Vinod Bhat
New Delhi: 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 was not sufficient. 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.
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 said this 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.
He advocated integrating administrative records, household surveys, satellite imagery and geospatial information, supported by common standards and appropriate safeguards. Equally important, he said, was strengthening the analytical capacity of institutions at the State and district levels so that research and data could inform programme implementation, monitoring and resource allocation.
Referring to India’s climate commitments, he reiterated that the country was 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.
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.
