Need to integrate local perspectives into state policies to foster sustainable development Official

Ranchi, Aug 6 (PTI) There is need for integrating local perspectives and knowledge into state policies to foster sustainable development and build resilience against climate-induced challenges, a senior Jharkhand government official said here on Tuesday.
    Jharkhand, with its heavy reliance on agriculture and natural resources and mining, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and energy transition, making it essential to strengthen decentralised governance through Panchayati Raj Institutions, said Vandana Dadel, Principal Secretary, Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change.
    The dialogues at Conference of Panchayats (CoP) highlighted the strength of local communities, especially the tribal communities of Jharkhand, in demonstrating climate resilience practices, and the significance of strengthening such endeavours.
    “The state's vulnerability to climate change and the critical need for integrating local perspectives and knowledge into state policies are required to foster sustainable development and build resilience against climate-induced challenges,” Dadel said.
    Gram panchayat members and state government officials acknowledged the need to strengthen the role of Panchayats and panchayat-level community institutions to deliberate, design and implement climate actions.
    They took part in a climate action dialogue by the Policy and Development Advisory Group (PDAG), ASAR, and Damodar Bachao Abhiyan in Ranchi.
    The CoP initiative, launched in March 2022, was designed to amplify the pivotal role played by local communities in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.
    “The Conference of Panchayats was a collective effort to invert the global framework known as the Conference of Parties on Climate Change… Here, the Panchayati Raj institutions, as a mechanism of local self-governance, play a crucial and pivotal role," said Arindam Banerjee, Co-founder and Partner of PDAG.
    Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions from Jharkhand showcased the use of indigenous knowledge and community-driven initiatives to adapt and build resilience against the effects of climate change.
    “It's inspiring to see how actively people seek to respond to the ways climate change is impacting their lives. They are determined to have a say in how climate action plans are developed. The Conference of Panchayats is an endeavour to make this happen,” said Vintua Gopal, CEO of ASAR.
    “At the panchayat level, elected representatives are trying in our limited capacity to foster community-owned and community-led climate resilient initiatives,” said Chandradev Ghasi, the Mukhiya (village head) of a panchayat in Bokaro.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)