Lok Sabha Question No. 3163 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-04
Subject: Impact of Climate Change on Rainfall Distribution Pattern
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: NINONG ERING

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO. 3163

ANSWERED ON 04.08.2016

## IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON RAINFALL DISTRIBUTION PATTERN

## 3163. SHRI NINONG ERING

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the implications of climate change on changing rainfall distribution pattern;

(b) whether enough research is being conducted in the matter and if so, the details and the progress thereof; and

(c) the manner in which the newly developed sustainable development goals with respect to water are to be achieved?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER  DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REWVENATION

(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)

(a) Climate  change  has  significant  impact  on  rainfall  distribution  pattern  of  the  country. Based on  the analysis of  rainfall  data  of  more than  100  years,    India  Meteorological Department  and  other  institutions have  observed  that  there  is  no  observed  significant  changes  in    all    India  southwest    monsoon    rainfall. However,  multi-decadal  epochs having frequent droughts and flood years with alternate sequence have been observed in  the all  India  monsoon  rainfall  data.  Significant  changes  in  distribution  of  rainfall pattern over regional  scales  and  also  increasing  trends  in  the  frequency  of   extreme rainfall events in different parts of the country are being observed.

(b) Yes, studies are being carried out in National and Academic Institutions like Indian Meteorological   Department,  Indian   Institute   of   Tropical Meteorology,  National Institute of Hydrology, Indian  Institute of Technologies and Indian Institute of Sciences.

(c) To   address   the     newly   developed   Sustainable     Development      Goals   ensuring availability and  sustainable management  of  water  and   sanitation  for  all  and   taking urgent action  to  combat climate change  and  its  impacts  in  particular,  the   Ministry  of Water  Resources,  River  Development  and  Ganga Rejuvenation    is  implementing  a number  of  schemes,  programmes  and  projects.  Important  ones  include analysis  of hydrological data  for  estimating floods of different return periods, developing  models for flood forecasting and providing flood forecasting services to all major flood prone inter-State river  basins of India, monitoring of selected major and medium irrigation projects    to  ensure  their    expeditious  implementation, developing  a  framework  to optimize water use by increasing water use efficiency by 20% in all the sectors, repair,  renovation  and restoration  of water  bodies,  enhanced  storage  both  above  and below  ground, rainwater  harvesting  coupled  with  equitable  and  efficient  management  structures,  design  of incentive structures  to promote  water  neutral  or water positive  technologies    and      integrated water  resource management   for    effective  basin  level  planning to  conserve  water,  minimize  wastage and  ensure  more equitable distribution across and within the States.

*****