MP CM unveils first state portal on climate change in India

Ashok Kumar/OneWorld South Asia

Bhopal/Delhi : With the launch of the knowledge management portal on climate change, Madhya Pradesh has become the first Indian state to launch such a platform. The bilingual online portal deliberates in detail on the State Action Plan on Climate Change as strategized by the state government.

The portal known as the State Knowledge Management Portal for Climate Change was officially launched by the Chief Minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal during a national conference on climate change on September 6, 2014.

Launching the portal, the chief minister recalled how environment concern has been an inherent part of the Indian tradition wherein people worship natural resources like rivers, trees and mother earth.

The National Conference on Environment, Climate Change and Indian Ethos, was organised by SKMCCC EPCO. The Environment Planning and Coordination (EPCO), is designated as the state nodal agency for addressing climate change issues in the state.

The newly launched portal, made possible with support from the UNDP and created by OneWorld Foundation India, is designed for a dual role – facilitating knowledge creation and dissemination of work on climate change to a large audience in Madhya Pradesh and beyond, and of creating awareness on issues around climate change specific to Madhya Pradesh.

After the launching of the portal, Lokendra Thakkar, the coordinator of EPCO, shared that this portal is a result of long and committed efforts by EPCO. He added that during and after the preparation of the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), it was felt that there must be a specific portal dedicated for knowledge management, which can accommodate all the emerging researches, knowledge and information on climate change.

The portal will be used to highlight issues pertaining to climate change and adaptation specific to Madhya Pradesh, according to Rahul Kumar, OneWorld’s team leader designing the portal. “The portal has a unique architecture that will help scholars, professionals, activists and practitioners to access information while also contributing to the discourse on climate change and its impact on Madhya Pradesh through the discussion forum it houses.”

The launching of the portal was witnessed by many dignitaries including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Minister for Urban Development and Environment; Bhupendra Singh, Minister for Communication, Technology and Transport and Narottam Mishra, Minister for Health.