Climate-risk atlas, district-level data collection: NHRC core advisory group suggestions

New Delhi: District-level data collection on climate change, creation of a “climate-risk atlas” and realigning of CSR subjects with environmental issues to re-focus from urban to rural areas are among the suggestions made by a core advisory group of the NHRC, officials said on Tuesday.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organised a meeting of the group on environment, climate change and human rights on the theme ‘Climate Change and Human Rights’ in hybrid mode in New Delhi.

NHRC’s acting chairperson Vijaya Bharathi Sayani emphasised that climate change is impacting vulnerable communities, particularly tribal people whose traditional livelihoods are directly tied to the environment.

She highlighted the ancient wisdom embedded in Indian texts, which underscores the deep connection between humanity and nature, to find solutions to deal with the challenges posed by climate change, the NHRC said in a statement.

Some of the suggestions that emanated from the discussions included collecting data on climate change at the district level to understand its dimensions, and collaborating with local communities to develop expertise with sustainable solutions to mitigate its impact is necessary, a senior official said.

Other suggestions included promoting research into the reasons and effects of climate change on migration from rural to urban areas in India, and identifying areas prone to climate change to create a “climate-risk atlas and mitigate potential impacts”.

Ensuring the effective implementation of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act) and the Forest Rights Act (2006); and realigning Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) subjects with environmental issues to re-focus from urban to rural areas; encouraging plantation in arid regions using a “1-litre water technique for agroforestry” in addition to crops, were other suggestions, it said.

The Commission said it will further deliberate on the various suggestions to finalise its recommendations to be sent to the government on addressing various challenges aggravated by climate change.