Lok Sabha Question No. 2426 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-18
Subject: Rising Sea Level
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Maddila  Gurumoorthy, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2426

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2023

## Rising Sea Level

## 2426.   SHRI MADDILA GURUMOORTHY:

## SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that India is one of the few countries at the greatest risk of experiencing rising sea levels worldwide and subsequently, an increased risk of flooding;
- (b) if so, the steps taken by the Government to mitigate such effects;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to enhance resilience against climate change for extra  vulnerable  States  like Andhra  Pradesh which has  the second longest coastline and most vulnerable to climate events like floods and cyclones;
- (d) whether the Government plan to invest in national projects like application of Space Technology,  as  recommended  by  NITI  Aayog  to  obtain  real-time  information  on major disasters like floods and cyclones; and
- (e) 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)  Sea  level  rise  is  a  slow  phenomenon  and  varies  globally  depending  on  local  site factors.  As  per  the  Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change  (IPCC)  Working  Group  I report  released  in August  2021,  global mean sea level rose by 0.20 (0.15-0.25) m between 1901 and 2018.

The average rate of sea level rise was 1.3 (0.6-2.1) mm/year between 1901-1971, increasing to 1.9 (0.8-2.9) mm/year between 1971 and 2006, and further increasing to 3.7 (3.2 to 4.2) mm/year between 2016 and 2018. In line with this global trend and based on the study by the Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  Services  (INCOIS)  as  well  as  the  studies published in scientific literature, on an average, at present, the sea level along the Indian coast is  estimated  to  be  rising  at  about  1.7  mm/year.  It  was  observed  that  the  sea  levels  are changing at different rates along the Indian coast. The rate of sea level rise may also include manifestations  in  sea  level  change  due  to  the  subsidence  or  upliftment  of  land  at  those locations.  Since  no  long-term  data  on  land  subsidence  or  upliftment  is  available  for  these locations,  the  rate  of  increase  of  sea  level  due  to  the  changes  in  climate  could  not  be separated.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has commissioned a study to  assess  the  extent  of  effects  of  climate  change  and  rising  sea  levels  on  the  coastline including Andhra Pradesh. Under the project titled "Enhancing Climate Resilience of India's Coastal Communities", supported by the Green Climate Fund, an integrated coastal climate vulnerability assessment framework has been developed, including gender aspects, for use in adaptation planning at village and landscape levels, which includes assessment of physical, ecological and socio-economic vulnerabilities of the Indian coastal landscape.

Further,  National  Disaster  Management  Authority(NDMA)  has  undertaken  the  flood  risk assessment for all the flood prone districts in India in consultation with the states. NDMA has undertaken  the  study  to  prepare  district  level  flood  hazard  atlas.  The  preparation  of  flood hazard  Atlas  was  entrusted  to  National  Remote  Sensing  Centre  (NRSC),  Hyderabad.  The district wise flood hazard Atlases have been prepared for most flood vulnerable states which includes  the  state  of  Andhra  Pradesh.  The  Government  of  India  is  committed  to  take proactive  steps  in  combating  sea  erosion  and  protection  of  India's  coastal  areas  and  the coastal  communities.  The  MoEFCC  has  notified  the  Coastal  Regulation  Zone  (CRZ) Notification, 2019 with a view to conserving and protecting coastal stretches, marine areas and  to  ensure  livelihood  security  for  fishermen  and  other  local  communities.  The  CRZ Notification  permits  establishment  of  erosion  control  measures  (preferably  soft  solutions) along the coast.

To  protect  the  coastal  areas  from  erosion,  initiatives  such  as  mangrove  plantations  and shelterbelt plantations have been carried out for the entire coastline of India. A new scheme 'Mangrove  Initiative  for  Shoreline  Habitats  &  Tangible  Incomes'  (MISHTI)  envisage  to comprehensively explore the possible area for development of Mangroves  covering approximately 540 Sq. Kms. spreading across 11 States and 2 Union Territories during five years commencing FY 2023-24 onwards.

Schemes  /  programmes  such  as  the  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and Planning Authority  (CAMPA), National Afforestation  Programme etc. support afforestation activities  across  the  country,  including  in  coastal  districts  of Andhra  Pradesh.  Besides,  the State  has  its  own  conservation  and  afforestation  programmes,  including  for  mangroves. Further, the Central Water Commission has published guidelines for "Protection and Control of Coastal Erosion in India" in 2020 to provide the preliminary design parameters for suitable coastal protection works for different stretches of coastline. MoEFCC has also delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country. The hazard line is indicative of the shoreline changes,  including  sea  level  rise  due  to  climate  change.  This  line  is  used  by  agencies  in Coastal  States  as  a  tool  for  disaster  management  including  planning  of  adaptive  and mitigation measures.

Further, National Disaster Management  Authority (NDMA)  has constructed 'Saline Embankment' in  the  State  of Andhra  Pradesh  and  Odisha  to  guide  the  flow  and  to  avoid flooding  and  ingress  of  salinity  into  the  habitations  and  agriculture  lands  under  National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP).

(d)  and  (e)  National  Information  system  for  Climate  and  Environment  Studies  (NICES)  at National  Remote  Sensing  Centre  (NRSC),  Indian  Space  Research  Organisation  (ISRO)  is providing  information  on  geophysical  variables,  relevant  to  climate  and  environmental variables, derived from space and ground-based observations. These include ocean, atmosphere,  terrestrial  and  cryospheric  products,  which  are  being  made  accessible  through NICES/Bhuvan geoportal.

Government  of  India,  under  Deep  Ocean  Mission  (DOM)  via  Indian  National  Centre  for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) deploying various state of art instruments like Argo floats,  glides  etc.  Along  with  these  instruments  and  satellite  data  and  models,  INCOIS  is studying the impact of sea level in the Indian Ocean region.

A web based Dynamic Composite Risk Atlas and Decision Support System (Web-DCRA and DSS)  Tool  for  Cyclone  impacts  forecasting  covering  all  13  coastal  States  and  Union Territories of the country has been developed under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project Phase II. The Web-DCRA tool provides real-time forecast for location specific cyclonic wind and  inundation  level  due  to  storm  surge,  cyclone  induced  rainfall  and  riverine  States  for evacuation planning and placing of resources such as National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Fire and Emergency services and community volunteers/task forces for real time response.

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