Research needed to assess chain of impact:official

Coimbatore,Feb21 (PTI) Research is required to assess thechain of impact between agriculture, water, food security,livelihood and adaptation, in a broad manner, a top officialsaid here today.

Since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already announcedthe National Action Plan for Climate change, with eightmissions, there was the need to make a study and assessmenton adverse impact on related sectoral issues, particularlyagriculture, Dr Subodh Sharma, Adviser, Union Enviroment andForests Ministry, told reporters here.

Sharma, here to participate in the Stakeholders conferenceof ''ClimaRIce'',at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,said theCentre has asked all States to prepare their action plan andsubmit by March 31, so that concrete steps can be taken torespond to adverse impacts of projected climate change both atthe national and State levels.

Asked whether there would be a shift in crop pattern due toclimate change,he said this would mainly depend on the typesand group of plants being cultivated in the specific regions.

Stating that there would be water deficit due to change intemperature leading to drying up of vegetation and emergenceof warming scenario across the country, Sharma said this wouldagain result in loss of ecological balance and also shift inagriculture pattern.

On the impact on forest cover,he said since the forestministry has taken steps well in advance to increase thecover, which was at present 23 per cent, there was not muchconcern over losing the cover and area, which has stabilisedat 150 million hectares.

Climarice is an Indo-Norway project to develop rice inthe river basins of the Cauvery and Krishna in view of climatechange.

Ole Riedar Begrum, First Secretary, The Royal NorwegianEmbassy, Delhi, who was also present,said Norway has providedsix million Norway Krone to carry out 3-year research onClimarice in Cauvery and Krishna Basins in India in thefirst phase and 8.5 millon Krone for the second whichwould be completed in 2012.

It would also focus on future change in climate, hydrologyand rice productivity.Norway was happy to extend itscooperation to India and keeping in mind the Nationalpriorities the experts of both countries would be linked toaddress common problems, Riedar said.