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Knowledge Partners Symposium
Taking a stock of Karnataka's climate action

Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in partnership with Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) conducted a Symposium to discuss and validate the results of a study on the Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change (KSAPCC).

Centre for Environment Education (CEE) in partnership with Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) has of late conducted a study of two areas of Karnataka State Action Plan on Climate Change (KSAPCC)—water and agriculture—to suggest the ways to promote their implementation efficiency. The study carries inputs from various expert agencies. To discuss and validate the results of the study, CEE organized a Knowledge Partners Symposium (KPS) on 11.11.2021 in Bangalore. Representatives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India (Bangalore regional office), Environmental Management for Policy and Research Institution (EMPRI), Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Government of Karnataka, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) and Centre for Sustainable Development (CSD) participated and critiqued the study. The inputs gathered from the representatives shall be used to refine and improve the study results.

Dr. T.V. Ramachandra from Indian Institute of Science, making a presentation on why conserving the Western Ghats ecosystem is critical to conserving the water resources.

Dr. T.V. Ramachandra from Indian Institute of Science, making a presentation on why conserving the Western Ghats ecosystem is critical to conserving the water resources.

Among others, the following points were underlined during the discussion:

  1. The KSAPCC needs to be intermittently updated in the light of new scientific findings.
  2. NGOs and communities need to be consulted while updating and implementing the KSAPCC.
  3. There should be a clear budgetary allocation to meet the KSAPCC’s implementation requirement.
  4. Currently the KSAPCC is financed through various departments and their activities.
  5. Monitoring of implementation of the KSAPCC needs to be done regularly and thus an effective framework in this regard needs to be adopted. 
  6. Western Ghats is a lifeline to the state of Karnataka. It needs to be conserved, protected and rewilded to put the ecology, water cycle and local species in good health and proper order.
  7. A study on the adaptation gap at the state level and how investing in adaptation action is a win-win situation for all need to be carried out to invite funds and focus from both government and corporate.
  8. Climate change issue needs to be addressed holistically in an integrated manner, not in sectoral manner. Connection of climate change to affected areas need to be carefully studied and established and appropriate action plan needs to be put in place.
  9. The KSAPCC needs to be aligned with the existing and evolving international frameworks to deal with climate change.
Mr Vishwanath, Executive Engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Government of Karnataka, talking about the government's efforts in tackling climate change.

Mr Vishwanath, Executive Engineer, Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, Government of Karnataka, talking about the government's efforts in tackling climate change.

On 07.12.2021, CEE plans in partnership with HSF to organize a state level round table to discuss further about climate change issue and how it affects India, especially Karnataka and what role the subnational polices and institutions can play in tackling climate change. This platform will be used to share the results of the KSAPCC study with larger policy communities including government officials from the state of Karnataka.

Group photo at the Knowledge Partners Symposium

Group photo at the Knowledge Partners Symposium