Lok Sabha Question No. 1751 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-13
Subject: Rising Sea Levels
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: D.K. Suresh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1751

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

## RISING SEA LEVELS

## 1751.  SHRI D.K. SURESH:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the sea level has been rising over the past century and the rate has accelerated in the recent decades;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has identified the areas that are under the threat due to rise in sea level, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has prepared any plan for the protection and preservation of the habitation, if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a) Yes sir.
- (b) According  to  the  latest  report  by  World  Meteorological  Organization  (WMO)  entitled "Provisional State of the Global Climate 2023", global sea level continued to rise in 2023. Further, the rate of sea level rise has accelerated in the recent decades.  The WMO report says that: "The long-term rate of sea level rise has more than doubled since the start of the satellite record, increasing from 2.14 mm per year between 1993 and 2002 to 4.72 mm per year between 2013 and 2022."
- (c) The direct impact of sea level rise on coastal areas has not been carried out by the Ministry. However, Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  and  Services  (INCOIS),  an autonomous institute under Ministry of Earth Sciences has carried out the following studies by incorporating sea level change as one among many other parameters.
- (i) Coastal  Vulnerability  Index  (CVI)  maps  at  1:100000  scale  have  been  prepared based on the assessment of probable implications to the coast due to sea level rise (climatic  and  momentary  due  to  tsunami/storm  surge),  coastal  slope,  shoreline change rate, coastal elevation, coastal geomorphology, tidal range  and significant wave height.
- (ii) INCOIS has also prepared the Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Maps (MHVM) for the mainland  of  India  at  1:25000  scale.  These  maps  were  prepared  based  on  the composites  of  extreme  water  levels  recorded  by  the  tide  gauges  and  published literature,  shoreline  change  rate  estimated  from  satellite  data,  rate  of  sea  level change and high-resolution topographic data (Airborne Lidar Terrain Mapping, and Digital  Terrain  Models  derived  from  Cartosat-1  data).  The  MHVM  indicates  the probable areas of the coast that would get flooded due to oceanogenic disasters like tsunamis and storm surges in 100-year return periods.
- (iii) A  'Hazard  line'  has  been  demarcated  by  the  Survey  of  India  (SOI)  taking  into account the extent of the flooding on the land area due to water level fluctuations, sea level rise and shoreline changes (erosion or accretion) occurring over a period of time.
- (d) The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  had  notified  the  Coastal Regulation  Zone  Notification 2019  issued  vide  the  Notification  G.S.R.  37(E)  dated  18th January 2019, with a view to ensuring livelihood security to the fisher communities and other  local  communities  living  in  the  coastal  areas,  to  conserve  and  protect  coastal stretches.  As  per  the  said  Notification,  coastal  areas  are  declared  as  Coastal  Regulation Zone, wherein setting up and expansion of industries, operation and process are restricted and require prior clearances for permitted and regulated activities as per provisions of the said Notifications.

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