COMMUNITY leadership at its grassroots level have a major role to play in the Climate Risk Management Act 2008, drafted by the Climate Change Department of MS Swaminathan Research Foundation. Talking to journalists here on Monday professor Swaminathan , said the draft model act ("draft for consideration, adaptation and possible adoption by the State Government'') for local level climate risk management was drafted by the participants of the inter-disciplinary dialogue on "Community management of climate change, role of Panchayats and Nagarpalikas'' conducted by the institution recently. The climate change was a calamity that would affect people, especially poor and those dependent on nature for their livelihood, he said. The immediate need was to effectively plan and put in place an action plan to mitigate these problems. Following different weather codes was an important point in the draft. He said though rain could not be predicted accurately it , was possible to be prepared for the weather to a large extent. The climate managers, selected from panchayats, gram sabhas or local enthusiastic people, could help their community to check their water catchment areas and to put in place drain systems to harvest the water effectively and save crops from being damaged. A small expert group has been set up to draft a model act on the lines of other climate protection acts set up by many other countries.