ICAR Sikkim organizes Programme on Approaches for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

 

 Gangtok : ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Tadong, Gangtok is organizing a 10 day National Training Programme on Diversification of Hill Agriculture: An Approach for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation under the aegis of NICRA project. The training will acquaint the teacher/researcher/extension personnel about adaptation and mitigation strategies by using the tools of diversified farming for managing emerging environmental problems for enhancing sustainability of agriculture. Apart from that course will also include various technologies for efficient utilization of natural resources for enhancing productivity of crop as well as animals especially in hilly areas .Forty three participants of different departments of Sikkim and other parts of the country are participating in the training programme.

Shri Khorlo Bhutia, Secretary, FS&ADD and H&CCDD, Govt. of Sikkim graced as Chief Guest in the programme. Inaugurating the training programme, Shri Bhutia emphasized upon the importance of natural resource management under changing climatic scenario especially in mountain ecosystem. He also informed the scientists that this is the right time to think about the climate management strategies in hilly ecosystems. He urged the participants to learn the newly developed technologies for adaptation and mitigation and take them to the farming community in the remotest parts of Sikkim. Dr R. K. Avasthe, Joint Director, ICAR, Sikkim Centre and Course Director in his introductory remarks highlighted the importance of this training programme in the era of climate change.

He emphasized that variability in climate will interact with adaptations to increase agricultural production affecting crop yields and productivity and direct effects will be through changes in temperature, precipitation, length of growing season, and timing of extreme or critical threshold events relative to crop development. He also highlighted that the new technologies that can help as adaptive and mitigate strategies in hilly ecosystem for subsistence of livelihood . Hence, the development of site specific climate smart strategies is the need of the hour. Earlier, Dr. Raghavendra Singh, Senior Scientist (Agronomy) welcomed the dignitaries and participants. The participants include young researchers, Assistant Professors and extension functionaries from the different part of the country. At the end of the program Dr. Subhash Babu, Scientist (Agronomy) proposed vote of thanks.