Lok Sabha Question No. 219 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-04
Subject: Protection and Conservation of Ecosystem
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 219

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 04.12.2023

## Protection and Conservation of Ecosystem

## 219. SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

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

- (a) whether the Government is of the view that protecting the ecosystem and implementing conservation measures can help to reduce the frequency of climate change incidents and to mitigate its impacts;
- (b) the various measures being taken by the Government in addition to environmental steps to address the issues related to climate change; and
- (c) the strategies being formulated by the Government to deal with three challenges namely climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c).

The  Government  of  India  has  been  undertaking  number  of  steps  aimed  at  protecting  the ecosystem and implementing conservation which have a direct/indirect impact on combating climate change. India has updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2022 and enhanced its target of electric power generation installed through non-fossil fuel to 50% by 2030 and to reduce the emission intensity of the GDP by 45% as compared to 2005 levels and has set a target for creation of carbon sink of 2.5 - 3 billion tons by 2030. The Government of India has also included a non quantitative target in the updated NDC namely LiFE - 'Lifestyle for  Environment'  as  a  key  to  combating  climate  change  by  involving  people's  everyday actions. Besides, India has also submitted its Long Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LTLEDS ) in COP 27 which has declared its goal of becoming net-zero by 2070.

The  Government  of  India  is  also  implementing  National  Action  Plan  on  Climate Change  (NAPCC)  which  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  energy efficiency, water, agriculture, Himalayan eco-system, sustainable habitat, green India, human health and strategic knowledge on climate change. These Missions are institutionalized and implemented by their respective nodal Ministries. Most of these Missions, inter-alia, focus on adaptation to combat the adverse impacts of climate change. The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions outlined under the NAPCC. It aims at protecting, restoring and enhancing India's forest cover and responding to Climate Change by undertaking plantation  activities  in  the  forest  and  non-forest  areas.  The Department  of  Science  and Technology  is  implementing  two  National  Mission  -  National  Mission  for  Sustaining  the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and National Mission on Strategic knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC). Under these Missions' support is being provided to various Institutions and Universities to carry out R&D studies related to climate change science and adaptation strategies. In order to address the problem of climate change, various mitigation and adaptation strategies have been suitably incorporated under several flagship Urban Missions/ Schemes of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) viz. Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBMU), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart Cities Mission (SCM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana  -  Urban  (PMAY-U)  and  Metro  Rail  Projects.  The Government has announced the scheme Amrit Dharohar to encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance bio-diversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities. Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) is being undertaken through NCM for protection of the shoreline and as a climate mitigation and adaptation measure.

DST has also supported 29 States/Union Territories to strengthen State Climate Change Cells (SCCCs) to take up vulnerability & risk assessment and State's specific issues relating to climate change which outline sector specific and cross sectoral priority actions  under State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC).

Government of India (GoI) has launched the Namami Gange Programme in 2014-15, to  accomplish  the  twin  objectives  of  effective  abatement  of  pollution,  conservation  and rejuvenation  of  National  River  Ganga  and  its  tributaries.  The  main  objective  of  river rejuvenation  programme  is  to  meet  the  primary  water  quality  criteria  for  outdoor  bathing notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by  2024.  City  Specific  Clean  Air  Action  Plans  have  been  prepared and  rolled  out  for implementation in132 non-attainment and million plus cities.

Government of India has launched several schemes/programmes which contribute to the  target  of  restoration  of  26  million  hectares  of  degraded  land  and  achievement  of  land degradation neutrality with focus on sustainable and optimum utilization of land resources. This  will  help  in  preserving  forests  and  biodiversity,  facilitating  conservation  of  natural resources and improving carbon sinks.

In  addition,  the  Government  of  India  has  taken  several  initiatives  for  protection  of Biodiversity and Conservation through various schemes like National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC); National Mission on Sustainable Habitat; National Water Mission; National Mission  for  Sustaining  Himalayan  Ecosystem;  Green  India  Mission;  National  Mission  for Sustainable  Agriculture,  National  Plan  for  conservation  of  Aquatic  Ecosystems  (NPCA); Biosphere  Reserve;  Watershed  Development  Project  in  Shifting  Cultivation  Areas;  Water Resources programme for Repair,  Renovation & Restoration of Water bodies; Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 is implemented through a three-tiered institutional mechanism,  namely  National  Biodiversity  Authority  (NBA)  at  the  national  level,  State Biodiversity Boards at the State level, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local body level. Till October 2023, 2,77,688 Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) have been constituted and 2,68,031 People's Biodiversity Registers ( PBRs) have been prepared by recording the local biodiversity and associated knowledge.