Lok Sabha Question No. 1147 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Impact of Climate Change on Eco-Systems
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1147

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Impact of Climate Change on Eco-Systems

## 1147. DR. P.K. BIJU:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study to assess the impact of climate change on different eco-systems including agriculture in India during the last two years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any action plan has been  chalked  out  by  Government  to  combat  ill  effects  of climate changes in coordination with the global agencies; and
- (d) if so, the details and the features of such action plan?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  and  (b)  Under  the  National  Innovations  in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  (NICRA)  project implemented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during 2011-2017, studies were  conducted  on  likely  impact  of  changing  weather  variables  on  crop  yields  across  the country. Wheat  yield is  projected  to  reduce by  6  to  12%  towards  the  end  of  the century  with significant spatio-temporal variations. Analysis of rainfall variability and rainfed rice productivity indicates close correlation of rice yields to monthly rainfall with largest variations during second fortnight of September.

Further, a report titled 'Climate Change and India: A 4X4 Assessment - A Sectoral and  Regional Analysis  for  2030s'  of  this  Ministry  provides  assessment  of  impacts  of  climate change in 2030 in 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.

(c) and (d) Climate change is a global phenomenon and requires cooperation of all nations based on  the  principle  of  'Common  but  Differentiated  Responsibilities  and  Respective  Capabilities'. India  is  a  Party  to  the  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change,  its  Kyoto Protocol  and  the  Paris  Agreement.  India  is  meeting  its  commitments  under  the  aforesaid instruments.

Actions  by  eight  missions  under  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change (NAPCC)  are  being  implemented  by  various  Ministries  in  the  area  of  solar  energy,  energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, Himalayan ecosystem, Green India, sustainable agriculture and  strategic  knowledge  for  climate  change.  Thirty  two  States/Union  Territories  have  also prepared State Action Plan on Climate Change in line with NAPCC taking into account State's specific issues relating to climate change.

Under NICRA, heat and drought tolerant wheat, flood tolerant rice, drought tolerant pulses, water logging and high temperature tolerant tomato varieties have been developed. ICAR in collaboration with International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics has worked on a project for enhancing resilience to climate variability and change in watersheds with a focus on  groundnut  and  pigeon  pea  in  the  Indian  semi-arid  tropics.  The  Technology  Demonstration Component of NICRA enhances resilience and adaptive capacity of the farmers and addresses climate variability in 151 climatically vulnerable districts of the country.

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