By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 6: The state government will set up a climate change museum-cum-centre of study in Shillong that will enable students look at different aspects of climate in the region, the country and the world.
Addressing the G20 conclave “Nature Solves: A new framework for our sustainable future” in Shillong on Thursday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the implementation of the project will start this year at Upper Shillong.
Students will see the different aspects of climate change and get hands-on experience, he said.
Stating that the state government also intends to hold a conference on climate change annual at the regional-level to discuss the aspect of climate change, Sangma said he had a discussion with an expert who pointed out to him that the entire Arctic will melt in the next 8-10 years which will change the trade routes and it is important to study the changes.
He said the government and the society should realise that climate change is real.
“We have to find ways to adapt and mitigate climate change. The road in front of us is more or less clear that lifestyle and consumption-driven economic policies have a lot to do with how climate is being affected,” he said.
Elaborating on consumption-driven economic policies, the CM said, “There is a need to balance economic growth with green sustainable policies. We need to provide alternatives for livelihood and create parallel economies.”
He said the government has to take into consideration several parameters and ensure that development and ecological concerns are balanced out.
“You need to give people an option and space to shift or transit into whatever is better,” he added.
Talking about community-based governance, he said, “Meghalaya is a very strong advocate of community-based governance and our society is our greatest strength and this makes activities possible at the grassroots”.
“We have a decentralized governance system to address issues at the grassroots-level through the communities which are an integral part of our society. Our communities have always been at the forefront in preserving and conserving our age-old traditions and values,” Sangma said.
He said the state’s community-based governance model could be replicated by other states.
He stressed on supporting initiatives which promote sustainable practices, such as regenerative agriculture, reforestation and development of renewable energy sources.
“By doing so, we can create a virtuous cycle, where economic growth is intertwined with ecological well-being,” the CM said.
He advocated that the Northeast needs to look at certain things collectively and climate change is a subject, which requires collective decisions.
“We need to have a regional Northeast conference along with neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan and environment-related issues need to be discussed together. There is no boundary of states for climate change. We need to come up with certain policies and discuss environment-related issues collectively,” he stressed.