Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr. P.K. Mishra today called for a stronger integration of scientific research, granular data and evidence-based policymaking to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, agricultural resilience, food security and nutrition.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 20th Annual Meeting of the Environment for Development (EfD) Network at IIM Kozhikode, through video conference, Dr. Mishra said climate change must no longer be viewed merely as an environmental concern, as its implications extend to agricultural productivity, water availability, food prices, public health and livelihoods. Emphasising the need to move beyond conventional measures of food security, he observed that adequate food production alone is not sufficient.
Dr Mishra said, ensuring access to affordable, diverse and nutritious diets was equally important, particularly as climate-related disruptions could affect the availability and affordability of pulses, fruits, vegetables, milk and other nutrient-rich foods.
Highlighting the importance of crop diversification, he referred to the Prime Minister’s initiative in securing the United Nations declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Dr Mishra noted that this initiative helped bring global attention to the nutritional value and environmental sustainability of millets, while promoting their wider adoption as part of diversified and resilient food systems.
Calling for a shift towards region-specific climate adaptation, Dr. Mishra highlighted that assessments under ICAR’s National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture programme had identified 310 out of 651 agricultural districts as highly or very highly vulnerable. He underlined the need for interventions tailored to local agro-climatic conditions rather than uniform policy approaches.
On the role of data in policymaking, Dr. Mishra stressed that the priority should not simply be to generate more data, but to ensure that information is timely, reliable, comparable and actionable. He called for greater use of disaggregated, district-level data to identify variations in rainfall, water availability, soil conditions, crop performance and nutritional outcomes.
Referring to India’s climate commitments, Dr. Mishra reiterated that the country is pursuing the twin objectives of becoming a developed nation by 2047 and achieving Net Zero emissions by 2070, while safeguarding economic growth, poverty reduction and improved living standards. He noted that India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution for 2031-2035 further strengthened its climate ambition.
Highlighting India’s leadership in global climate action, Dr. Mishra referred to initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), which reflect India’s efforts to advance international cooperation on clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure. He emphasised that addressing climate change requires collective action, innovative partnerships and solutions that respond to the development priorities of countries across the world.
Emphasising the importance of international research cooperation, Dr. Mishra said countries across the Global South faced common challenges relating to climate variability, natural resource pressures, changing agricultural patterns and nutritional security. Platforms such as the Environment for Development Network could play an important role in connecting academic research with practical policy challenges, facilitating knowledge-sharing and strengthening institutional capacities.
