Environment Management Strategy for Himachal
Shimla: Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister has said that the Draft Policy for Climate Change-2008 Carbon Credits through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has been prepared as a measure of new strategy for environment in the State. He said that the draft prepared by Environment and Scientific Technologies Department has been circulated amongst the stakeholder departments for their comments and suggestions.
He said that climatic change could have substantial impact on viability of hydropower projects, cropping patterns and geographic shift in horticultural activities. He said that such changes could affect wild life and bio diversity, glaciers, snow cover, natural resources, medicinal and aromatic plants, tourism, health, soil erosion and life span of reservoirs and rain fall pattern. He asserted that environment preparedness and adaptation strategy was a must for a Himalayan State like Himachal Pradesh in view of the effects of climatic changes taking place. He stated that energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, gas, transport, industry, afforestation & land restoration, waste management and land use change for Green House Gas (GHG) mitigation have been identified as potential areas for earning carbon credits.
Emphasizing the need for moving ahead in a scientific and focused manner, Prof. Dhumal said that a number of initiatives have been taken by the state to reduce energy consumptions by promoting compact fluorescent lamps, hydel sector for meeting energy requirement of the State and promoting run-off-river projects. He said that Himachal Pradesh had a hydro electric power potential of about 20564 MW which was a source of clean renewable energy. This energy was being harnessed in a most scientific manner. He said that use of solar passive technologies, afforestation were being promoted besides formulating forest fires prevention schemes and imposing ban on use of coal, fossil fuels.
He said that additional measures were required for reducing the GHGs emissions by recovery of energy from the wastes and to avoid landfills. He said that bio-fuels crops plantation was being encouraged besides promoting use of renewable energy. He said that discouraging industrial activities, which produce GHGs emissions, and adopting environment mitigation technology besides efficient public transport system and use of ropeways for transportation would go a long way in achieving the objective.
Prof. Dhumal stated that now there is a need for translating the project ideas under the Clean Development Mechanism protocol into Project Design Document and posing it for funding to the National CDM Authority in the Ministry of Environment & Forests for approval. He said that its registration with the CDM Executive Board of United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change under Kyoto Protocol, 1992 which was adopted in 1997 is one of the requirements of CDM process for earning carbon credits. India, China, and Brazil have a huge potential in this sector, he added.
Prof. Dhumal said that Himachal Pradesh is renowned world over for its ecology and environment and added that Government was making continuous efforts for preserving and conserving its ecology and environment. He said that a new concept is coming to the forefront the world over, where the beneficiary of the environmental commodities and services have to pay for their use and this is popularly known as “Payment for Environment Services (PES)”. He stated that in pursuant to this concept, the State Government has raised a claim for compensation for preserving the natural wealth and ecology. He said that Government and private forests would be covered for carbon credits in the State as they play an important role in maintaining ecology by absorbing substantial green house gases. He said that the Government would give direct benefits to the farmers for it.
