In the state of Kerala, a considerable share of development interventions are implemented through Local Self Governments (LSGs). LAPCCs were conceptualized to plan, design, build and operate these interventions in such a way that anticipates, prepares for, and adapts to changing climate conditions. LAPCCs involve integration of projected climate change, location specific hazard risk information, flood probability mapping, land use and land cover changes, changes in the built up area, and spatial patterns of land surface temperature into the planning process of LSGs through participatory methods. Core teams in each LSG decide various thematic areas relevant to their local context and conduct focus group discussions, and personal interviews with the members of the local community and document their observations, perceptions, and local concerns. A group of young professionals trained in the areas of disaster management, climate change adaptation, etc are deployed in the LSGs to provide scientific inputs and a KILA’s network of resource persons who have expertise in various aspects of local governance, and its technicalities was set up as a support system for these activities. After the documentation, the inputs from these public interactions were documented and sustainable development pathways for the LSG are outlined. It includes various project, governance, and regulatory interventions that the LSG should make on a step by step basis in the coming years. This approach to local development planning has the potential to bring transformative change in the whole arena of development planning in the state and would contribute substantially in building a resilient Kerala.

The introduction of the Local Action Plan on Climate Change (LAPCC) within local self-governments (LSGs) carries certain calculated risks, including maladaptation, project stereotyping, and limited resource allocation. Kerala's decentralized governance system grants LSGs the flexibility to create independent annual plans and oversee their implementation. This autonomy poses the risk of maladaptation unless LSGs receive appropriate technical assistance and scientific guidance. Projects initiated by LSGs can yield both positive and negative externalities, which, without technical support, may result in maladaptation. The reliance on peer learning and financial incentives to shape the project portfolio introduces the risk of stereotyping, neglecting data-driven and need-based planning. To address these challenges, capacity-building initiatives and project clinics, organized by KILA as part of LAPCC preparation, offer downscaled climate and vulnerability data to empower LSGs to address regional concerns in their project formulations. Recognizing the unique development statuses of each local self-government, the LAPCC may necessitate reprioritization of projects. However, if these changes don't align with community demands, it could lead to a biased allocation of limited financial and human resources to non-priority areas. To mitigate these issues, a low-carbon development pathway concept has been introduced to encourage LSGs to incorporate climate-friendly practices and technologies into their regular developmental activities. Furthermore, retrofitting is promoted as part of LAPCC preparation to cater to the diverse developmental needs of LSGs.

The main objective of the intervention is to prepare LSGs to formulate actions towards mitigation of climate change impacts through risk inclusive planning using downscaled climate information. However for realistic project formulation and implementation of the Local self governments also needs to incorporate perceptions about climate change of the communities. This was achieved through various stakeholder consultations and focus group discussions at the local level. A core committee with different stakeholders was formed at the local level which also included a climate science professional with KILA’s support. This core committee spearheaded the discussion in 266 local bodies. The downscaled climate data and disaster risks were explained to these local bodies by the climate professional in the team. Mpas and data sets with downscaled climate information were also provided ToT the local governments. These include historical trends, and RCP projections, flood vulnerability, earthquake vulnerability and drought vulnerability. Based on the downscaled information and suggestion form the core group focus group discussion and key informant interviews were conducted involving all the stakeholders. 17 thematic area were identified for FGDs, which includes FGDs with children, women, Tribes, fisherfolks, farmers and sector wise FGDs were confused covering farmers, animal husbandry , marine and inland fishing, health impacts and biodiversity impacts, environmental impacts and livelihood impacts. The discussions led to a listing of series of changes perceived by the community against the downscaled data provided and its impacts to the community. This forms the baseline information for formulation of projects of the LSGs to address these challenges. These projects are later implemented through the annual plan of the LSGs so that SGD 13 can be achieved at the local level. The inclusion of the all the suggestions, perception and impacts of local vulnerable communities also address SGD 10.

A generic model or framework for quantifying co-benefits to measure the net effects of a climate policy like LAPCC is through the DCAT tool, which is built-in with a scoring mechanism to capture the co-benefits. The projects created in LAPCCs are implemented through the annual plans of LSGIs. This implementation is done through the LSG plan formulation software named SULEKHA. SULEKHA has codes for each sector, sub-sectors, and microsectors under three major activity sectors - Production, Service, and Infrastructure. Each of the projects that finds place in the annual plan has to be listed under the closest microsector code. We integrated DCAT with SULEKHA and filtered a set of microsector codes with potential for climate change and disaster management interventions. We tagged a set of qualifying queries against each microcode. All the queries are binary questions with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as the answers. These queries are assigned with a score on the basis of their relevance to climate change or disaster management. Directly relevant queries are assigned with a score 2 and indirectly relevant queries carry score 1. If the qualifying query has negative implications a ‘No’ would fetch the LSG a negative score. Whether it is negative 1 or 2 would depend on, again, the nature of the query. We further classified queries into universally relevant and variably relevant. In the case of variably relevant queries, LSGs will have a choice to mark it as irrelevant. In that case the query will not be counted for that LSG. It also implies that the maximum score will be different for different LSGs. The purpose of the tool is to capture the change in score from baseline year to each subsequent assessment year. A separate set of questions are included in the tool to capture the non-project interventions that have regulatory and governance nature. The assessment between two years provides us with the change in score which we consider as a proxy for achieving co-benefits of climate proofing development planning. Based on a preset threshold, LSGs are provided with financial incentives.

