Need to come up with innovative solutions at regional levels to mitigate climatic challenges: Experts

An international workshop of experts and government bodies has called for evolving innovative solutions at the regional level and leveraging sustainable technologies to mitigate grim challenges caused by climate change, particularly the issues relating to water sanitation and hygiene (WaSH).

A wide range of cutting-edge technologies and innovations in climate change and their regional applicability were deliberated at the workshop, organised by Bhouma Envirotech Pvt. Ltd., with the support of the state Suchitwa Mission, and Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC) on Friday, a statement said.

Inaugurating the workshop on 'Impact Interventions in Sustainability and Climate Change', Sarada Muraleedharan, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Self Government department, said finding sustainable solutions to waste management would reduce its disaster impact.

Calling for global interventions to reduce carbon footprints or achieving carbon neutrality, she said: ''We should not wait for others to get it right; rather each individual should work towards contributing to a resilient economy.'' On the role of local self governments (LSGs) in mitigating climate change, Muraleedharan mentioned that DCAT (Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action Tracker) project initiated as part of 'Rebuild Kerala' has steered and empowered the local bodies towards achieving climate resilience.

''By introducing DCAT, Kerala has gone far ahead of other states in making climate data locally available, thereby making climate forecasting possible for LSGs. It also helps them to come up with a disaster action plan to make the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation easier,'' the official further said.

The major issues discussed at the workshop included Innovative and Decentralised Approach in Liquid Waste Management, Sanitation as a Service (SAAS), Soil Restoration, Waste to Resources and Micro Enterprises for Sanitation.

In his keynote address, M G Rajamanickam, Principal Director (LSG Department) and Commissioner, Rural Development, said contaminated water bodies act as a clear indicator to assess the extent of waste generated in Kerala.

Each individual has a role in making an effective waste management system possible, he said.

''When LSGs work towards effective management of the 77 per cent of dry waste produced in the state, public should be accountable for the management of the rest of the wet waste,'' he added.

UN Sustainable Development Goal 13, which mentions the need for urgent action to combat climate change and its impact worldwide, formed the framework of the deliberations.

Dr Srikanth Mutnuri, Dean, International Programmes and Collaboration Division, BITS Pilani, stressed on the need to develop a simple and nature-based decentralised treatment system for ensuring effective management of liquid waste, which is a major concern in Kerala.

Dr Arumugam Kalimuthu, Managing Trustee and Executive Director, WASH Institute, Delhi, in his presentation on 'Sanitation as a Service (SAAS) - Story of MTU', said the vehicle-mounted septage treatment solutions can treat faecal sludge in a cost-effective manner, which, in turn, would help reduce the carbon footprints.

At the workshop, it was agreed to enable a collaborative platform to deploy innovative solutions that would make possible interventions in sustainability and climate change at regional levels, the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)