At COP28 in Dubai, Bihar’s soil conservation and climate-resilient agriculture practices hog limelight

At the UN Climate Change Conference, Bihar's initiatives in soil conservation, climate-resilient agriculture, agriculture road map, and organic agriculture have been praised. Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, highlighted the State's initiatives, such as the Soil Health Card scheme, soil testing, soil fertility mapping, and Climate Resilient Agriculture. Bihar's fourth agriculture road map (2023-28) was also launched, with the aim of sustaining soil health.

As the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) enters its final days in Dubai, the initiatives of the Bihar government in the fields of soil conservation, climate-resilient agriculture, agriculture road map, and organic agriculture have garnered international praise.

Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Bihar, highlighted these initiatives at the India Pavilion in Expo City during a session titled ‘Actionable Ways for Sustaining Soil Health — A Key Climate Agenda’ on December 10.

COP28, an annual gathering under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), attracts representatives from 198 parties, including 197 countries and the European Union. Running from November 30 to December 12, COP28 serves as a crucial platform for measuring progress, negotiating multilateral responses to climate change, and devising strategies to limit emissions.

During the session on soil health, Mr. Agarwal presented an array of initiatives outlined in Bihar’s agriculture road map, emphasising green, organic, and sustainable agriculture, with a significant focus on climate-resilient practices. Noteworthy features included the innovative soil health card scheme, soil testing, soil fertility mapping, and Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA).

A global announcement was made during the session regarding the launch of Bihar’s fourth agriculture road map (2023-28), inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on October 18, 2023. Mr. Agarwal said, “The learnings from different soil conservation initiatives have been incorporated into the next five-year plan for sustaining soil health in the fourth agriculture road map.”

He further underscored the significance of the Soil Health Cards (SHC) scheme, empowering farmers with essential information about their soil health.

“Since 2015, 1.46 crore SHCs have been distributed in Bihar,” he mentioned. The SHC scheme is a flagship programme of the Government of India, launched in February 2015.