Lok Sabha Question No. 4367 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Studies for Climate Change
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Ajay Bhatt

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4367 TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 18 TH  MARCH, 2026

## STUDIES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

## †4367. SHRI AJAY BHATT:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details  of the  number of programmes being run at the national level to conduct studies related to climate change particularly in Uttarakhand along with the time since when the said programmes have been operational;
- (b) the details of the funds being spent annually on the said programmes, State-wise; and
- (c) whether the programmes orgainised for the study of climate change during the last three years have helped in preventing accidents/adverse effects caused by climate change and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) had established the Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune in 2010. The centre has been undertaking studies related to climate change and its impacts across various parts of the Indian region, including the State of Uttarakhand. This center has published a report, "Assessment of Climate Change over the Indian Region". The report is available at the following link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978981-15-4327-2. The  India  Meteorological  Department  (IMD) routinely  collects  and updates observational data for climate monitoring and publishes climate diagnostics and long-term climate trend analyses based on datasets available from various States, including Uttarakhand, from time to time. Further, IMD also studied changing rainfall patterns in the country and extremes in the recent 30 years at different spatial scales (States  and  Districts).  A  total  of  29  reports  on  "Observed  Rainfall  Variability  and Changes" for various States/UTs were published and are publicly available.

The  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST)  is  implementing  two  National Missions  on  Climate  Change:  the  National  Mission  on  Strategic  Knowledge  for Climate Change (NMSKCC) and the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem  (NMSHE).  Under  these  missions,  various  research  and  development programmes and capacity building programmes are being supported.

Under NMSKCC, DST has supported a study to conduct the vulnerability mapping of Indian  states  and  published  the  report  'Vulnerability  Profiles  for  India:  State  and District Level using a Common Framework'. This report identifies the most vulnerable States and Districts in India, including Uttarakhand, with respect to the current climate and the main drivers of vulnerability.

- (b) The  Ministry  implements  Central  Sector  Schemes  uniformly  across  the  country; therefore, the allocation of funds is not made on a State-wise basis. Funds under these schemes  are  not  released  directly  by  the  MoES  to  the  State  Governments  for implementation.
- (c) Yes. The programmes and studies related to climate change and extreme weather have been conducted by IMD and other institutions under the Ministry of Earth Sciences over the last three years, demonstrating a trend of increasing frequency of heavy rainfall events during the monsoons of 2023 and 2025. This has helped improve the region's monitoring and early warning system through the installation of additional observational systems, e.g., DWR and AWS/ARG, and the identification of hotspots. New high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, such as BharatFS, have  been  developed  to  improve  real-time  forecasting  of  these  events.  These  new developments  have  been  helping  improve  the  monitoring  and  forecasting  of  these events and, in turn, reduce the adverse impacts of weather- and climate-related events through improved monitoring, forecasting, and early warning services. IMD has also adopted Impact-Based Forecast (IBF) and risk-based warnings since 2019 for severe weather  events  such  as  heavy  rainfall,  cyclones,  heat  waves,  cold  waves,  and thunderstorms at district and city levels. These warnings are disseminated to disaster management authorities and the public through multiple platforms to enable timely preparedness and response measures. Due to improvements in forecasting techniques, observational networks, Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs), and NWP models, timely warnings and evacuation measures have significantly reduced loss of human lives from extreme weather events in India over the years.

Recently, the India Meteorological Department, in coordination with other centres in the MoES, has developed an end-to-end GIS-based Decision Support System (DSS), which has been working as the front end of the early warning systems for the timely detection and monitoring of all-weather hazards across the country. It is supported with specific severe weather modules to provide timely impact-based early warnings for extreme weather events like cyclones, heavy rainfall, droughts, etc., which devastate human  lives,  livelihoods,  and  infrastructure.  The  system  utilizes  historical  data, including extreme events, as well as real-time surface and upper-air meteorological observations available for the Indian region and its neighbouring areas. It also includes radar observations, available every 10 minutes, and satellite products every 15 minutes. It also uses numerical weather prediction products from a suite of models run in the MoES institutions.  These  include  hyperlocal,  regional,  and  global  models.  Further, IMD  plays  a  crucial  role  in  safeguarding  lives  and  property  through  its  advanced observational  network  and  forecasting  systems,  enabling  timely  preparedness  and response  in  close  collaboration  with  the  National  Disaster  Management  Authority (NDMA).  This  coordinated  approach  ensures  that  accurate  and  timely  weather information reaches authorities and the public, enhancing disaster risk reduction efforts across the country.

IMD has also brought out a web-based "Climate Hazard & Vulnerability Atlas of India" prepared for the thirteen most hazardous meteorological events, which cause extensive damage  and  economic,  human,  and  animal  losses.  The  same  can  be  accessed  at https://imdpune.gov.in/hazardatlas/abouthazard.html. This atlas will help State Government  authorities  and  disaster  management  agencies  identify  the  hotspots, including  vulnerable  urban  and  rural  areas,  and  plan and  take  appropriate  action  to tackle extreme  weather events.  This product is helpful in building Climate changeresilient infrastructure.

IMD has been  using  all  the  latest  available  communication  systems  for  improving outreach.  Early  warning  dissemination  has  been  strengthened  through  official  IMD websites, API based direct to the users, Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), WhatsApp groups,  mobile  applications,  web  portals,  SMS  alerts,  and  closer  coordination  with disaster management authorities. Social Media Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram have been widely used by IMD.

IMD has launched seven of its services (Current Weather, Nowcast, City Forecast, Rainfall Information, Tourism Forecast, Warnings, and Cyclone) with the 'UMANG' Mobile  App  for  use  by  the  public.  Moreover,  IMD  developed  a  mobile  App, 'MAUSAM' for weather forecasting, 'Meghdoot' for Agromet advisory dissemination, and  'Damini'  for  lightning  alerts.  The  Common  Alert  Protocol,  developed  by  the NDMA, is also being implemented by the IMD to disseminate warnings.

DST has established State Climate Change Cells (SCCCs) in 30 States/UTs with the aim to assist States to take up vulnerability and risk assessment, human & institutional capacity building programs, and public awareness programs to prepare the community from adverse effects caused by climate change.

The India Meteorological Department, in collaboration with various research centers across the country, has undertaken several initiatives to enhance monitoring and early warning systems across the country.  These efforts have  significantly contributed to minimizing  loss  of  life  and  property  during  extreme  weather  events  driven  by  a changing climate.

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