By Our Reporter
Dr. Uta Bollhoff during their meeting in the city on Thursday. (ST)
SHILLONG: A high level German delegation that met with Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Thursday has offered to assist the State in its endeavour to protect the environment.
The visiting delegation was headed by Dr. Uta Bollhoff, Head Directorate-General “Europe, Middle East and Asia; multilateral development policy”, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Berlin.
The delegation met Dr Sangma and concerned State officials at the Secretariat.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Dr Bollhoff said, “The German Development Council can showcase certain technologies to Meghalaya that can be used to protect environment.”
During the meeting, the Chief Minister lauded the commendable progress made by GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) and State Government agencies in the preparation of the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), Missions on Climate & Value Change, effective water management, Draft Report on State Water Policy, Greening of the Silk Value Chain and Knowledge Centre for Natural Resource Management and Climate Change.
Dr Sangma also highlighted the need for convergence with the State Flagship Programme – Integrated Basin Development & Livelihood Programme (IBDLP), which aims at promoting livelihoods for the rural people by using the available renewable natural resources.
He indicated that the experience attained by the German development agencies on global environment issues would be very useful and the State Government looked forward to this cooperation, which is in sync with the development goals of Meghalaya.
Dr Bollhoff, meanwhile, said there are emerging opportunities under the Climate Change Adaptation Programme in NER. “We had a good dialogue with the Government of India, the Ministry of DONER and other Central Ministries in India in this regard,” she said.
Several issues such as Water Policy, Integrated Knowledge Management, Capacity Building, Vulnerable Areas affecting Climate Change, Eco-tourism, degradation of land through quarrying and renewable energy which can drive the socio-economic needs of the people was highlighted.