Lok Sabha Question No. 4917 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-23
Subject: Climate Vulnerability in Assam
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Md. Rakibul Hussain

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4917 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.03.2026

## Climate Vulnerability in Assam

## 4917. MD. RAKIBUL HUSSAIN:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  carried  out  any  assessment  of  flood,  erosion  and  climate vulnerability in Assam, particularly along the Brahmaputra and Barak river systems and if so, the details thereof, district or river-basin-wise;
- (b)  the  major  findings  of  such  assessments,  including  identification  of  highly  vulnerable districts;
- (c) whether funds under national and international climate adaptation programmes have been sanctioned, released or delayed for Assam; and
- (d)  the  steps  taken  to  fast-track  erosion  control,  flood  mitigation  and  climate-resilient infrastructure in the State?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND

## CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a)  to  (d) The  occurrence  of  floods  can  be  attributed  to  various  factors,  including  wide variations in rainfall both in time and space with frequent departures from the normal pattern, inadequate carrying capacities of rivers, river bank erosion and silting of river beds, landslides, poor natural drainage in flood prone areas, snowmelt and glacial lake out-bursts.

Morphological Studies by various Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and National Institute of Technology (NIT) have been carried out for major rivers including river Brahmaputra. These Studies play an important role in understanding the nature of rivers in a comprehensive manner and  provide  assessment  of  decadal  bank-line  movement,  erosion  &  deposition  in  different reaches  in respect of  base  year, derivation  of reach-wise  morphological  indices  and identification  of  critical  reaches.  These  studies  have  been  shared  with  concerned  State Governments and other stakeholders etc. for taking informed decision and future planning.

As  per the  morphological  study  of  Brahmaputra  River  conducted  by Central  Water Commission (CWC) through IIT Guwahati, it has been estimated that in the Brahmaputra River a total erosion of 252.6 sq.km and deposition of 118.6 sq.km occurred between 2003-05 and 2008-11.

As per report of CWC on 'Assessment of Area Affected Due to Floods in India, 2024' based on  satellite  imageries  data  from  1986  to  2022,  the  total  flood  affected  areas  in  Assam is assessed as 2.477 Mha covering 33 of 35 districts.

Further, Department of Science and Technology through Assam Climate Change Management Society  (ACCMS),  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  Department,  Government  of Assam has also 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  assessment  covered  both  the  Brahmaputra  and  Barak  River  valley.  The vulnerability report identifies Assam as the 5 th  most climate vulnerable State in India.

Flood  management  and  anti-erosion  schemes  are  planned  and  implemented  by  the  State Government,  while  the  Central  Government  supplements  the  efforts  through  technical guidance and financial assistance under various programmes.

Government  of  India  has  adopted  integrated  approach  to  flood  management  that  aims  at adopting judicious mix of structural and non-structural measures to provide a reasonable degree of protection against flood damages. Central assistance has been provided to Assam under the Flood  Management Programme (FMP) and its continuation as  the  Flood  Management  and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) for works such as flood control, anti-erosion measures and drainage improvement.

The State Government also undertakes assessment of damages caused due to natural calamities including  floods  and  provide  relief  assistance  from  State  Disaster  Response  Fund  (SDRF) already  placed  at  their  disposal  as  per  Government  of  India's  approved  norms.  Additional financial assistance is provided from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure in case of disaster of 'severe nature' which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT).

In addition, non-structural measures such as flood forecasting and early warning services are provided by the CWC. In order to enable States to undertake scientific assessment of flood plains and its zoning as a non-structural measure of flood mitigation, Ministry of Jal Shakti in August 2025 has prepared Guideline on Flood Plain Zoning and circulated to States/UTs.

Further,  under  National  Adaptation  Fund  for  Climate  Change  (NAFCC),  a  project  on 'Management  of  Ecosystem  of  Kaziranga  National  Park  by  creating  Climate  Resilient Livelihood for Vulnerable Communities through Organic farming and pond based Pisciculture' is implemented in the State of Assam with a project cost of INR 24.56 crores.

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