Lok Sabha Question No. 3163 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-19
Subject: Adverse Effects of  Climate Change in Ocean Areas
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3163

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 19 TH  MARCH, 2025

## Adverse Effects of Climate Change in Ocean Areas

## 3163.   SHRI PARSHOTTAMBHAI RUPALA:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the reason for Ocean Areas suffering the most due to intense adverse effects of climate events;
- (b) whether it is due to overground and underground salinity ingress apart from cyclones and if so, the details thereof; and;
- (c) the details of the Action plan and its actual progress thereof, State/UT-wise including the State of Gujarat?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) The Indian Ocean has been warming rapidly over the last few decades. An estimate based on  Enhanced  Reconstructed  Sea  Surface  Temperature  (ERSSTv4)  indicates  that  the tropical Indian Ocean is warming at a rate of 0.15 degC per decade during 1951-2015. The SST trend during 1982-2019 for the Arabian Sea indicates that annual anomalous warming of ~ 1.5 deg C in the recent decade is limited to the northern part of the Arabian Sea and ~ 0.75 deg C in some parts of the southern Arabian Sea. Owing to this rapid warming,  the  duration  (frequency)  of  Marine  Heat  Waves  (MHW)  exhibits  a  rapidly increasing trend of ~ 20 days per decade in the northern Arabian Sea and the southeastern Arabian Sea close to the west coast of India, which is a multifold increase in MHW days (frequency)  from  the  1980s.  Moreover,  longer  heatwave  days  are  also  associated  with dominant  climate  modes.  The  decaying  phase  of  El  Niño  is  the  most  influential  mode contributing  to  more  than  70  %-80%  of  observed  heatwave  days  in  the  Indian  Ocean basin.  Also,  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  (MoES)  in  2020  has  published  a  report 'Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region', which contains a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change upon the Indian subcontinent.
- (b) Yes Sir. Apart from the effects of cyclones and other extreme weather events, overground and underground salinity ingress are significant contributors to the suffering of  coastal regions and ocean areas.

In coastal areas where storm surges from frequent cyclones occur, salinity can increase rapidly,  further  affecting  both  human  settlements  and  ecosystems.  Overground  salinity ingress leads to the degradation of freshwater habitats, reduced agricultural productivity and loss of critical ecosystems like wetlands and mangroves.

Also, underground salinity ingress ( groundwater salinization) which has been increasing with rising sea levels, poses a significant challenge to communities  relying on groundwater  for  drinking  and  irrigation.  This  also  intensifies  the  long-term  effects  of climate change, particularly in low-lying coastal areas. Together with cyclones and other storm-related  phenomena,  salinity  intrusion  worsens  the  existing  fragile  conditions  in many coastal regions.

Further,  during  high  tides,  tidal  ingress  occurs  in  upper  aquifers  and  low-lying  marshy lands inundated by sea water resulting into mixing of saline sea water with ground water in aquifers. The downward seepage in these areas increases ground water salinity.

- (c) The Government of India has put in place various strategies and action plans aimed at mitigating  the  impacts  of  climate  change  on  coastal  areas  focusing  on  adaptation, mitigation, and resilience-building. Some of the major strategies are:
-  National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
-  State Action Plan on Climate Change.
-  National Mission for Sustainable Habitat,
-  National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture,
-  National Mission for Green India.
-  Renewable Energy development plans
-  Water Conservation
-  Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM),
-  Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification
-  Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP)

For realization of these proposed actions at the sub-national level, the state government has created its own state level action plan consistent with strategies in the National Plan. Thirty-four States /Union Territories (UTs) have already prepared and some have updated their  State  Action  Plan  on  Climate  Change  (SAPCC)  in  line  with  NAPCC  taking  into account the State-specific issues relating to climate change.

The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC) was established to support adaptation activities in the States and Union Territories (UTs) of India that are vulnerable to  the  adverse  effects  of  climate  change.  Further,  the  National  Disaster  Management Authority (NDMA) has issued several disaster specific guidelines for managing extreme weather-related disasters such as cyclones, floods, landslides and heat waves.

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.

Furthermore,  advance  and  early  warning  systems  are  being  implemented  by  Indian Meteorological Department to facilitate timely evacuation in the event of floods/cyclones and prevent the loss of lives.

Government  of  India  has  implemented  Integrated  Coastal  Zone  Management  project (ICZMP)  that  has  contributed,  inter-alia,  mapping  of  hazard  line,  Eco-sensitive  Area, Sediment cell for the entire coastline of India.

As part of Gujarat, Gujarat Government's department of Climate Change was set up on September 2009 with a vision to act as a bridge within the Government, and between the Government and society to address Climate Change related aspects.