Lok Sabha Question No. 1792 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-13
Subject: Rise in Earth Temperature
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Queen Oja

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1792

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 13 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## RISE IN EARTH TEMPERATURE

## 1792.    SHRIMATI QUEEN OJA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken any steps to limit the Earth's temperature that is to rise by 1.5 degree celsius by the end of 2023;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the main impact of rise in temperature is severe drought, heat  waves and less rain, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is true that if the temperature of the Earth rises the ice glaciers will melt and is likely to prove as a big danger for human life; and
- (e) if so, the facts thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a)-(b)  The Government has taken due note of the rise in temperature of the planet. Ministry has assessed the impact of climate change across the country covering all aspects of regional climate change

To hold the planet's long-term average temperature to below the 1.5-degree threshold, the world  will  have  to  reach  net  zero  emissions  by  the  year  2050,  according  to  the Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change  (IPCC).  Despite  not  being  a  significant contributor to the problem of climate change, India has demonstrated a proactive stance by surpassing its fair share of efforts to address this global issue. The Indian government remains steadfast in its commitment to combat climate change through various programs and initiatives, such as the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC). These plans encompass specific missions in areas  like  solar  energy,  energy  efficiency,  water  conservation,  sustainable  agriculture, health, Himalayan ecosystem preservation, sustainable habitat development, Green India, and  strategic  knowledge  for  climate  change.  The  NAPCC  serves  as  a  comprehensive framework for all climate-related actions. Additionally, India has taken a proactive role in fostering  international  collaborations  through  initiatives  such  as  the  International  Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure.

- (c) The  IPCC  Assessment  Report  6  (AR6)  documents  that  temperature  rise  to  date  has already resulted  in  profound  alterations  to  human  and  natural  systems,  including increases in droughts, floods, extreme weather; sea level rise; and biodiversity loss which are causing unprecedented risks to vulnerable persons and populations. Even the MoES assessment  report  documents  that  the  surface  air  temperature  over  India  has  risen  by about 0.7 °C during 1901-2018 which is accompanied with an increase in atmospheric moisture  content.  The  sea  surface  temperatures  in  the  tropical  Indian  Ocean  have  also increased by about 1 °C during 1951-2015.
- (d) Yes  Sir.  Glaciers  are  highly  sensitive  to  temperature  changes,  and  rising  temperatures will enhance glacier melt.
- (e) The  melting  of  glaciers  can  have  significant  implications  for  human  life  and  the environment,  such  as  water  availability,  rising  sea  levels  etc.  Melting  glaciers  can initially  increase  water  flow,  but  reduced  glacier  mass  can  lead  to  decreased  water availability  later,  affecting  agriculture,  drinking  water,  and  ecosystems  dependent  on consistent  water  sources.  Increased  glacier  melt  may  also  trigger  several  hazards  like snow-ice  avalanches,  debris-flows,  glacial  lake  outburst  floods  (GLOFs),  resulting  in devastating flash floods downstream.

Several  Indian  institutes/universities/organizations  funded  by  the  Government  of  India monitor  Himalayan  glaciers  and  have  reported  accelerated  heterogeneous  mass  loss  as given below:

-  The  mean  retreat  rate  of  Hindu  Kush  Himalayan  glaciers  is  14.9  ±  15.1 meter/annum (m/a); which varies from 12.7 ± 13.2 m/a in Indus, 15.5 ± 14.4 m/a in Ganga and 20.2 ± 19.7 m/a in Brahmaputra River basins.
-  The glacier inventory prepared by National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) for the Chandra basin shows that it has lost about 6% of its glacial area during last 20 years and 2.4 meter water equivalent (m.w.e.)  to 9 m w.e. ice mass during 2013-2021.
-  The glaciers in Bhaga basin lost huge ice mass in the range 6 m.w.e. to 9 m.w.e. during 2008-2021. Annual rate of retreat of Chandra basin glaciers vary from 13 to 33 meter/year during last decade.
-  Glaciers  in  the  Garhwal  Himalaya  shows  significant  heterogeneities  in  glacier thinning  and  surface  flow  velocity  patterns.  The  observed  retreats  are  15-20 m/year  for  the  Dokriani  Glacier  in  Bhagirathi  basin,  9-11  m/year  Chorabari Glacier  in  Mandakini  basin,  ~12  m/year  at  Durung-Drung  and  ~  5.6  m/year  at Pensilungpa glaciers in Suru basin.

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