The 2014 version of the Maharashtra State Adaptation Action Plan on Climate Change (MSAAPCC) is under revision. NOW is the right time for the communities and civil society to participate in the revision process and give their inputs before the revised draft gets finalized and public call is issued for feedback.

Climate change affects all the residents of the state, more so the marginalized communities, which is why all of them are stakeholders in the state’s flagship climate change policy like MSAAPCC. We, therefore, earnestly request the Hon. Environment Minister of the State that:
1) While the revised version of MSAAPCC is still in the drafting phase, kindly call for large-scale public participation through region-wise extended meetings and public consultations to be conducted in-person and in Marathi language so that common people and marginalized communities can also participate in this critical process of policymaking. In case of COVID-19 risk and inability to conduct consultations in-person, kindly call for online meetings organized and facilitated with the help of local government agencies across Maharashtra.

2) Also kindly involve Gram and Area Sabhas in such a participatory process in all areas of Maharashtra to ensure implementation of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (along with the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils (Amendment) Act, 2009), to enable true decentralization in the process of MSAAPCC implementation and accountability.

3) Make climate policies like 2014 MSAAPCC and 2018 Compendium of Sectoral Climate Action Plans available and accessible in Marathi so that common people in Maharashtra can access them participate well in their revision and implementation process.

If MSAAPCC revision process can be done with due public participation starting with the drafting phase, it can prove to be the golden opportunity to transform the way Maharashtra deals with its climate risks and build its leadership in the country in this global fight for human survival and prosperity.

Public participation is also critical in this revision process of MSAAPCC because its 2014 version was backed by very little public participation and has been unable to:
a. Accommodate in its scope the climate risks of multiple marginalized groups including women farmers, urban informal workers, slum residents, or climate refugees.

b. Ensure accountability and transparency in the implementation of the policy.

c. Create public awareness and mobilize masses including youth for climate action and resilience.

d. Achieve climate resilience in any of the critical area including agriculture, water, forests, or energy.

e. Make climate change adaptation solutions and funds accessible and available to the masses.

Public consultations have already been done in some states of India for the formulation of state action plan on climate change and has given good results. Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar were among the states that engaged in extensive public consultations from 2011 to 2014 when their state action plans were being finalized for the first time. Among these, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have been able to establish sustained participation of local communities in climate action and the results are being appreciated widely. In addition, many other countries are also incorporating public consultations as key processes of climate policy making.

Climate change is the biggest threat that earth and human civilization is facing at present and much about it is still unknown. It is not something that only governments can handle without much involvement of civil society and common people. Kindly allow us to join you in this fight and help you in all aspects starting from policy making.

We all are looking forward to an opportunity to participate in collective and collaborative climate action in Maharashtra so that all marginalized sections and communities in the state can be integrated for better and equitable climate resilience.