The National Climate Research agenda was released at the International Climate Research Conclave (ICRC-2023) held at DST’s Centre of Excellence in Climate Studies at IIT Bombay on May 26, 2023. The agenda aims to coordinate national efforts in understanding and addressing climate change beyond 2030. The Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Dr. S. Chandrasekhar, highlighted the need to act responsibly and draw lessons from positive environmental changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that addressing climate change is a collective responsibility that extends to all individuals and sectors of society.
Dr. Chandrasekhar also stressed the importance of scientists identifying areas with significant impact on the climate and working towards mitigating them. He released the report on “India’s Climate Research Agenda: 2030 & Beyond,” which calls for sustainable practices and collective action to mitigate climate change and ensure a sustainable planet for future generations.
Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, emphasized the importance of understanding the cryosphere and its implications for climate change. He highlighted the need for policy decisions addressing various aspects such as water resources, extreme rainfall, heat waves, and marine waves. The conclave aimed to generate recommendations that would benefit the entire country by quantifying and communicating these complexities with reduced uncertainty to facilitate better policy decision-making.
The conclave brought together over 200 climate scientists, students, experts, and policymakers from India and around the world. They discussed India’s recent progress in climate research, its agenda for 2030, and plans for creating a Climate Consortium involving various departments and ministries of the Government of India to facilitate climate research. Dr. Akhilesh Gupta, Senior Adviser at DST and Secretary of the Science Engineering Research Board (SERB), highlighted the significance of the event and the progress made in climate change research over the years. He mentioned the establishment of multiple Centers of Excellence and programs dedicated to climate change research, indicating India’s commitment to combat this global challenge.
Overall, the conclave served as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and setting the course for future research endeavors, with the goal of achieving a more sustainable and resilient future.
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