Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In order to address climate change issues, encourage sustainable lifestyles, and safeguard the state’s abundant biodiversity and coastal ecosystems, the Odisha Forest, Environment, and Climate Change (FE&CC) Department inked three important agreements on Wednesday, according to an official. The department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Bhubaneswar under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) initiative, according to a news release issued by the FE&CC department. The restoration of important coastal habitats, like as salt marshes and seagrass beds, which are essential for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection, is the main goal of the partnership with IIT-Bhubaneswar.
“Designated as the Technical Support Agency (TSA) for the restoration, protection, and sustainable management of ‘Sea Grass’ and ‘Salt Marsh’ ecosystems along the Odisha coast, the IIT Bhubaneswar will provide technical support for implementing sustainable strategies to manage these ecosystems,” informed the department.
According to a statement, the FE&CC department also signed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) for the Adaptation for Resilience (ADAT4R) regional adaptation project between India and Sri Lanka, which aims to increase the resilience of farming communities that are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Over the next five years, the initiative, which focuses on the state’s Nuapada area, intends to increase the ability of disadvantaged farming communities—especially women farmers—to withstand the effects of climate change. In order to create a Net-Zero Roadmap for the state, the administration and the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) inked a new Memorandum of Understanding on Wednesday. The project will map out decarburization plans for important industries including manufacturing, electricity, transportation, and agriculture.
“The collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar would pave the way for enhanced research opportunities and community engagement initiatives to promote sustainable coastal management practices,” Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia said.
Additional Chief Secretary of FE&CC department Satyabrata Sahu elaborated on the people-centric climate resilient and sustainable practices for ecosystems and livelihood. Several senior officials including Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, Dr. Amrit Kumar Mishra, senior scientist at James Cook University, Australia, among others were present during the event.
