Climate Change and Uttarakhand: Policy Perspective

The pronounced consequences and future threats of climate change mainly affecting the fragile mountain system of Himalayan Uttarakhand need to be addressed through suitable policies and mitigation strategies. This chapter describes briefly the policies to be adopted in various sectors which are relevant to the climate change issues and specific to the state of Uttarakhand. The major contribution to improve the quality of life along with environmental management can come through modern ingredients in traditional agriculture practices and allied sectors such as watershed management, soil and water conservation, organic farming, agro-horticulture, herbal and aromatic plants. Based on the past observations and the projections of future climate change scenarios, it is expected that many species are likely to shift latitudinally northward in a relatively short span of time. Hence, state will have to be proactive in implementing the rules and regulations relating to forest, wild lives, and biodiversity reserves. The regulations and laws for the conservation, distribution, and use of water and allied sectors are almost non-existent and need to be framed by taking into account the community preparedness and partnership. Himalayan population of the Uttarakhand state is vulnerable to the natural disasters and needs to have a proper policy in place for reduction and relief, which may include the use of modern technology and involvement of the expertise from National institutes. This chapter also emphasizes on the impact of unorganized industries and transport sectors on the Uttarakhand mountain ecosystem as a whole, and the strategies to be adopted to avoid the potential threat of climate change.