'Massive urbanisation results in climate changes'

Visakhapatnam: Climate change and urbanisation are inextricably linked, observed Fulbright fellow in Environmental Studies at Yale University (USA) Suman Chandra.

Participating in the discussions held during the national webinar on 'Climate Change Adaptation: Traditional Wisdom and Cross-Scale Understanding', she said India ranks fourth in the list of countries that produce highest greenhouse emissions and this could be a result of massive urbanisation.

Jointly organised by GITAM School of Gandhian Studies and United States India Education Forum (USIEF), the webinar included a panel of speakers, including IIM (Ahmedabad) Professor Rama Mohan Turaga, Samata Executive Director Ravi Rebbapragada, Ashoka Trust postdoctoral research associate Vikram Aditya, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) researcher Bijayashree Satapathy, among others. Suman Chandra, who earlier served as District Collector of Buldhana district in Maharashtra, emphasised that the new age is on the cusp of a rapidly changing world and there is a need to prioritise sustainable living and make it a way of life in order to protect the planet. She suggested that a planned urbanisation in countries such as India could serve as a great adaptation method.

Former forest service officer A Rama Mohan Reddy, who extended his services in the Himalayan region, focused on the impact of climate change on forests which included frequent fires, unforeseen floods and untimely flowering of various plant species. He also elaborated about measures considered by the forest department to mitigate long-term effects and improve forest cover.

Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) member Priya Tallam spoke about resilience in coastal communities and various activities undertaken by the VSPCA towards the betterment of the ocean and marine life along the coast of Visakhapatnam.

The speakers mainly focused on how indigenous communities strive towards sustainability and conservatism, hence contributing towards an ecologically balanced forest environment.