Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: Agro-forestry was advocated as a way out for farmers to avoid losses due to delay in monsoon and drought-like situation at the 5th Orissa Environment Congress that began at the Regional Museum for Natural History Monday.
As many as 49 experts who participated in the Congress will be presenting their research papers on climate change at the three-day long event. On the first day, around 18 experts interacted with people and held discussions on several issues ranging from green house emissions and economic impact of climate change in Orissa to effects of climate change on soil erosion along the coastal belt.
Addressing the audience, Virendra Pal Singh, senior adviser at World Agro Forestry Centre, said, “Around 80 per cent of timber requirement in the country is met by trees grown by farmers. Only for the other 20 per cent, we have to spend around $8 billion. So this policy sponsors tree plantations taken up at the community level.”
The meet was earlier inaugurated by minister of industries, school and mass education Debi Prasad Mishra. “The global consumption of electricity per capita is 7,000-8,000 MW whereas ours is just one-fourth of it. We need to explore alternatives,” Mishra said adding five districts will be chosen for implementation of the policy on a pilot basis.