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Norway pledges Rs 7 crore for ClimaRice project
THANJAVUR, TN: Norway has pledged
an estimated Rs. 7 crore for a project studying
the impact of climate change on agriculture and
rice production in the Cauvery delta in
Thanjavur and Krishna delta of Andhra Pradesh,
according to the Norwegian Minister for
Agriculture and Food Lars Peder Brekk.
Addressing a farmers’ day meeting at the
Saraswathi Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Puzhutheri
village in Karur district on Wednesday, Mr.
Brekk outlined that the preliminary works under
the expanded ClimaRice II project commenced in
November last and the programme as such would go
on for three years. ClimaRice, an initiative
supported by Government of Norway, assesses the
rice ecosystem sensitivity to climate change by
using high-resolution regional model simulations
and simultaneously understand the hydrological
changes in the Cauvery river basin. In ClimaRice
I different technologies including alternative
cropping systems, alternate wetting and drying,
system of rice intensification and direct sowing
were being validated in fields in real time
conditions. The emphasis on ClimRice II would be
on validating and replicating pioneering
practices on the fields of model farmers towards
formulating integrated response to complex
climate change issues impacting agriculture in
general and rice production, in particular.
ClimaRice II is a sequel to the successful
ClimaRice I implemented between 2008 and 2010 in
the Cauvery delta of Tamil Nadu. “The related
challenge of food insecurity and climate change
means that we must produce more food in a
sustainable and climate-friendly way,’’ Mr.
Brekk underlined. The Norwegian Minister
stressed on cooperation between his country and
India in sharing experience of workable
solutions by promoting dialogue between farmers,
researchers and other stakeholders to have
environmentally sustainable technology that
could produce flexible measures for climate
adaption to meet the needs of farmers under
different local conditions. ClimaRice
project was a good example of how that could be
done, he pointed out.
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Speaking on the occasion the Minister for Agriculture
Veerapandi S. Arumugam said that the State Government
was responsive to the issues impacting climate change
and the plan to establish 385 automatic weather
stations, one in every union of the State, was one among
them. Already 224 stations had been set up while the
rest would be established in the current year. “We’ll be
seeking more funds for agriculture related projects and
activities in the coming budget taking into account the
challenges and requirements ahead of us,’’ Mr. Arumugam
observed. First Secretary at the Norwegian Embassy in
New Delhi, Ole Reidar Bergum, pointed out that
environmental issues have been high on the
Indo-Norwegian bilateral agenda and the countries had a
good and dynamic cooperation in the areas of renewable
energy, climate change and biodiversity. There was
vibrant bilateral research collaboration between Indian
and Norwegian scientists and research institutions, he
said adding ClimaRice was among the prominent
initiatives in the project portfolio.
