Maharashtra joins UN-backed ‘Race to Resilience’ climate campaign

The campaign aims to facilitate sub-national governments globally in developing climate resilient infrastructures to protect those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change

State environment minister Aaditya Thackeray, in an interview to COP TV (an arm of COP 26), announced that Maharashtra has joined the United Nations (UN)-backed ‘Race to Resilience’ campaign, which aims to facilitate sub-national governments globally in developing climate-resilient infrastructures to protect those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is a sister concern of the ‘Race to Zero’ campaign, which facilitates sub-national governments to reach ‘net zero’, or carbon neutrality.

“As India’s most industrialised state, Maharashtra is a crucial voice in building climate resilience in the Global South. By joining the Race to Resilience, Maharashtra aims to be a leading example for regional governments,” state environment minister Aaditya Thackeray said. (HT FILE)

This move is significant, according to officials in the environment department, in light of Maharashtra’s expenses toward climate rehabilitation over the past one year alone. The state government has incurred losses worth 2 billion USD, paid as direct compensation for people and parties impacted by extreme weather events such a flood, drought and crop failures.

“Race to Resilience focuses on helping the most vulnerable, frontline communities to build resilience and adapt to the physical impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, drought, flooding and sea-level rise, in three area types: urban, rural and coastal,” the Maharashtra environment department said in a statement issued on Tuesday, giving examples of the state’s efforts towards building climate resilience.

Among the efforts listed include the environment department’s Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, which “aims to achieve climate resilience in the state by bringing together local administrations, businesses, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), and citizens of all age groups” and “to incentivise all levels of local government to act on climate change mitigation and adaptation”.

Under the programme, ₹55 crore was distributed in 2020-2021 between five urban local bodies which had performed well under the campaign. The other two examples include the conservation of mangroves in the state and the World Bank’s project on climate-resilient agriculture, which is underway in rural Maharashtra.

“As India’s most industrialised state, Maharashtra is a crucial voice in building climate resilience in the Global South. By joining the Race to Resilience, Maharashtra aims to be a leading example for regional governments,” Thackeray said.