Lok Sabha Question No. 240 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Impact of Climate Change
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Thiru D M Kathir Anand

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 240

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Impact of Climate Change

## 240.     THIRU D M KATHIR ANAND: DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

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

- (a) whether it is fact that the cumulative effect of green-house gases disrupts climatic systems, resulting in more frequent and severe weather events, rising sea levels, and widespread ecological impacts in turn, has a direct effect on food production, housing, economy, health, society and politics, if so, the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (b) whether it is true that the women in the country especially the rural areas bear the heavy burden of ill effects of climate change and if so, the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) & (b) As per the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 level in the decade of 2011-2020. The Working Group II in its contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, dealing with Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, has reported that worldwide climate change is increasingly affecting marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and ecosystem services, water and food security, settlements and infrastructure, health and well-being, and economies and culture, especially through compound stresses and events.

The  Third  National  Communication  (TNC)  submitted  to  the  United  Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2023 has reported that India is experiencing full range of climate change impacts, ranging from floods and droughts to heatwaves and glacier melt. The impacts of climate change are observed in various sectors including  biodiversity;  forests; agriculture;  water resources;  coastal  and  marine ecosystems;  human  health;  gender;  urban  and infrastructure. The TNC  also notes that climate change and climate-induced disasters disproportionately affect socio-economically vulnerable groups, including women, particularly in rural areas, through impacts on livelihoods, access to basic services, health, water, energy, and living conditions.

India's climate actions across various sectors are embedded in various programmes and schemes. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) provides the overarching framework for all  climate  actions  and  comprises  missions  in  specific  areas  of  solar  energy,  enhanced  energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, Green India, sustainable agriculture,  human  health  and  strategic  knowledge  for  climate  change.  All  these  Missions  are institutionalized  and  implemented  by  their  respective  Nodal  Ministries/Departments.  Further, thirty-four  States/Union  Territories  (UTs)  have  prepared  their  State  Action  Plans  on  Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues relating to climate change. The responsibility of the implementation of the SAPCCs rest with the respective States.

In  addition,  there  are  various  schemes,  programmes  and  initiatives  which  contribute  towards reducing the impacts of climate change on rural women such as Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana, Nal Se Jal, Jal Jeevan Mission and Pradhan Mantri AwasYojana, among others.

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