MP Pushes for Climate Finance as 25 Districts Marked Highly Vulnerable in New SAPCC

Madhya Pradesh’s agrarian backbone is under mounting climate stress — from erratic rainfall to worsening drought. The recently updated State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) underscores the state’s heightened vulnerability, identifying eight districts — including Singrauli, Jhabua and Barwani — as the most climate-vulnerable, with an additional 17 districts falling into the high-vulnerability category. In response, the SAPCC recommends mobilising climate finance from public, private and blended sources to address these growing risks.

To advance scalable climate finance solutions aligned with the state’s development priorities, and to support the creation of a State Climate Finance Strategy, WRI India, in collaboration with Environmental Planning & Coordination Organization (EPCO), Department of Environment, Madhya Pradesh, and the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), organised a convening titled “Mobilizing Climate Finance for Resilient Growth in Madhya Pradesh” in Bhopal on Wednesday.

Officials and experts from government, research organisations, financial institutions, academia and other sectors discussed the state’s climate finance landscape, actionable strategies for climate-resilient growth, and emerging opportunities across priority sectors.

Delivering the keynote address, Shri Ashok Barnwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, said: “Climate finance is now one of the most critical enablers of climate action for states like Madhya Pradesh, which faces rising climate risks even as it pursues a GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product)of Rs 250 lakh crore by 2047. To ensure this growth does not lock the state into a high-emission pathway, we must strengthen access to climate finance and create bankable, policy-enabled projects across sectors. Budgeting exercises by departments must include climate finance and for that bankable projects are crucial.We need to build capacities and sensitise not only government departments and the private sector, but also the general public. Mission LiFE can serve as an important catalyst for this effort.”

Delivering the inaugural address, Shri Deepak Arya, Executive Director, EPCO, said: “While the updated SAPCC marks a significant step forward, the financing gap remains substantial — with an estimated requirement of Rs 97,000 crore for adaptation and mitigation efforts. Public budgets alone cannot bridge this gap, making it essential to mobilise private investment, blended finance, carbon markets and multilateral climate funds to drive meaningful climate action in the state. EPCO is committed to providing all kinds of support to each of the stakeholders for developing bankable projects and tapping the available climate finance opportunities.”

Setting the context for the deliberations on the climate finance landscape in Madhya Pradesh, MsNeha Misra, Program Lead, Climate Finance, WRI India, said: “Mobilizing climate finance from public, private, international and blended sources is essential to achieving the Samriddh Madhya Pradesh@2047vision. Effective climate interventions require the right capital, strong project capacities and robust policy support. Madhya Pradesh’s leadership through EPCO demonstrates the power of coordinated action, and we at WRI India are grateful to collaborate with the state in advancing impactful, sustainable development.”

Addressing the gathering, MrLokendra Thakkar, Coordinator, Climate Change Knowledge Management Centre, EPCO, said: “EPCO has made consistent efforts to tap multiple financing schemes and has successfully mobilised funds under the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC), the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), and the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) to implement sub-national climate actions and projects. In the context of the current global climate agenda, EPCO continues to work toward leveraging additional financing opportunities and will support stakeholders and government departments in developing bankable projects for implementing the upcoming Long-Term Low Carbon Development Strategy and the revised SAPCC.”

In his speech, Mr Saransh Bajpai, Associate Program Director, WRI India said strengthening sub-national climate finance is critical, given the pivotal role of states in driving implementation and ensuring that climate action reaches frontline communities and vulnerable landscapes. As a major contributor to crop production and home to the highest forest cover and tree cover in the country, MP faces both significant risks and unique opportunities in advancing climate-aligned transitions in land use.

Technical sessions explored credible financing pathways for sustainable agriculture, forestry, resilient infrastructure and urban systems.Experts shared several approaches and suggestions on how sub-national actors can tap into unexplored and untapped climate finance streams.The event concluded with a call to develop actionable climate finance strategies for Madhya Pradesh — strategies that are both economically robust and climate-resilient.