Bhubaneswar: Odisha has become the first state in the country to have got the clearance for the first Green Climate Fund Project (GCF). The project "Ground water recharge and solar micro irrigation to ensure food security and enhance resilience in vulnerable tribal areas of Odisha" has got the nod of the GCF board today. This prestigious project has obtained technical clearance from NABARD which is the national implementing entity, independent technical advisory panel and approval of the MoEFCC.
The five-year project will directly impact 1.54 mn vulnerable SC-ST households.
GCF will provide a grant of 34 million USD to Government of Odisha through NABARD. The project will impact 5.2 million vulnerable food insecure households in 15 priority districts with high level of food insecurity, water scarcity and high climatic stress (present and future scenario) and with high proportion of vulnerable SC-ST population. A total of 2.59 million of this population are males and 2.6 million are females. They account for 12 percent of the entire population of the state.
The project was conceptualized by Department of Water Resources and under the direct supervision of Principal Secretary Water Resources. The project document was prepared by leading climate change advisory firm CTRAN under the climate innovation program of ACT (a DFID funded Program).