Climate change has emerged as one of the major challenges that threatens progress towards the achievement of national and millennium development goals of many countries including India. There is sufficient evidence that human activities, mainly through changes in land use patterns due to rapid increase in global human population and usage of fossil fuels, have caused significant changes in the global climate. Scientific studies on the change-patterns and their causes, identification of corrective interventions and implementation of wise management practices can lead to environmental amelioration and delay any undesirable climatic changes, thus, enabling better and healthier lives for the present as well as future generations.

The Government of Assam is committed to socio-economic development of the state and reduction of poverty through sustainable development which can only be achieved with wise and efficient use of natural resources and effective handling of climate changes. The climatic changes may adversely impact human health, livestock populations, grain/crop yields and water availability.

Assam Climate Change Management Society (ACCMS) - a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was created in the state in 2018 under the Chairmanship of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Assam, to coordinate all issues related to Climate Change and implement the Assam State Action Plan on Climate Change (ASAPCC), aligning state priorities and different national and international goals such as SDGs, NDCs, REDD+ and others in different sectors and to assist various department in climate change related activities. The “Assam Climate Change Management Society” was registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 15th October 2018.

OBJECTIVES:

The vision of ACCMS is to support a resilient, prosperous and sustainable development pathway in Assam by facilitating cross-sectoral convergence across departments in the planning, delivery and monitoring of action on climate change. Following are the objectives of ACCMS:

1. Implement the State Action Plan on the Climate Change especially concentrating on the strategies laid down in the Section-B of State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in respect of Water Resources, Agriculture, Horticulture, Tea, Animal Husbandry, Fish production, Forest and Biodiversity, treatment of Municipal Waste Management, Road Transport, Water Ways, protecting and managing Urban Spaces, Energy Conservation, Human Health, etc.,
2. Update it on a regular basis as per the advancement of knowledge on Climate Change,
3. Addressing the requirements of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) from time to time,
4. Facilitate implementation of India's commitment if any to the UNFCCC,
5. Create Knowledge Management platform and data base for informed decision for integrating climate change adaptation in planning in consultation with various agencies in the country,
6. Formulate Monitoring and Evaluation framework to assess progress of projects and to assess that adaptation is taking place,
7. Launch new studies that address mitigation and adaptation with funding from the State Governments/Central Government/various missions of the NAPCC/Climate change funds-National and International agencies,
8. Build capacity of the Departments, natural resources and energy managers, nodal officer to address climate change within their domain,
9. Give advisories to the various departments of the Government and agencies and bodies to adopt new technologies, methodologies and systems and practices to move away from Business As Usual (BAU) scenario to make Assam a Carbon Negative State,
10. Undertake climate audits of the various projects and schemes and suggest new pathways to the implementing departments and agencies,
11. Help Departments and agencies of the Government to adopt climate neutral/negative policies, mitigation mechanisms and guidelines,
12. Help Departments build adaptive capacities of the communities, incorporate adaptive measures in the existing schemes where possible or help the departments undertake specific adaptation projects,
13. Engage actively with state/national and international agencies, bodies and organizations for bringing the best practices from across the globe in climate change mitigation and adaptation,
14. Any other activity to be undertaken to fulfil the objectives above. This involves bringing together and harnessing the power of people, institutions, technology and knowledge by undertaking a wide range of activities viz:-
    • Networking and partnering with state, regional and international institutions/centres, corporate and private sector, professionals, non-government and civil society organizations for convergence and synergy in the use of human and material resources,
    • To serve as Knowledge Centre and Think-tank for the government on areas of expertise on governance and cultural studies,
    • To support change management and management development programmes in government and non-governmental organizations to effectively carry forward initiations for Tribal and SC development,
    • To function as a resource centre for documentation and dissemination of best practices, success stories and successful tried experiments and tools in SC and Tribal Area development,
    • To work for the convergence and synergy of Public-Private-Partnership on the principles of transparency and accountability,
    • To assist concerned Government departments in their climate reform agenda.

INSTITUTIONAL AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE:

The Society has a Governing Body Chaired by the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Govt. of Assam with council of Ministers as its members and supported by an Executive Committee headed by the Hon’ble Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam. The Assam Climate Change Management Society’s day to day functions is performed by the Chief Executive Officer and to look after the implementation of department specific climate actions, a Nodal Officer from each department of the state has been nominated.

APPROACH:

1. Networking and partnering with state, regional and international institutions/ Centres, corporate and private sector, professionals, non-government and civil society organizations for convergence and synergy in the use of human and material resources.
2. To serve as Knowledge Centre and Think-tank for the government on areas of expertise on governance and cultural studies.
3. To support change management and management development programmes in government and non-governmental organizations to effectively carry forward initiations for Tribal and SC development.
4. To function as a resource centre for documentation and dissemination of best practices, success stories and successful tried experiments and tools in SC and Tribal Area development.
5. To work for the convergence and synergy of Public-Private-Partnership on the principles of transparency and accountability.
6. To assist concerned Government departments in their climate reform agenda.

INSTITUTIONAL AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

ACCMS has a two-tier structure, at top tier Governing body is consisting of State Ministers headed by the Chief Minister. The Steering body is consisting of heads of the line departments and headed by the Chief Secretary, who also represent the Steering Committee in the Governing Body meetings.