Nature friendly

There are some specific areas especially in poor communities of developing countries that could help cope with the climate change impacts   in an effective way.

Food security is one by investing in long term measures -- kitchen garden, backyard fish ponds, bee culture, domestic animals, horticulture barter instead of currency exchange. When food supply is assured wider and bigger things can be considered.

Checking dams to recharge ground water, de-silting ponds, and rain water harvesting measures should be prioritized as the essential programme at community level.

Raising water friendly tree species, raising high-demand crops on small land holdings for urban markets, giving high priority to conservation of floral species in different landscapes maintaining healthy microclimate would help.

Encouraging mini-ecosystems with wider range of species to ensure resilience through richness in biodiversity by creating conditions for various species to breed and propagate can then be harvested at sustainable rates.

Attitude change is the single most effective factor which can make or break a community’s will to survive. Therefore, education should be a high priority goal, even in times of hardship. Education means the capacity and maturity to put responsibilities over rights.

Pooling resources with similar communities and individuals can alleviate hardship in times of scarcity. Co-operatives have been successful these days as people are more aware and responsible when they got the membership of co-operatives. They are content with collective effort.

Good leaders are to be encouraged to lead by personal example. This will also safeguard the community against exploitation by middle men and outsiders who have no stake in the community’s well being.

Ordinary community members should be informed of their rights resisting urban-centered mega projects which do not give much back to the community except for grabbing their land and other resources in the name of ‘development’.

In the meantime, we should understand the negative effects of consumerism, urbanization, and mindless entertainment by taking measures to keep the community together by promoting culture, language, religion and nature friendly ways of life.