Lok Sabha Question No. 818 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Problems due to Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hemant Patil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 818

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2021

## Problems due to Climate Change

## 818. SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL:

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

- (a) whether rise in temperature in most parts of Maharashtra due to climate change has resulted in extreme heat, rain and drought in several areas;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any scheme has been formulated by the Government to resolve the problems arising due to climate change; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  and  (b)As  per  the  World  Meteorological  Organization,  average  global  temperature  for 2015-2019  is  estimated  to  be  1.1  degree  Celsius  above  pre-industrial(1850-1900)  level. According  to  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences,  in  line  with  rising  temperatures  across  the globe, all India mean temperature has risen by nearly 0.7degree Celsius during 1901 to 2018. Furthermore, based on India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, linear trends over the period 1951-2015 show a decrease in annual as well as seasonal summer rainfall over the Madhya Maharashtra region. Long-term (1901-2002) multiple data sources and methods also reveal that droughts are becoming much more regional in recent decades, and an increase has been  observed  in the duration, severity and spatial extent of  droughts over central Maharashtra.

However, there is no established study for India providing a quantified contribution of climate  change  triggering  extreme  heat,  rain  and  drought.  While  many  studies  monitor disasters  such  as  drought,  heat,  and  floods,  the  science  of  attribution  of  these  changes particularly to climate change is far more complex and currently an evolving subject. Such changes  as  observed  may  also  arise  from  a  number  of  causes,  including  the  inherent variability in the climate systems that are common in the biosphere and the geosphere. Most studies so far have relied on mathematical modelling of climate change impacts but these are yet to be empirically verified.

(c)  and  (d)The  Government  stands  committed  to  combating  climate  change  through  its several programs and schemes. This includes implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate  Change  (NAPCC),  which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy, energy efficiency, water, agriculture, Himalayan ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, and strategic knowledge on climate change. The NAPCC provides an overarching framework for all climate actions. Thirty-three States/Union Territories have prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues  relating  to  climate  change.  These  SAPCCs  outline sector-specific  and  cross-sectoral priority actions, including adaptation.

The  Government  is  also  implementing  the  scheme,  'National  Adaptation  Fund  for Climate Change' to support adaptation measures of States/UTs in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate Change. The State of Maharashtra has prepared the Maharashtra State Adaptation Action Plan on Climate Change which focuses on eight key sectors i.e. agriculture, water, health, forests, rural development, urban development, disaster management and energy.

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