Himachal Pradesh Knowledge Cell on Climate Change

HP State Knowledge Cell on Climate Change (HPKCCC) under National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) has been setup in the Department of Environment, Science & Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh. Total budget sanctioned for HPKCCC is ~ Rs. 2.74 Crores.

Through this cell the Government of Himachal Pradesh intends to place a sound coordination mechanism for ensuring cooperative and cohesive actions on climate change under active coordination with Department of Science Technology (DST), Government of India. The HPKCCC is an activity based setup which functions with following approach:

• Data Generation, information, Policy directive formulation, Vulnerability Assessments, participatory resource management strategies and development of livelihood options.
• Deploying Technologies for hazard mitigation & disaster management, development of ideal human habitats, and agriculture and forest sector innovations.
• Awareness, Capacity Building, developing human resource, emphasis on skill development, enable communities become sufficiently empowered with know-how and mountain specific required skills, necessary for adaptation to climate change.
• Active Community Participation for enhancing ecological sustainability by involving community in investigating causes and consequences of disturbance regimes, promoting conservation of native and endemic elements, and understanding glacier and river system dynamics.

For more information on HPKCCC click here

For more information on the initiatives and activities undertaken in Himachal Pradesh click here.

Himachal Pradesh State Strategy and Action Plan on Climate Change (HPSSAPCC)

The fundamental purpose and goal of the Himachal Pradesh State Strategy and Action Plan on Climate Change (HPSSAPCC) is to begin a statewide, ongoing and committed process of adapting to the changing climate in the context of other changes in the environment, economy and society. To achieve this goal, the adaptation strategy pursues the following specific objectives:

• Identification and synthesis of climate change risks 
• Developing the criteria for prioritizing identified adaptation strategies
• Identification of sector-specific and cross-sectoral adaptation strategies to reduce vulnerabilities and build climate resilience
• Evolving cross-cutting supportive strategies to identify government efforts such as policy-making or changes in regulation, procedural adjustments to enable development and implementation of identified adaptation strategies.

Himachal Pradesh State Centre on Climate Change (HPSCCC)

The State of Himachal Pradesh, being a mountain state, is very sensitive and vulnerable to the climate induced changes in the micro and macro environment. As a follow-up of the Himalayan Chief Ministers Conclave on "Indian Himalayas: Glaciers, Climate Change and Livelihoods" held at Shimla on 29th October 2009, a joint programme evolved called 'Shimla Declaration on Climate Change and Himalayan Development'. A State Centre on Climate Change was set up under the aegis of the State Council for Science Technology and Environment. This Centre has been established with the objective to coordinate amongst scientific, academic, NGOs and other research institutions inside and outside the state for pursuing research in the field of climate change and its impact on the Himalayan Ecosystem so that adaptation plans and polices relevant to the state of Himachal Pradesh could be evolved. Besides this, the Centre would also implement the mandate laid down in the National Action Plan on Climate Change and the Eight National Missions on climate change in the state so that the state's initiatives could be dovetailed with the Centre's initiatives. The Centre shall work with the following objectives:

• To achieve the progress of the state through a qualitative change in a direction that enhances ecological sustainability leading to further mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.
• To deploy appropriate technologies for both adaptation and mitigation of greenhouse gases. To protect, preserve and enhance the forest cover and biodiversity for creating effective carbon sinks.
• To enhance the monitoring of glaciers, their state of health, present and past retreating trends, impacts of change in the glacial mass on the river flows and snow cover patterns, and updation of glacial inventories etc.
• To coordinate with different universities, research institutions, Govt. departments, NGOs etc. to pursue theme-based specific research on climate change and its impacts in the state.
• To create and generate awareness amongst the various stakeholders for taking appropriate measures in combating the impacts of climate change.
• To evolve strategies and policies for implementation through public and private institutions.
• To evolve awareness modules at different platforms for the mitigation of natural disaster threats in Himachal Pradesh.
• To strengthen the capacity building in disaster management.
• To formulate policies and provide inputs to the state government in the field of disaster management and climate change.