On one hand this initiative makes use of every possibility provided by the strong people's plan campaign system prevailing in the state. Interventions are decided after conducting consultations with relevant focus groups and are presented in various platforms of public consultations such as Grama Sabha, Development Seminar etc to incorporate stakeholder needs and preferences that are relevant from time to time. On the other the KILA provides the LSGs with technical expertise by way of trainings and by deploying trained professionals to use the climate and risk information, changes in the patterns of land use and land cover, land surface temperature etc provided to them on a year to year basis to incorporate changes in their hazard risks. To incorporate the changing political and economic conditions in the state or to account for major policy changes KILA makes use of its wide network of resource persons who are experts in the matters of local governance, technical and legal aspects of governance, and in specific subject areas such as people's plan campaign, gender, child and elderly, development sectors etc.

In recent years, Kerala has confronted a series of disasters that underscore its vulnerability to climate change-induced events. In response, local governments have launched initiatives to bolster their preparedness for natural hazards and climate change impacts. KILA has played a crucial role by offering technical support to Local Self-Government Institutions (LSGIs) to enhance resilience and recovery efforts in the face of future disasters. The LAPCC initiative, initially introduced for 13 LSGIs before the 2018 deluge, has since expanded to encompass 266 LSGIs across four districts: Alappuzha, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, and Kottayam, with completion slated for 2022. In 2019, a comprehensive Disaster Management Plan (DM) for all LSGIs in the state was meticulously developed through a scientifically sound and publicly inclusive process. KILA has not only created templates and methodologies for LAPCC development but has also guided LSGIs in assessing the environmental, biodiversity, and human life impacts of climate change at the local level, facilitating the formulation of action plans to address these issues. Data collection was achieved through Focus Group Discussions, engaging elderly citizens, farmers, researchers, environmentalists, and other stakeholders. KSDMA provided vital downscaled climate and disaster risk data, expertly analyzed and interpreted by KILA. This included data on the Hazard Vulnerability Index, Rainfall and Temperature projections (1976-2100), Trend Analysis (1990-2021), Land use and land cover maps and statistics (2003 and 2015), and Land surface temperature maps (2023). Based on the insights gained from public discussions and the downscaled data, LSGIs have formulated 2,634 project proposals spanning 38 thematic areas that address climate change adaptation and mitigation, thus contributing to enhanced resilience in the face of future challenges.

Special Category on Tackling Climate Change.

The analysis of climate change factors and their trend analysis necessitate adaptation measures to cope with the impacts and mitigation strategies to reduce the severity of disasters. The DM plan and LAPCC prepared by the LSGIs provide a proper scenario of climate change vulnerability and disaster risk with regard to area and key sectors. Both the documents clearly spell out population characteristics and their vulnerability to climate risk. These also provide the knowledge about disaster prone areas in the locality, for example, Flood risk - Return probability statistics for affected areas and critical assets. It also further enables the local administrators to plan future settlement areas and design the constructions according to the probable flood height and related risk. As a result of the document preparation, people tend to become aware of taking climate adaptation projects at the local level. Some of the interventions proposed in the agriculture sector include, promotion of bio manure to improve the soil quality and to reduce chemical fertilizer hazard, cultivation of flood/drought resistant seed varieties, change in agricultural calendar of the locality according to the shift in the climate patterns. In the case of the water resource sector, people suggested innovative ideas for utilizing the water collected in abandoned quarries for irrigation or drinking water purposes after water quality assessment. In addition, they have mooted proposals for rainwater harvesting like roof-top harvesting, check dams and rain pits. LSGIs, which are categorized under high risk to epidemics, suggested projects such as setting up of water quality testing laboratories in schools coming under their jurisdiction. Mechanism for managing waste at household level is planned by all LSGIs as part of Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The places where tribal communities experience malnutrition, projects for ragi and millet cultivation are proposed. The LSGIs have also identified projects to set up disabled friendly infrastructure and relief camps.

