Lot of countries in the world today are actively working on Carbon Capture & Storage and Carbon Sequestration measures. Technologies including Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and IoT are used in Water Conservation already.

It is time for the youth of this generation to consider utilizing technologies such as A.I. to find solutions for mitigating climate change, which is causing a serious impact on the planet, said Jagdish Bakan IFS on Thursday.

He was addressing college students and youngsters at the Inspire India Youth Conclave held as a part of Kumaraguru Institution's Yugam, a mega inter-college techno-cultural-sports festival.

This year, it features 16 eminent speakers, including Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor at The Hindu, renowned film critic Baradwaj Rangan, and Everest summiteer Sangeeta Sindhi Bahl.

Jagdish Bakan IFS, District Forest Officer and Wildlife Warden of Hosur, Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu who is also UNESCO's Michel Batisse Awardee delivered the inaugural address on the topic 'Biodiversity, Climate Change & You.'

He shared how Gulf of Manar, a beautiful shallow bay in the Southeastern coast of India that is rich with coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves and endowed with tremendous unique biological wealth got affected by climate change.


The biodiverse ecosystem there supports tourism and is a source of livelihood in the form of fishery to millions of people along this Coast but over the years, global warming altered the ecosystem.

The increase in temperature affected coral reefs adversely and led to bleaching. Human activities like over harvesting of Marine Resources, Industrial Waste and destructive fishing methods have further deteriorated this biosphere Reserve.


"In order to protect the health of the Gulf of Manar biosphere reserve and the livelihood dependent on it, the Tamil Nadu government has been undertaking an array of steps for the conservation of biodiversity," he said.

With the help of experienced Reef researchers, Coral Rehabilitation process was done there using a fragment transplantation method.




Along with that widescale Seagrass Rehabilitation and Mangrove Plantation initiatives are also being done in this biosphere and it is showing productive results.


While community-based climate action is yielding good results in Gulf of Mannar, he said we also need technology-based solutions to mitigate effects of climate change.

Mr. Bakan urged students to leverage new technologies. He also encouraged them to adopt sustainable lifestyles, stating, "Even the smallest efforts can create a significant impact over time."

He highlighted how another community inclusive unique measure that the government has taken in Gulf of Manar has made the area plastic-free. The government established 'plastic check posts' in the coast, and these check posts now play a crucial role in preventing the entry of plastic in Gulf of Mariar and encourages visitors to use eco-friendly alternatives.




The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, where students actively participated, seeking insights on environmental challenges and solutions. The Inspire India Youth Conclave continued with panel discussions and special addresses from a long list of accomplished and inspiring speakers.