration of ‘Disaster Risk Reduction and Adaptation’ elements.

The review observed that many of these SAPCCs lacked detailed climate vulnerability analyses, state-specific

climate research and evidence-building including time series data mechanisms. There is also very little

documentation of community voices and their perception of climate change impacts. In addition, there is a

need for significant and sustained financial resources to implement many of the large-scale adaptation

measures such as retrofitting core infrastructure assets that are at risk from extreme weather events to

address economic development and growth in a way to achieve resilience to shocks. Finally, sector-specific

priorities and programmes needed re-alignment with and adoption of risk-informed planning as well as

recognition and classification of existing adaptation action as part of the climate change agenda.

In 2013, the UNFCCC COP19 in Poland established an international mechanism to address Loss and Damage

caused by climate change impacts when communities and ecosystems are not able to adapt. Certain policies

exist in India for water management, flood and cyclone disaster management, crop loss, etc although the Loss

and Damage scope goes beyond and are not adequately addressed yet through any domestic policy

framework. Specifically, these issues are desertification and soil productivity loss; loss of land, housing and

livelihood through river bank erosion; etc all of which are occurring in Odisha. The Sendai Framework on DRR

also has identified 7 global goals to be achieved by 2030.

Building Climate Resilience and Mainstreaming DRR in the State of Odisha Concept Note

The Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 with the mission to leave no one behind identified

addressing climate change as one of the goals besides also identifying others goals for areas such as water and

energy access that are key to sustainable development and national government’s goal of inclusive growth.

Strategies for Poverty eradication (SDG1), Food Security (SDG 2), Health (SDG 3), Water and sanitation (SDG

6) will get affected from changing climatic conditions and the consequent impact on available natural

resources system (SDGs 14 &15). The strategies that a nation takes on Energy source (SDG 7), nature of

Economic activities (SDG 8), Urbanisation (SDG 11) will decide carbon emissions and the trajectory of climate

mitigation scenario in the country, The SDGs are clearly inter-twined with areas and sectors involved in

climate change. Strategies and plans to achieve SDGs will contribute immensely on the trajectory of climate

change adaptation and mitigation in the country. The SDG agenda 2030 provides an opportunity to direct

development in a climate resilient, low carbon, sustainable and inclusive manner. It is therefore pertinent to

integrate Paris agreement on climate change with action on Post 2015 development Agenda.

In the state of Odisha which has a high percentage of population below poverty line and dependent on

vulnerable agriculture livelihoods that form 60% of the state economy, the implications of all above-stated

global frameworks and study are of high relevance warranting urgency of action and convergence. The risk of

inaction is too high for the vulnerable people and state administration.

Approach to State Consultation

SAPCC is the comprehensive policy framework providing a platform for all departments and planning

to find convergence on as climate resilience needs to be integrated across all government actions

rather than stand-alone separate policy document with lack of ownership;

All concerned state departments besides Department of Environment and Forestry such as Disaster

Management, Energy and Alternative Energy, Agriculture, Irrigation, Housing, Health, Transport,

Public Works, Women and Child Welfare, Planning and Finance to be engaged in the deliberations and

consultation;

Outcome expected is a draft implementation roadmap to utilize the entry points for mainstreaming

DRR and climate change adaptation (CCA) into various policies and plans, addressing all forms of loss

and damage, as well as leading Odisha on an inclusive and sustainable development pathway;

Recognise the need for creation of a multi-department work program as part of the long term

domestic policies and global frameworks implementation & review plan to enable contribution from

each department along with addressing their capacity-building needs.