Bhubaneswar: Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF), in partnership with non-profit organisation Dasra, concluded the 13th edition of its annual flagship conference Ideate-2024 here, Thursday. The policymakers and industry leaders across segments participated in the conference which was based on theme ‘Utkal Udyam: Community-Centric Development for Climate Resilience.’ Speaking on the occasion, trustee and founder CEO of BIPF, Shaifalika Panda said, “By working together, we can co-create solutions to amplify our impact, pool our resources, and drive systemic change.” “Recognising the tremendous potential within our communities and empowering them is not just an option but essential to building resilience towards climate change,” she added.
Boston University for Global Sustainability director Benjamin Sovacool, in his speech, highlighted the need for local knowledge integration. “Communities in Asia are leading the way in piloting new and innovative forms of nature-based, institutional, and informational climate adaptation. These efforts will harness communities themselves as critical agents of change.” Participating in the panel discussion on “Harnessing Grassroots Knowledge for Climate Resilience”, Rainmatter Foundation CEO Sameer Shisodia said, “Building a collaborative ecosystem is not a choice, but essential for climate action”. MacArthur Foundation Deputy Director (India) Jarnail Singh said, “State-based strategies play a crucial role in combating climate change, driving localised solutions that are both sustainable and impactful.” A fireside chat between UNDP Odisha head Abha Mishra and Mahila Housing Trust director Bijal Brahmbhatt, and climate champion Madhusmita Parida examined ways of creating an ecosystem with women at the core, coming together to scale up climate action.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP