Patna: Governor Syed Ata Hasnain on Wednesday said climate change has emerged as a major challenge for humanity and warned that Bihar is highly vulnerable to floods, droughts, extreme heat, lightning and increasingly erratic weather.Addressing a national seminar on ‘ClimateChangeCrossroads:OneHealth,Biodiversity,Agriculture,ExtremeWeatherandAnimalSciences’, organised by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Patna, and the Indian Meteorological Society at Dashrath Manjhi Institute of Labour and Employment Studies, Hasnain stressed the need for science, technology, administration and society to work together to tackle the growing threat.“Geography cannot be changed, but the damage caused by disasters can be reduced through knowledge, technology, research and preparedness,” the governor said.Emphasising the importance of timely weather forecasts and early-warning systems, Hasnain cited the 1999 Odisha Super Cyclone and Cyclone Biparjoy in 2023 as examples of how advance warnings, mass evacuation and coordination among agencies can save lives and minimise damage.He also called for strengthening mechanisms to ensure lightning alerts reach farmers and rural communities without delay. The governor suggested greater use of mobile messaging, cell broadcasting and local administrative networks to improve dissemination of warnings.Highlighting emerging climate-related risks, Hasnain flagged the growing threat of glacier failures in the Himalayan region and stressed the need for closer coordination among the IMD, the National Remote Sensing Centre and other agencies. He said remote sensing and sensor-based monitoring technologies could help develop more effective early-warning systems.The governor said the ultimate goal of disaster management should be to save lives while protecting livelihoods and natural resources.The seminar brought together experts from meteorology, agriculture, biodiversity and disaster management sectors to discuss the impact of climate change and measures to improve resilience.Students of DPS Patna made a presentation on wetland conservation, while Central University of South Bihar vice-chancellor K N Singh and IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra also addressed the gathering.