Bhubaneswar, Dec 9 (Bureau) Experts on climate change have called for immediate action to mitigate its effects on life and livelihood. “Climate change is no longer just a story or concept; it is a geographical phenomenon with local impacts,” Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, Vice-Chancellor of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), stated. He was speaking at the Odisha Climate Change Conclave organized at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), a deemed-to-be university, on Sunday. The day-long conclave was jointly organized by SOA and the Ever Green Forum, an organization dedicated to environmental and wildlife protection, to mark World Climate Day. Prof. Roul highlighted that the effects of climate change are evident everywhere, with the emergence of a scenario where only two predominant seasons—dry and wet—might soon be experienced. “Climate change is leaving its footprint everywhere. For instance, the cultivation of wheat in Odisha has already become a thing of the past, and growing crops like mustard and potato is expected to become increasingly challenging,” he said, urging the exploration of methods to address the issue.
The inaugural session of the conclave was also addressed by Dr. R. Krishnan, Director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; Mr. Ashok Kumar Biswal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mizoram; and Prof. Santosh Kumar Rout, Dean of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at SOA. Presiding over the program, SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda described climate change as a human-induced phenomenon. Dr. Krishnan stated that climate change has warmed the atmosphere, ocean, and land, already impacting every region of the planet in multiple ways. “The changes we are witnessing will intensify with further warming,” he explained, while discussing projected changes in the water cycle and their implications. Biswal described Mizoram as the cleanest state in the country and emphasized the severe implications of climate change in the absence of strong environmental policies and the promotion of unsustainable development and agricultural practices.
He attributed mismanagement of water resources and a lack of renewable energy promotion as contributing factors to climate change’s impacts. He stressed the importance of indigenous knowledge in addressing climate challenges. “In 1958, when the Mizo hills faced famine and food was scarce, the local people shared whatever they had for survival,” Biswal recounted, adding, “In Mizo villages, if someone is building a house or road, dealing with a landslide, or arranging a funeral, everyone comes out to help voluntarily. Such community cooperation should be replicated elsewhere to face challenges like climate change.” Prof. Rout noted that climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture, particularly in vulnerable regions. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events such as floods and cyclones disrupt crop cycles, reduce yields, and degrade soil health. “These changes also increase the prevalence of pests and diseases while exacerbating water scarcity, further threatening agricultural productivity,” he said.