Tackling climate change require well-structured policies, action: Prez Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said climate change is a complex challenge causing biodiversity loss, water stress and land degradation, and it will require a well-structured framework of policies and actions to effectively address it.

The President was speaking at the valedictory session of a two-day international conference organised by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on “The Future of Environment and Climate Dynamics.” She stressed such a framework must ensure the active participation of not only governments and legal experts, but also the communities most affected by climate change.

“Special sensitivity towards the needs of rural and forest-dwelling societies, small farmers, women, and other vulnerable communities is crucial, as they bear the brunt of natural disasters,” she said.

President Murmu further underlined that traditional knowledge systems, along with the practices and lived experiences of local communities play a vital role in enhancing climate adaptation capacity. “We must strengthen climate resilience through people-centric and community-based adaptation approaches rooted in traditional knowledge,” she said, adding sustainable afforestation can also play a significant role in enhancing climate resilience.

“Afforestation efforts that nurture biodiversity and are aligned with local conditions can be instrumental in this regard. The true objective of sustainable afforestation is not merely planting trees, but rather restoring healthy and self-sustaining ecosystems,” she said.

Speaking about developing countries and the path they choose, the President said such countries should chart a path that enhances resilience while maintaining the pace of development.

“Commitments to responsible climate action must align with the country’s development needs and economic aspirations. They must also be technically feasible,” she noted.

The first day of the two-day conference saw participation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who also spoke of developing countries, saying they are often “unjustly blamed” for carbon emissions, despite India’s per-capita emissions being “less than half of the global average” and those of developed countries being six times higher.

On Sunday, the conference, which included experts, judges, jurists, and key stakeholders from 17 countries, also saw participation from the Union housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar; Supreme Court judge justice BV Nagarathna; NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava; and solicitor general Tushar Mehta.

In her speech, justice Nagarathna said environmental governance must balance development and conservation, present needs and future interests, while accounting for differentiated impacts across communities and generations.

Justice Shrivastava, in his valedictory address, meanwhile said the discussions over the two days highlighted the need to move beyond identifying environmental challenges toward building laws, institutions and partnerships capable of responding to them. “Climate action must be inclusive and equitable, particularly attentive to vulnerable communities and future generations, while environmental law must remain responsive and forward-looking, embracing technology, innovation, sustainable finance and just transition,” he said.