Lok Sabha Question No. 3081 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal, Badruddin Ajmal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3081 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2023

## Climate Change

## 3081.   SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL; SHRI M. BADRUDDIN AJMAL

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted such study on climate change and its effects etc. and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  negative  effects  on  the  agriculture  sector  have  been  highlighted  in  the study and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  works  carried  out  as  per  the  commitment  made  by  India  in International for a to tackle climate change;
- (d) whether deforestation is one of the major reasons for climate change causing serious threat to the health, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to preserve the forest area; and
- (f) whether  steps  taken  to  create  awareness  among  people  for  plantation  around  them even though small plant for fresh environment around them, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) The Government of India through its various Ministries and Departments continues to assess the impacts of climate change taking into account new data and increased scientific knowledge on  the  subject.  Such  data  and  analyses  are  routinely  carried  out  in  the  regular work of Ministries/Departments and incorporated further in schemes, plans and initiatives of the Government as notified from time to time.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under flagship project NationalInnovations in  Climate  Resilient  Agriculture  (NICRA)  has  studied  the  effects  of  climatechange  on agriculture sector. In the absence of adoption of adaptation measures, rainfed rice yields in India is projected to reduce by 20% in 2050 and 47% in 2080 scenarioswhile, irrigated rice yields are projected to reduce by 3.5% in 2050 and 5% in 2080 scenarios.Climate change is projected to reduce wheat yield by 19.3% in 2050 and 40% in 2080scenarios towards the end of the century with significant spatial and temporal variations.Climate change is projected to reduce the kharif maize yields by 18 to 23% in 2050 and 2080scenarios.

(d)  to  (f)    Anthropogenic  Climate  Change  is  caused  due  to  emission  of  Greenhouse  Gases (GHGs) from various sources including from deforestation.

The Government of India is implementing various programmes to improve and increase the forest  &  tree  cover  in  the  country  through  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  such  as  National Afforestation  Programme  (NAP)  and  National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM).    The Ministry  also  supports  school  nursery  and  urban  forestry  programmes  through  people's participation.  Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various  programmes/funding sources such as Compensatory Afforestation Funds under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management  and  Planning  Authority  (CAMPA),  afforestation  activities  under  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), National Agro-forestry Policy  and  Sub-mission  on  Agro-forestry  (SMAF),  National  Bamboo  Mission  and  National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.  In addition  to above, State and UT  Governments have their own afforestation and reforestation programmes. Almost every state has activities under social forestry, which largely focuses on tree planting in the areas outside forests. In addition, plantations  are  also  done  by  various  Departments,  Non-Government  Organizations,  Civil Society, Corporate bodies, etc.

The  multi  Departmental  efforts  have  yielded  good  results  in  addressing  the  problem  of deforestation, which is evident from the fact that the forest cover has been increasing over the years.  As  per  the  latest  ISFR  2021,  the  total  forest  cover  of  the  country  has  increased  by 12,294 square kilometres in the last seven years (ISFR 2015 to ISFR 2021).

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