Bhubaneswar, Jan 22: The Odisha Forest, Environment, and Climate Change (FE&CC) Department on Wednesday signed three significant agreements with an aim to tackle climate change challenges, promote sustainable livelihoods, and protect the state's rich biodiversity and coastal ecosystems, an official said.

As per the press statement released by the FE&CC department, the department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Bhubaneswar under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) project.

The collaboration with IIT-Bhubaneswar focuses on restoring critical coastal ecosystems, including seagrass beds and salt marshes, which are vital for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection.

"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.

The FE&CC department also inked a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) for a regional adaptation project between India and Sri Lanka called Adaptation for Resilience (ADAT4R) to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable farming communities facing increased impacts of climate change, a statement mentioned.

The project focused on the Nuapada district of the state aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable farming communities, particularly women farmers, against the impacts of climate change during the next five years.

The government on Wednesday signed another MoU with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), to develop a Net-Zero Roadmap for the state. The initiative will chart decarburization strategies across key sectors such as industry, power, transport, 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 Singh Khuntia 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.

(IANS)

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