Keeping in view the importance of October 29—when Super Cyclone struck Odisha coast in 1999; killing thousands and causing huge losses economically— the day is being observed as ‘Disaster Preparedness Day’
Bhubaneswar: Climate change has posed the gravest challenge as never before and so is the increase in extreme climatic events. Both climate change and global warming have dominated the development discourse in the whole world.
Keeping in view the importance of October 29—when Super Cyclone struck Odisha coast in 1999; killing thousands and causing huge losses economically— the day is being observed as ‘Disaster Preparedness Day’.
In this context, multiple events will be organised October 29 to bring communities, intellectuals, academics, policy makers, experts and social activists on one platform to debate and discuss on possible ways and means for climate change mitigation and adaptation and disaster preparedness.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will take part in the Odisha Disaster Preparedness Day event, organised by Odisha Disaster Management Authority. The deliberations would be largely centered on Odisha Climate Change Action Plan, Disaster preparedness and climate change impacts in Odisha.
Despite frantic efforts by United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) all 196 countries, who have signed/ ratified Paris Climate Accord 2015, are not moving forward as was expected of them to cut down their emissions by 2030 as they had promised through their National Determined Commitments (NDCs). The implementation of the Climate Agreement is moving at snail’s pace. Apart from this, there are two most other important decisions which are limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 to 2 degree centigrade and 100 billion dollar Green Climate Fund ostensibly to compensate developing and under developed nations, who have not contributed to the present climate crisis. This is time to make Climate Agreement a legal binding instrument.
In Odisha, in solidarity with the Global Climate Strike call, denizens flooded the streets to protest the inaction by organising a ‘Stand-On’ in Bhubaneswar September 27 and for Extinction Rebellion protest October 6.
Since 1999 Super Cyclone, the state has witnessed one or other forms of natural disasters like cyclones, floods and droughts in almost every alternative year. Fani in 2019 caused havoc on life, livelihoods, property, establishments and pushed the state back to 30 years and derailed its socio-economic and physical development.
Though, Odisha government has done a lot on disaster management and disaster response front, it lacks structural approach in mainstreaming disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction in development discourse.
The footprints of climate change are clearly visible at Satbhaya, Pentha, Puri, Chilika, Podampeta and Ramayapatna in coastal areas in the forms of beach erosion, sea surge and sea ingression and in our forested, tribal areas in the form of extinction of plants, animals and rare medicinal herbs; thereby affecting the entire ecosystem. The entire food chain of humans and animals has been severely affected.
8-year-old climate activist stands
in solidarity with landslide victims
Bhubaneswar: Recently, an 8-year-old climate activist Licypriya Kangujam stood in solidarity with the landslide victims of Badakalokot panchayat at Guma block in the state and appealed the villagers not to cut trees. She reached the disaster spot after climbing the Mukhaling hill for more than three kilometres.
She said, “I am coming here to tell the world leaders that this is climate emergency. Animals are dying. People are suffering. Children become homeless. These are all the affects of climate change. They must act now.”
The houses were damaged when the landslide occurred due to heavy rainfall. The incident took place in Gumma tehsil of Gajapati district. Locals were facing difficulty due to heavy rainfall in the area. Incessant rain triggered by a well-marked low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal threw normal life out of gear in several parts of Odisha Thursday.
It may be mentioned here that Licypriya was a student of KiiT International School, Bhubaneswar and dropped out in February this year to protest every week in front of the Parliament in New Delhi against government’s alleged inaction towards climate change.