Chennai,  The state of Tamil Nadu will focus on creating Climate Smart Villages in 2022-23 financial year as part of its Climate Change Mission.

The idea of the mission is to understand the challenges and vulnerability faced by the village communities during climate change.

The state will develop future solutions to build climate resilience and increase adaptation and mitigation measures based on how the local community is adapting to challenges and their vulnerabilities.

It is to be noted that the state has earmarked Rs 77 crore for the Climate Change Mission and a portion of this budget amount will be used for creating Climate Smart Villages and to do a focussed study on these villages.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu Forest and Environment Department told IANS that around Rs 50 crores will be spent for the rehabilitation of coastal habitats for climate change adaptations.

The department is planning to create bio shields by planting cashew, palmyrah and casuarina trees as also mangrove plantations in coastal districts of the state. This is for reduction of soil erosion, salinity control and improvement of biodiversity. The forest and environment department will also focus on enhancing the growth of seagrass and coral reefs as they support marine biodiversity.

In another interesting development, the environment department will take up two temples for climate proofing, one at Chennai and the other at Madurai. These are taken up as pilot projects for climate resilient green temples.

The activities at the temples would include solar lighting in an efficient manner, water and heat management, eco-restoration of temple tanks and removal of plastic products and micro plastics from temple premises as well as enrichment of temple gardens.

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu government had earlier set up a special purpose vehicle, 'The Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company' to efficiently implement the three missions, Green Tamil Nadu mission, TN Climate Change Mission and TN Wetlands Mission for improvement of green cover in the state and for sustainable development.

The special purpose vehicle would involve the academia, the private sector and those who champion the cause of renewable energy and sustainable agriculture.