The main objective of LAPCC and DM plan is to ensure Sustainable development by incorporating Climate and disaster risk into their annual development plans. KILA has developed DCAT (Disaster risk and climate action tracking tool) to assess the degree of integration of climate risk information into their annual plans. LAPCCs played a vital role in addressing climate change by identifying and implementing specific actions that are tailored to the needs and priorities of local communities. KILA has assisted the LSGIs to categorize their projects to achieve short-term goals and long-term goals. For example, all the LSGIs have proposed projects to achieve carbon neutrality as a long-term goal. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they have proposed short-term projects such as Miyawaki forest in open spaces and public spaces. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long-term, while also creating jobs and improving air quality in the short-term. Also, projects like ward based replacement of filament bulbs with LEDs and eventually the whole panchayat, installation of solar-panels initially in some wards and gradually expanding to the entire Panchayat. These projects require upfront investments that could have a short-term impact on economic growth. However, long-term economic benefits of these projects outweigh the short-term costs. LAPCC is prepared taking into consideration the trade-offs between different stakeholders. As an example, construction of a check dam is a project which can be suggested in a drought prone area, however, the check dam cannot be promoted in areas with very steep slopes as it invites debris flow and causes destruction of settlements in nearby areas. To avoid such situations, each project is evaluated using the DCAT tool, to prevent any negative impact on other sectors. All the projects are aimed to attain SDG objectives. For example, Climate Smart Farming is a perfect example for food, water and energy security.

Local Action Plans on Climate Change (LAPCCs) are comprehensive plans developed by local governments to address climate change at the local level. LAPCCs typically include a range of mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as strategies for building community resilience to climate impacts. Co-benefits of climate change actions are reflected in the area specific improvement of livelihood status of the marginalized people, natural ecosystem, food and water security. With regard to the initiatives that cater to better public health, LAPCC puts forward provisions like soil health cards and water testing labs, which intend to ensure soil and water quality. Soil health cards are provided to users, to aid them in avoidance of excess fertilizer usage. This further helps in reducing the exposure of pesticides and harmful fertilizers that can affect the quality of human health. With provisions like water testing labs, the water quality can be maintained, reducing the chances of water borne diseases and other epidemics. The co-benefits from biodiversity intervention, aims for the protection of medicinal plants, and further expansion of herbal crops that can be useful for medical and therapeutic activities. Cooperative societies attempt to enhance food and water security through converting fallow lands for productive cultivation or wetland conservation initiatives, leading to conservation and restoration of ecosystems. Productive agricultural lands help in further employment generation and create platforms like farmer producers organization. Air and water pollution is mitigated, through various approaches like paper and plastic free panchayats, tree banking projects, and through restoring water bodies. Further promoting carbon neutral panchayats, helps in replacing various methods of everyday consumption of energy to a sustainable source of energy that produces less carbon emissions.By reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change, LAPCCs can help to create healthier, more sustainable communities.

The projects created in LAPCCs are implemented through the annual plans of LSGIs. This implementation is done through the LSG plan formulation software named SULEKHA. SULEKHA has codes for each sector, sub-sectors, and microsectors under three major activity sectors - Production, Service, and Infrastructure. Each of the projects that finds place in the annual plan has to be listed under the closest microsector code. We integrated DCAT with SULEKHA and filtered a set of microsector codes with potential for climate change and disaster management interventions. We tagged a set of qualifying queries against each microcode. All the queries are binary questions with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as the answers. These queries are assigned with a score on the basis of their relevance to climate change or disaster management. Directly relevant queries are assigned with a score 2 and indirectly relevant queries carry score 1. If the qualifying query has negative implications a ‘No’ would fetch the LSG a negative score. Whether it is negative 1 or 2 would depend on, again, the nature of the query. We further classified queries into universally relevant and variably relevant. In the case of variably relevant queries, LSGs will have a choice to mark it as irrelevant. In that case the query will not be counted for that LSG. It also implies that the maximum score will be different for different LSGs. The purpose of the tool is to capture the change in score from baseline year to each subsequent assessment year. A separate set of questions are included in the tool to capture the non-project interventions that have regulatory and governance nature. The assessment between two years provides us with the change in score which we consider as a proxy for achieving co-benefits of climate proofing development planning. Based on a preset threshold, LSGs are provided with financial incentives. Apart from this incentivization purpose, the tool also serves as an capacity ladder enabling the LSGs to make baby steps towards becoming the frontline in the State’s efforts in the field of climate action and disaster management.

Quantification or measuring the co benefits of climate policies involves identification and consideration of co-impacts, while these lie extremely context driven. A generic model or framework for quantifying co-benefits to measure the net effects of a climate policy like LAPCC is through the DCAT tool, which is built-in with a scoring mechanism to capture the co-benefits.