Climate change: Look for biological solutions

BHUBANESWAR: Experts were unanimous on Friday that the impacts of the climate change in Orissa can be mitigated by sustainable development and increased forest and agro-based activities. The country in general and Orissa in particular must look for biological solutions, not mechanical, they said. At a seminar on ‘We Love Earth’, organised by Whitemetal Production, Dr BP Das, Vice- Chairman of Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydrological Projects of Ministry of Environment and Forests, said there are 40,000 large dams and eight lakh small dams in the world. However, storing water will lead the rivers to die. “We have to allow water in the rivers so that they remain alive and keep the aquatic life intact,” he said. Stating that floods are not always a bane, Das, an expert on water resources, said regular flow in rivers keeps the water free of pollution. Secretary of Orissa Environment Society, Dr S N Patro, said climate change impacts can be dealt with biological activities. Technology alone cannot come to the rescue of the mankind. Forest and agro-based activities are the best solution. He was critical of the afforestation programmes of the Government saying the natural forests cannot be replaced by fast-growing manmade forests. Senior Environmental Engineer of Orissa State Pollution Control Board, Dr Akhil Kumar Swar, stressed adaptation measures to take on global warming. He said climate-resilient industrial system is the answer to the growing GHG emission. The seminar was attended by students of various management and engineering institutes.