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paredigm, this hes definitely infrastructure of supply and indeed for governments,
improved water availability and distribution. In just e span of institutions and stakeholders
quality, increased soil fertility two years, we converted mare world over. My attempt to
and thereby agricultural prodnc- than three hundred thonsend prepare this compendium of
tivity (from a single rain-fed vehicles into CNG and achieved action taken, thus far, is only an
crop a year to three crops per remarkable results in improving extension of that plea in order to
annom in many cases) andledto ambient air quality in the city of ingpire all those concemed, that ~
betterment in air quality by Ahmedabad with four million within a democratic framework
arresting the trend of desertifica- inhabitants, This has been an and despite electoral constraints
tion of lands in these areas. To initiative with definite Climate things can and will happen if
put into proper perspective, what Change mitigation overtones. they are planned and executed .
I am referring to here is an area Similarly, turning the largely with single-minded devotion toa f
covering around 142,700 km’ Government dominated State larger cause and with a fion rom water riots to
with 27,63 million inhabitants, capital Gandhinagar into a solar determination to fight Climate
This initiative of development of city by captive solar and wind Change. Hy
community based infrastructure energy production for Al Gore was right when he water secu rity
for water harvesting has reduced Government usage, again ted a few years ago that
vulnerability and empowered required direct intervention. i+ Gas inconvenient to many
people to cope with Climate Hence, this queer admixture of leaders to hear, face and accept
Changs impacts in my State and two development strategies, 1. noved truth of Global
has come in for a special men- otherwise thought by many to be Warming, would go further by
tion in UNDP Human mutually exclusive, has enabled saying that the real test of
Development Report 2007- me to accomplish several leadership is not only in
2008. initiatives with Climate Change wetcoming this truth but also in
But replacing the use of adaptation and mitigation devising, formulating and
gasoline by a more environment poteahal: implementing a strategy that
friendly alternative — UN Secretary General BanKi results in what I call decisive,
Compressed Natural Gas(CNG) Moon got a very strong case of appropriate, timely and
in large number of vehicles in action prepared and published in ‘convenient action’ to deal with
Gujarat required direct Human Development Report, this truth and the challenges that
intervention from the 2007, for fighting Climate ithasthrown.
Government in ordertocreatean Change. A very timely plea
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