Lok Sabha Question No. 2894 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-21
Subject: Impact of Environment Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Pushpendra Singh Chandel

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2894

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.03.2022

## Impact of Environment Change

## 2894.  SHRIMATI MALA RAJYA LAXMI SHAH: SHRI KUNWAR PUSHPENDRA SINGH CHANDEL:

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

- (a) whether efforts are being made by the Government to assess the impact of environmental change in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has made an assessment of the impact of environment change on agriculture and other issues is Uttarakhand and Bundelkhand; 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)  The  Government  is  seized  of  the  matter.  The  actions  across  Ministries  and Departments of the Government of India to assess the impact of environmental change are evolving in keeping with new data and increased scientific knowledge on the subject. Such data and analyses are routinely carried out in the regular work of departments and ministries and incorporated in further schemes, plans and initiatives of the Government as notified from time to time. Experts and scientists in academia and think tanks are also consulted from time to time as need arises on these subjects.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Environment  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  Notification,  2006,as  amended  from  time  to  time. The  notification  deals  with  the  process  to  grant  Environmental  Clearance  (EC)  to  various development projects that may cause impact to the environment. Any likely impacts of such projects including pollution of groundwater, air and noise pollution, are assessed during its EIA and Environmental Management Plan(EMP) studies, which is mandatory for obtaining EC. The EC is granted to the project based on the appraisal of such project keeping in view EIA/EMP studies, and various conditions are stipulated therein to address and mitigate the environmental impacts.

(c) and (d) The impact of environmental changes on agriculture, and vice-versa, is the subject of  continuing  study  and  an  integral  part  of  the  mandate  of  the  Department  of  Agricultural Research and Education. Such studies and related interventions are carried out regularly by them and their findings made part of Government policies and schemes and programmes. The State  agricultural  universities  and  other  institutions  at  State  level  together  with  the  State agriculture departments also carry out similar work relevant to their State-level circumstances and conditions.

With respect to the particular global environmental change problem, that is climate change,  the  Government  is  implementing  the  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change (NAPCC)  which  provides  the  overarching  framework  for  climate  actions,  through  eight national  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  enhanced  energy  efficiency,  water, agriculture, Himalayan eco-system, sustainable habitat, green India and strategic knowledge on climate change. These Missions are institutionalized and implemented by their respective nodal Ministries. Under the NAPCC's overarching framework, thirty-three (33) States /UTs have  prepared  State  Action  Plans  on  Climate  Change  (SAPCC).  Further,  to  support adaptation measures in States / UTs in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change, Government is implementing the National Adaptation Fund for Climate  Change  (NAFCC).  Under  NAFCC,  30  projects  in  27  States/UTs  have  been sanctioned for adaptation in agriculture, water, forestry, etc.

Under the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change, a project titled 'Ecosystem services-based adaptation to climate change in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh' is being implemented  with  a  grant  of  Rs.  19.81  crore  covering  four  forest  divisions  viz.,  Banda, Hamirpur,  Orai  (Jalaun)  and  Chitrakoot.  The  project  aims  to  restore  degraded  forest  areas with involvement of local communities and improve community/grazing land, grassland and adjoining lands through agroforestry. Households in the project areas are being supported for informed decision making in the light of their vulnerability to climate change.

In  Uttarakhand,  a  project  under  Adaptation  Fund  (of  United  Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change) titled 'Climate smart actions and strategies in north western Himalayan region for sustainable  livelihoods  of agriculture-dependent  hill  communities' is being  implemented  with  a  grant  of  Rs  5.82  crore.  The  project  supports  climate  smart interventions in sustainable livelihood management by means of spring rejuvenation, roof top rainwater  harvesting,  introduction  of  drip  irrigation  for  increased  water  use  efficiency  and introduction  of  improved  horticulture  varieties  and  high  value  vegetable  cultivation  under protected  conditions  using  bamboo-based  poly  houses  etc.  The  communities  in  the  project areas  were  provided  training  and  exposure  visits  for  understanding  vulnerability  and adaptation to climatic change.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched a flagship network project 'National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture' (NICRA) in 2011. Under NICRA, climate resilient technologies  were  demonstrated  in  two  (2)  districts  of  Uttarakhand  (Tehri  Garhwal  and Uttarkashi) and three (3) districts each in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh (Chitrakoott, Hamirpur and Jhansi) and Madhya Pradesh (Tikamgarh, Datia and Chhatarpur).

*****