Lok Sabha Question No. 378 (STARRED), answered on 2019-12-13
Subject: Study on Global Warming
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rajiv Pratap Rudy

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 378

TO BE ANSWERED ON 13-12-2019

## Study on Global Warming

## *378. SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted or proposes to conduct a detailed study on global warming and depletion of sources of water as a result thereof;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the technologies proposed to be used or being put into use to address the issue;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study on the impact of global warming on marine flora and fauna; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  378  BY  SHRI  RAJIV  PRATAP  RUDY  REGARDING 'STUDY ON GLOBAL WARMING' DUE FOR REPLY ON 13-12-2019.

(a)  and (b): Non-climatic drivers  such  as  water  withdrawals;  rate  of  economic  development and urbanization; land use change or natural geomorphic changes, etc..challenge the sustainability of water resources. The fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate  Change  also  noted  that  end  to  end  attribution,  from  climate  change  to  impacts  on freshwater resources is not attempted in most studies. Attribution of observed changes in ground water  level,  storage  or  discharge  to  climate  changes  is  also  difficult  owing  to  additional influences  of  non-climatic  drivers.    As  part  of  the  first  and  second  National  Communications submitted  to  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change  (UNFCCC),  the Ministry conducted studies on impact of climate change in India which are summarized in the 'Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation' chapters.

Government  of  India,  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti  is  implementing  various  programs  and scheme  on  conservation  of  water  resources  in  the  Country.  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan  has  been launched, which is a time bound campaign, with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability, including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, teams of officers from Central Government along-with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions. National Hydrology Project  is  being  implemented,  with  World  Bank  assistance  to  improve  the  extent,  quality  and accessibility  of  water  resources  information  and  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  water  resources management  institutions  in  India.  This  will  ensure  availability  of  reliable,  real-time  and continuous data for informed decision making. For this purpose, modern technologies like Lidar mapping,  Real  Time  Data  Acquisition  System  through  telemetry,  SCADA  system  for  Water Resources  management  and  advanced  information  technology  based  information  system  are being used.

(c) and (d) : As per the Special Report on 'The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate' released in September 2019 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), since about 1950; many marine species across various groups have undergone shifts in geographical range and seasonal activities in response to ocean warming, sea ice change and biogeochemical changes, such as oxygen loss, to their habitats. This has resulted in shifts in species composition, abundance and biomass production of ecosystems, from the equator to the poles. However, in some  marine  ecosystems,  species  are  impacted  by  both  the  effects  of  fishing  and  climate changes.  The  report  also  states  that  the  coastal  ecosystem  are  affected  by  ocean  warming, including intensified marine heat waves, acidification, loss of oxygen, salinity intrusions and sea level rise, in combination with adverse effects from human activities on ocean and land.

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has also been entrusted to carry out the climate change impact studies on Indian marine fisheries sector through multiple projects viz 'National  network  project  on  climate  change'  (2004-2007),  'National  Innovations  in  Climate Resilient Agriculture' (NICRA) (2010-2020) funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research

(ICAR), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change funded project entitled 'Impacts, Vulnerabilities and Adaptation Strategies for Marine Fisheries of India' (2017-2020). The preliminary investigations reveal strong correlations of sea surface temperature change with abundance of marine plankton species, fish eggs and larvae. The studies of marine fauna reveals that  variations  in  oceanographic  parameters-  sea  surface  temperature,  current  speed,  wind  and rainfall,  etc.  do  have  influence  on  the  food  and  feeding,  maturity  and  spawning,  distribution range, abundance and catch of several marine fish species.

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