Lok Sabha Question No. 1946 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-13
Subject: Effects of Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Malook Nagar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1946 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.03.2023

## Effects of Climate Change

## 1946.  SHRI MALOOK NAGAR:

(a) whether the Government has taken any preventive measures to deal with the losses taking places in the various parts of the country during each year due to untimely excessive rain and drought cause by the climate change, if so, the results thereof;

(b) whether the Government has formulated any action plan to deal with such situations in the future; and

(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the time by which it is likely to be taken?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c):    Climate  change  is  a  global  collective  action  problem  and  requires  international cooperation for its solution. Further, the science of attribution of changes in rainfall pattern and other weather related events is far more complex and is currently an evolving subject.   The changes as observed may rise from a number of causes, including the inherent variability in climatic systems that are common in the biosphere and geosphere.

The Government of India stands committed to address the challenges from climate change and has taken many steps through various Ministries, Departments, States and Union Territories including the following:

- i. The  Government  of  India  is  implementing  several  programmes  and  schemes through  relevant  Ministries  and  States  including  the  National  Action  Plan  on Climate  Change(NAPCC)  which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar energy,  energy  efficiency,  water,  sustainable  agriculture,  Himalayan  ecosystem, sustainable habitat, green India, andstrategic knowledge for climate change.
- ii. Thirty-four States /Union Territories (UTs) have prepared and some have updated their State Action Plans 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 and climate resilient infrastructure.

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- iii. Flood Forecasting on International & Inter-state Rivers is formulated and issued by the Central Water Commission (CWC) as short range forecasting and five day's advance flood advisory. As a non-structural measure of flood management, CWC issues flood forecasts for 333 forecasting stations (199 river level forecast stations & 134 dam/ barrage inflow forecast stations) in the country. These stations cover 20 major river basins in 23 States & 2 Union Territories.
- iv. India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences in collaboration with Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and other institutions is rendering District/Block level Agrometeorological Advisory Services (AAS) for the benefits of  farmers  in  the  country  under  the  scheme  'Gramin  Krishi  Mausam  Sewa (GKMS)'. The main emphasis of the existing AAS system is to collect and organize climate/weather, soil and crop information, and to amalgamate them with weather forecast to assist farmers to take decisions on day-to-day farm operations, which can further optimize the application of input resources at farm level during deficient rainfall  situation  and  extreme  weather  events  to  reduce  monetary  loss  and  to maximize crop yield.
- v. Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is implementing Per Drop More Crop scheme. It mainly focuses on water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation (Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation System).
- vi. Rainfed  Area  Development  (RAD)  Programme  under  National  Mission  for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) focuses on Integrated Farming System (IFS) for enhancing productivity and minimizing risks associated with climatic variability. Under  this system, crops/cropping  system  is  integrated  with  activities like horticulture, livestock, fishery, agro-forestry, apiculture etc. to enable farmers not only in maximizing farm returns for sustaining livelihood, but also to mitigate the impacts of drought, flood or other extreme weather events.
- vii. Flood management and anti-erosion schemes are formulated and implemented by concerned  State  Governments  as  per  their  priority.  The  Union  Government supplements  the  efforts  of  the  States  by  providing  technical  guidance  and promotional financial assistance for management of floods in critical areas.
- viii. Guidelines have been prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority to enable the various implementers and stakeholder agencies to address effectively the critical areas for minimising flood damages.
- ix. National  Disaster  Management  Plan  (NDMP)  has  been  formulated  to  assist  all stakeholders including State Governments in disaster risk management of various hazards including hazards related to climate change.

- x. Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research  (ICAR),  Ministry  of  Agriculture  and Farmers  Welfare  has  launched  a  flagship  network  project  namely  National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA). The project aims to develop and promote climate resilient agriculture to address vulnerable areas of the country and help the districts and regions to cope up with extreme weather conditions like droughts, floods, frost, heat waves, etc.
- xi. Government  of  India  has  implemented  Integrated  Coastal  Zone  Management project  (ICZMP)  that  has  contributed,  inter-alia,  mapping  of  hazard  line,  Ecosensitive Area, Sediment cell for the entire coastline of India. This line is required to  be  used  by  the  Coastal  State  agencies  concerned  as  a  tool  for  Disaster Management  for  the  coastal  environment,  including  planning  of  adaptive  and mitigation measures.

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