Port Blair, November 20: The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) seeks proposals from reputed agencies in Andaman and Nicobar to implement climate adaptation projects in the Islands for which it would facilitate financial assistance from the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB).
AFB is a multilateral body established to finance climate change adaptation projects in countries that are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. NABARD is the national implementing entity for facilitating the projects in India. It has secured financial assistance this year from the AFB to the tune of US Dollar 3.2 million for two projects for the first time. It submitted four proposals, out of which two were selected in the 24th meeting of the AFB Board held in Bonn, Germany in October 2014.
The first project involves conservation and management of coastal resources as a potential adaptation strategy for sea level rise, submitted by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. The sanctioned amount is US Dollar 6,89,264. The project would be implemented in the mangrove wetlands of Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh. It aims at restoration of degraded mangroves and demonstration of integrated mangrove fishery farming system.
The second project, submitted by another Non-Governmental Organization called Development Research Communication and Services Centre is for enhancing adaptive capacity and increasing resilience of small and marginal farmers in Purulia and Bankura districts of West Bengal. The AFB has sanctioned US Dollar 25,10,854 for the project. It aims to cover 5000 families in the region to tide over the adverse impact of climate change on their food and livelihood security.
Those agencies having proposals suitable for the Islands could access details from the website, www.nabard.org. (PIB)
