KNOWLEDGE
PLATFORM ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Kerala is preparing to log on to
the global information network to build resilience to climate change. The
government has initiated efforts to create a knowledge portal on climate change
and establish a mobile laboratory and automatic weather stations for long-term
monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions and other climate indicators in Kerala.
The five-year project will be taken up by the Institute of Climate Change
Studies (ICCS) in Kottayam, under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge
for Climate Change (NMSKCC).While the mobile lab will be equipped to collect
and analyse samples for greenhouse gases caused by human activities, the
automatic weather stations will generate data for scientists to assess the
impact of climate change on the ecosystem, develop reliable climate models, and
come up with adaptation and mitigation strategies. The network will cover five
districts representing the mountainous regions, midlands, and coastal lowlands.
Director, ICCS, Keshav Mohan told The Hindu that the Rs.4.28-crore project had
been approved in principle by the Union Department of Science and Technology
(DST). The portal, he explained, would be a one-point information source on
climate change issues specific to Kerala. “It is expected to provide critical
inputs for researchers and policy planners. The data generated by the mobile
laboratory and weather stations will help us keep the information updated.”The
NMSKCC seeks to identify the challenges and responses to climate change through
research and technology development. It envisages the creation of knowledge
networks for sharing data on climate change and a technology watch system for
key sectors likely to be affected by climate change. It also aims at developing
new technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.The ICCS has
initiated a State-funded programme to train functionaries of local bodies in
climate change disaster risk reduction. A research project to study the link
between climate change and vector-borne diseases has been piloted in Kottayam
and Alappuzha districts.
Prof. John Kurakar
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