Lok Sabha Question No. 3329 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-13
Subject: Increase in Sea-Level in Coastal Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3329

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2020

## Increase in Sea-Level in Coastal Areas

## 3329.   SHRI C. N. ANNADURAI:

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

- (a) whether heavy losses are likely to be incurred due to increase in sea-level in many coastal areas of the country due to global warming which may result in a few cities being submerged;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  details  of  steps  taken  to  check  rise  in  harmful  emissions  and  tackle  effects  of global warming?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b) It was observed that, the sea levels are changing at different rates along the Indian coast as per the studies carried out at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS).  Based  on  the  study  by  INCOIS  as  well  as  the  studies  published  in  scientific literature,  on  an  average,  the  sea  level  along  the  Indian  coast  is  considered  to  be  rising  at about 1.7 mm/year. These rising sea levels may not impact much but, it can exacerbate the coastal inundation along low lying areas during the extreme events such as tsunami, storm surge, coastal flooding, coastal erosion. It will have cumulative impact on inundation during extreme  events  causing  increased  coastal  inundation.  The  coastal  areas  that  might  get inundated due to the rising sea level needs to be evaluated based on their elevation above mean sea level.

The direct impacts of sea level rise on coastal zones were not carried out. However, INCOIS has estimated rate of change in the sea levels from the long term data (monthly mean sea  levels)  obtained  from  the  sea  level  gauges  installed  at  10  major  ports  which  is  given below.  Since  no  long  term  data  on  land  subsidence  or  emergence  are  available  for  those locations, the rate of increase of sea level also includes that in addition to the changes due to climate change. For example, the higher rate of sea level increase at Diamond Harbour is also due to the larger land subsidence happening there. The same may apply to Kandla, Haldia and Port Blair as well.

|   S. No. | Location        |   Rate of change of sea- level (mm/year) | Duration of data used (years)   |
|----------|-----------------|------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | Chennai         |                                     0.33 | 1916-2005                       |
|        2 | Diamond Harbour |                                     5.16 | 1948-2005                       |
|        3 | Haldia          |                                     2.89 | 1972-2005                       |
|        4 | Kandla          |                                     3.18 | 1950-2005                       |
|        5 | Kochi           |                                     1.3  | 1939-2005                       |
|        6 | Mumbai          |                                     0.74 | 1878-2005                       |
|        7 | Paradeep        |                                     1.03 | 1966-2005                       |
|        8 | Port Blair      |                                     2.2  | 1916-1964                       |
|        9 | Vizag           |                                     0.97 | 1937-1988                       |
|       10 | Okha            |                                     1.5  | 1964-1991                       |

(c)  The  Government  is  implementing  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC) which comprises eight missions in specific areas of solar energy, energy efficiency, water, agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on  climate  change.  Thirty  three  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  have  prepared  their  State Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  in  line  with  NAPCC  taking  into  account  State's/UT's specific issues relating to climate change. Under the Paris  Agreement, India has submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) with target to reduce the emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 % by 2030 from 2005 level, to achieve about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030, and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2eq through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

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