In seeking ₹4,500 crore in the Union Budget 2025-26 for building climate resilience, Kerala has drawn attention to a “significant economic burden” on account of climate-related disasters and the need to build resilience through “anticipatory measures.”
Initiatives planned by the Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission (KSCCAM) for focussed resilience-building will require an “initial finance requirement” of ₹22,500 crore between 2025 and 2030, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said, presenting Kerala’s wish list at a pre-budget discussion chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Jaisalmer on Friday.
It is in this context that Kerala has sought the budgetary support of ₹4,500 crore. Moreover, an analysis of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) has revealed an additional spending of ₹4,273 crore between 2018 and 2024, according to the Minister.
In presenting its case for budgetary assistance, Kerala has drawn attention to the string of extreme weather events since 2017. These included drought in multiple districts and the Cyclone Ockhi in 2017, the severe floods and landslides in 2018 and 2019, Pettimudi landslip in 2020, Kootickal landslip in 2021, the Kanichar landslip in 2022 and Attamala–Mundakkai–Chooralmala and Vilangad landslides in 2024.
“The impacts of climate change are evident in Kerala, with rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. The State needs to focus on building resilience through anticipatory measures, such as designing and building climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting scientific agriculture and land use and implementing early warning systems,” the State noted.
Published – December 21, 2024 07:21 pm IST