The conference, organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in partnership with Aaranyak, Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR) at the NEDFi Centre in Dispur, took place on 25-26 February 2014.
More than 80 experts, researchers, policymakers, journalists, and practitioners dealing with climate change policies and livelihoods in the Northeast region explored the idea of creating a sharing platform for knowledge on climate-related policy, research, and practice in Northeast India, with the ojective to identify gaps and priorities for action at local, national, and regional levels.
Sessions focused on research related to climate change, alternative livelihood options, disaster resilience, migration, and gender. Panels discussed gaps and priorities for action on key issues like Water Demand, Disaster Risks and Vulnerabilities, Community-based and Ecosystem-based Adaptation, and Gender issues. Effective and timely flow of information and knowledge was highlighted as a critical challenge for policymakers in ensuring informed decision making.
Emphasis was put on the urgent need to synergize developments of the different State Action Plans on Climate Change with the National one, and on the importance to mainstream adaptation to climate change into development planning.
Presentations were made on collaborative work carried out in the region by ICIMOD, Aaranyak, GRID-Arendal, and CICERO under HICAP, supported by the government of Norway and the Swedish International Development Agency, and GIZ’s Climate Change Adaptation in the North Eastern Region of India (CCA-NER) Program. The presentations highlighted the importance of strategic partnership-based activities, anchored through the prioritized strategies outlined in the State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC), especially in climate change and water availability, disaster resilience, migration and remittance, gender integration, ecosystem-based adaptation, and knowledge sharing.
Speaking during the expert panel discussion that culminated the Conference, Principal Secretary R.M. Mishra of Government of Meghalaya said: “Convergence and nexuses among different sectors is essential, and there should be a system of arbitration in place to involve various stakeholders within and across the spectrum.”
The Conference was preceded by a week-long training workshop for journalists in Tinsukia district, Assam, to improve creative thinking and effective communication on adaptation to climate change in a local context.
For more information on HICAP, visit the HICAP website at: http://www.icimod.org/?q=4779
Photo: Lawrence Hislop attended the HICAP meeting in Assam, India