THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nine districts in Kerala have been categorised as most vulnerable to impacts of global warming and climate change, according to the report of the State Action Plan on Climate Change 2023-2030 that was released on Wednesday.
Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kasaragod, Palakkad, Alappuzha, Idukki, Kannur, Malappuram and Kollam have been placed in this category due to high disease prevalence, a large vulnerable age group in the population and poor healthcare and relief facilities there.
The state first published the action plan in 2014. In the revised report, each district has been categorised as per its vulnerability profile (high, medium and low). Besides composite vulnerabilities, the report also classified districts for vulnerabilities in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, coastal fisheries, forest, health, tourism and water availability.
The report by the Department of Environment and Climate Change, published in the backdrop of various climatic changes that Kerala experienced, also said the region’s temperature was expected to rise between 1°C to 2°C.
It projected an increase in district-wise rainfall. Extreme rainfall events were projected to rise too with the report mentioning changes in the magnitude, frequency and timing of such events, all of which will have implications on natural resources like fisheries, forests and water as well as socio-economic systems such as agriculture and health and communities in various districts.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who released the report, said Kerala, which was most vulnerable to climate change-induced natural disasters, had taken the lead in mitigation efforts.
“We aim to be a 100% renewable energy-based state by 2040 and achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050. Mitigation is important as the marginalised and the most vulnerable are disproportionately affected by climate change,” he said.
He also spoke of making Kerala a hub of green hydrogen and devising an industrial policy that focuses on environmental, social and governance for industrial production.