Lok Sabha Question No. 1854 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-21
Subject: Study of Climate Change Effects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: ANURAG SINGH THAKUR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1854

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2018

## Study of Climate Change Effects

## 1854. SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

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

- (a) the details of the international and regional collaborations for the study of climate change effects and mitigation in the country;
- (b) the outcome of the study on Research on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods conducted by the Government; and
- (c) the details of other programmes/ schemes/policies implemented by the Government for sustainable development of Himalayan Region and in Himachal Pradesh?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change  (IPCC),  a  body  jointly  formed  by  the  World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Program, periodically assesses the global climate change. Scientists from all over the world, including India contribute to the IPCC assessment reports. Nationally, a study was conducted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change titled 'Climate Change and India: A 4X4 Assessment - A Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s' which provides assessment of impacts of climate change in 2030 on four key sectors of Indian economy, namely, agriculture, water, forests and human health in four climate sensitive regions of India, viz, the Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the Coastal region  and  the  North-Eastern  Region.  Further,  in  the  area  of  glaciology,  an  Indo-Swiss  Joint Cooperation  for  capacity  building  programme  has  been  established  to  study  climate  change effects.

(b) A study on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) has been supported by the Government in project mode for the South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim Himalayas. Based on the electric resistivity and  bathymetric  studies,  the  expert  team  suggested  for  siphoning.  The  outlet  of  the  lake  was widened to reduce the vulnerability of the lake. The volume of the lake stands monitored by the Central Water Commission.

The  State  Centre  on  Climate  Change  of  the  Himachal  Pradesh  Council  for  Science Technology & Environment  has also been involved in the study of GLOFs in Himachal Pradesh. The outcome of their research reveals presence of 642 lakes, out of which 56 are mainly high altitude wetlands and the remaining 586 are the lakes formed either at the snouts of the glaciers or the supra glacier lakes existing within the glacier body in the ablation zones in the Satluj basin which  includes  the  catchment  areas  in  Himachal  Pradesh  as  well  as  in  Tibetan  Himalayan Region.

(c)  The  Government,  as  part  of  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change,  has  launched  the National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) under which six thematic task forces anchored around six lead institutions have been set up to undertake studies to assess the health  of  Himalayan ecosystem  in  the  areas  of  natural  &  geological  wealth;  water,  ice,  snow, including glaciers, Micro flora & fauna, wildlife & animal population; Forest resources & plant biodiversity; Himalayan Agriculture; and Traditional Knowledge.

An Inter-University Consortium on ' The Himalayan Cryosphere: Science, and Society' has been set up with four partnering universities, to look into Cryosphere-Societal interactions, within the framework of integrated science and social-science research.

State Climate Change Cells have been established in 11 Himalayan states for climate change risk and vulnerability assessment, capacity building and public awareness.

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