Lok Sabha Question No. 800 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-23
Subject: Threat to Lakshadweep Archipelago
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 800

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2021

## Threat to Lakshadweep Archipelago

## 800. SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that rapid erosion, turbulent seas and rising ocean temperatures brought on by climate change pose serious threats to the Lakshadweep archipelago;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  steps  being  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  the  said issues?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  and  (b)Shoreline  change  including  erosion  and  sea  level  rise  are  slow  phenomena  and manifesting globally. The reason for coastal erosion processes and their pace, and turbulent seas cannot be attributablesolely to global warming, but are also affected by multiple other factors.Studies of National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management under the Ministry of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)indicate  various  patterns  namely, advancement of the sea landwards (erosion), advancement of the land towards sea (accretion) and stable shoreline.

Indian  Space  Research  Organisation  (ISRO)  alsohascarried  out  shoreline  change mapping on 1:25,000 scale for the entire Indian coast using high tide line demarcated from satellite images of 2004-06 and 2014-16 timeframes. The results show that around 8 percent of  the  shoreline  of  Lakshadweep  Islands  is  under  erosion,  9  percent  is  accreting  and  the remaining 83 percent of the shoreline shows no change with respect to 2004-06 timeframe.

As  per  Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  Services  (INCOIS),  on  an average, the sea level along the Indian coast is considered to be rising at about 1.7 mm/year. Further, as per the climate model projection studies supported bythe Department of Science and Technology, the sea-level rise in Lakshadweep archipelagomay range between 0.4 mm per year to 0.9 mm per year by the end of century.

(c)The MoEFCC issued an Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification on 8 th March 2019 which has laid due emphasis on management and conservation of unique island marine and  coastal  ecosystems,  development  in  coastal  areas,  eco-tourism,  livelihood  options  and sustainable development of the island communities etc.

Government  is  implementing  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (NAPCC) which provides an overarching policy framework for climate actions in the country with eight Missions: (i) National Solar Mission (ii) National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (iii)  National  Water  Mission  (iv)  National  Mission  on  Sustainable  Habitat  (v)  National Mission  on  Sustaining  Himalayan  Ecosystem  (vi)  National  Green  India  Mission  (vii) National  Mission  on  Sustainable  Agriculture  and  (viii)  National  Mission  on  Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change. To support the objectives of NAPCC, 33 States and Union Territories  have  prepared  their  State  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (SAPCC)  to  address State  specific  actions.  The  Union  Territory  (UT)  of  Lakshadweep  has  also  prepared Lakshadweep  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (LAPCC)  which  covers  the  actions  and initiatives by the Administration for coastal protection in the UT.  In addition, the Government has also establishedthe National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) to support climate adaptation actions of States and Union Territories in the country.

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