Lok Sabha Question No. 3395 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-13
Subject: Rise in Temperature
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3395

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2020

## Rise in Temperature

## 3395.   SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE   be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of global rise in temperature especially in Indian continent during the last three years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether a large number of deaths due to intensive heat waves were reported from various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT wise;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted or proposes to conduct a detailed scientific study on the 'heat wave' phenomenon in various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has also assessed the impact of intensive heatwaves on human beings and flora and fauna of the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the remedial measures taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address the issue?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO )

- (a)  As  per  the  report  'United  in  Science:  the  high-level  synthesis  report  of  latest  science information convened by the Science Advisory Group of the UN Climate Action Summit', published  by  World  Meteorological  Organization  (WMO),  a  UN  body,  the  average  global temperature  for  2015-2019  is  currently  estimated  to  be  1.1  degree  Celsius  above  preindustrial  (1850-1900).  According  to  the  India  Meteorological  Department  (IMD),  in  line with  rising  temperatures  across  the  globe,  All  India  mean  temperature  has  risen  by  nearly 0.66  C for the period 1901 to 2017.

(b) to (e) As per the information received from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the data on deaths due to heat waves is not maintained centrally by that Ministry. However, according to the information received from Ministry of Earth Sciences, India Meteorological Department (IMD)  and  National  Disaster  Management  Authority  in  collaboration  with  local  health departments have started Heat Action Plan (HAP) in many parts of the country to forewarn about  the  heat  waves  and  also  advising  action  to  be  taken  during  such  occasions.  HAP became  operational  since  2013.  The  HAP  is  a  comprehensive  early  warning  system  and preparedness plan for extreme heat events. The Plan presents immediate as well as longerterm  actions  to  increase  preparedness,  information-sharing,  and  response  coordination  to reduce  the  health  impacts  of  extreme  heat  on  vulnerable  populations.  In  2019,  the  Central Government had been working with 23 States and over 100 cities and districts to implement and develop HAPs in India. The 23 States are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,  Delhi,  Gujarat,  Goa,  Haryana,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Jharkhand,  Jammu  and Kashmir,  Karnataka,  Kerala,  Maharashtra,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Odisha,  Punjab,  Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Currently, the heat wave conditions and its warning is described largely in subdivision scale by  National  Weather  Forecasting  Centre  (NWFC)  and  at  the  district  level  by  state-level meteorological  centers.  A  large  category  of  population  in  urban  areas  is  affected  by  heat waves. Hence, an attempt is being made to provide location-specific warning mainly for city areas as and when required.

For the betterment of heat wave forecasting, the Forecast  Demonstration Project (FDP) on Heat-waves was started by IMD from 2017 summer. This has improved the monitoring and detection of heat waves as well as the accuracy of related forecast & warnings. The overall 24-hours forecast accuracy has increased from 67% in 2017 summer to 92% in 2019 while for 48 and 72-hours, forecast accuracy has increased from 49% and 30% to 85% and 62% respectively for the same period.

Further, as per the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (2018) of Intergovernmental Panel  on  Climate  Change  (IPCC),  any  increase  in  global  warming  is  projected  to  affect human health, with primarily  negative consequences. Urban heat islands  often amplify the impacts of heat waves in cities. Risks from some vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, are projected to increase with warming from 1.5°C to 2°C, including potential shifts in their geographic range.

Also,  as  per  IPCC  Special  Report  on  the  Ocean  and  Cryosphere  in  a  Changing  Climate (2019), marine heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense as the ocean warms. These  are  causing  disease  and  mass-mortality  that  put,  for  example,  coral  reefs  and  fish populations at risk. Marine heat waves last much longer than the heat waves experienced on land, and are particularly harmful for organisms that cannot move away from areas of warm water.

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