This campaign is a result of 2 roundtable discussions organisedin Kerala during September 2016 – January 2017 periodby Thanal, Climate Action Network South Asia, Phia and UNICEF’s climate change and disaster risk reduction program. The objective of the roundtables was to secure recommendations through dialogue between various state actors, government departments, universities, civil society organisations and media to strengthen Kerala’s State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) based on learning and latest best practices since 2014.
The process was started by Thanal by circulating a concept note (see Annexure1) to key officials and policy makers of the State Government and invited their participation for a dialogue on building a Climate Resilient Kerala (CRK). Following enthusiastic response from key state department officials, 2 roundtables were conducted to discuss climate change impacts on Kerala and how best to prepare future adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction plans for integration with state planning process at all levels of governance.
Both the roundtables were graced by the presence of Hon. Ministers for Finance,Women and Children, Disaster Management and Risk Reduction, Health, Solid Waste Management, Agriculture and Panchayath Raj Institutions. The gathering was also attended byHeads of State-level Missions, Secretaries to the Departments, representatives of NABARD. From these discussions women and children were pointed out as a specific area of interest for the SAPCC to focus on, continuing with the spirit of recently forming a new department focused on their welfare.
The process invoked a larger debate on the status of implementation of State Action Plan on Climate Change as well as its effectiveness and the Directorate of Climate Change decided to go for a wider consultation for strengthening SAPCC in the last quarter of 2016.
The CRK roundtables are absolutely conclude that women and children are especially vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, and therefore, need a special focus in the revised Kerala SAPCC through special programs, policiesand budgetary allocations.
The campaign also aims at providing resources, build capacity and network for expanding collective intelligence on climate resilient.
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