Report by Orissadiary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: 29th October 1999 was the tip of the iceberg, a preliminary dress rehearsal for unprecedented climate-induced transformations in the state of Orissa. It's not just the changes, but the intensity and frequency which have severely undermined the adaptive capacity of many communities-at-risk in the state. Trapped in the vicious cycle of disaster and poverty, many of the communities are forced to migrate to places nearby and far off.

The already enriched disaster lexicon and public discussion in the state had two very recent entries: '2012' and '15th November'. While the former is all about a dramatic Hollywood portray and representation of unforeseen repercussion of our 'insensitivities' and 'inactions', the latter is a real-time manifestation of these changes  right in the city of Bhubaneswar, for 'Sunday was the hottest day in November with a temperature of 37.6 degree Celsius.' At the time of developing this news piece a mild drizzle set in and immediately intensified in to a full-fledged rain in and around Bhubaneswar! The entire state is crippled by climate change-induced transformations, from farmer deaths in Nuapada through to coastal erosion in Kendrapara. 

Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies of all kinds, technological, financial, and institutional and many more are under way in the state, including some exemplary and innovative action plans by civil society organizations. None of the intellectual deliberations and gatherings of the 'concerned' is complete without a mention of the changing climate. Pulitzer awardee Prof. Jared Diamond has very rightly emphasized in his seminal book 'Collapse: How Society Choose to Fail or Succeed' : "We don't need new technologies to solve our problems; while new technologies can make some contributions, for the most part we "just" need the political will to apply solutions already available." In order to initiate and galvanize an 'informed' public constituency to encourage governments to seal a fair, balanced and effective climate deal at the upcoming Copenhagen Summit in December, the United Nation has initiated the global campaign of 'Seal the Deal!' (www.sealthedeal2009.com)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Nairobi has been supporting the Center for the Environment and Public Policy (CEPP), an upcoming independent not-for-profit research and policy organization to spearhead this campaign in the state of Orissa. The campaign started off with signing the climate petition and encouraging the signatories to 'act' rather than to dwell on fears and 'climate rhetoric'. This initial effort was organized as a parallel event during the launch of the Worldwatch Institute's 2009 State of the World report on 'Into a Warming World', organized by the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) at the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH), Bhubaneswar. Much enthusiasm and participation was from the young students as most of them expressed their concerns over their 'future' which will be influenced squarely by uncertainties and challenges because of an ever changing world. CEPP will be taking up this campaign to far flung coastal villages which are worst affected because of a changing climate and coastal erosion in the districts of Kendrapara and Jagatisinghpur along the Bay of Bengal. Among others who registered their concern as part of this Seal the Deal! event were Mr. P.S. Sodhi (National Coordinator, UNDP-GEF Small Grants Programme), Ms. Rebecca Nayar, IFS (CCF, Govt of Orissa) and Mr. Ajit Bharthuar, IFS (Regional CCF, Baripada). "Our primary aim is to initiate, support, strengthen and sustain a citizen's understanding and action which is scientifically sound, socially robust and politically just", emphasized Jyotiraj Patra, an Oriya doctoral researcher from the University of Oxford and coordinator of this Seal the Deal! Campaign in Orissa.